Hamburgers in France
Not a philosophical post
As much as I’ve criticized restaurant food in France, there is one non-Michelin starred place where they excel: the hamburger. Yes this will run counter to North American beliefs that the burger is their invention, and their pinnacle of fast food dominance, but it is true.
The burger above, of which I’ve enjoyed the single patty version, is from Why Not Pizza and Burgers in Alençon. It is, without question, the best that I’ve had in several years, and yes, that includes the ever-popular White Spot Triple-O.
A week later we found ourselves in Puymirol, at La Bastide Bar | Tabac | Restaurant. They were fully booked up for the Wednesday lunch, so we ate on their cold and sunny patio, and again enjoyed a hamburger better than anything that I’ve had in Canada.
Husband and wife team, great service, friendly, and fantastic food.
Thinking about all of this I’m beginning to believe that the problem is that in North America the hamburger is so ubiquitous that it gets no respect, and it’s assumed to be what you grab when you don’t have time for a real meal. It’s one step up from whatever you buy these days at 7-11. Because we expect burgers to be mediocre, they usually are.
But not in France, where even McDonalds, the company that arguably destroyed everything good about both burgers and fries, serves up an actually pretty tasty version of a Big Mac that is head and shoulders above the pathetic product that they serve in Canada and the US. Somehow Le Big Mac is just a better and tastier sandwich than the Big Mac back home.
And of course, mayonnaise with the fries, and a pretty decent espresso after the meal.