$100 BURCH RESTUARANT GIFT CARD

Burch is an exciting new restaurant in Minneapolis.  This is what Star Tribune had to say:

The last thing Minneapolis needed was another steakhouse.

But then along comes Burch Steak and Pizza Bar, dramatically shifting the paradigm. This multi-platform Lowry Hill venture — by spouses Isaac Becker and Nancy St. Pierre, business partner Ryan Burnet and chef Daniel del Prado — studiously avoids so many tired steakhouse trappings. So much so that referring to Burch by that limiting steakhouse moniker seems inaccurate. Goofy, even.

That said, let’s tackle the steaks first. The menu offers a remarkable range of options, with five or six cuts (New York, sirloin and more) sold at three grade levels (grass-fed, choice and prime), usually in small (6 to 7 oz.) or large (12 to 14 oz.) sizes. There are nearly 30 selections.

“It’s a meat matrix,” noted my friend, and he was absolutely right; the only missing element is a steak flight. The continuum has economic overtones, too; diners can shell out $13 for a sanely sized hanger steak or invest $95 in a massive porterhouse for two.

Differences between the three grades are nuanced but apparent. Lean and mineral-ey, the grass-fed cuts have an intensely beefy bite and a firm, dense texture. In contrast, the prime cuts — and, to a lesser extent, their choice counterparts — sport the plummy, mouth-melting characteristics that traditional steak lovers seek. They’re so tender that the restaurant’s 

sleek, French-made knives slide through the supple meat with barely any pressure.

TOM WALLACE

Isaac Becker in the kitchen at Burch.

 

Not surprisingly, the kitchen treats this prized inventory with finesse. Embellishment-wise, the well-sourced beef requires nothing more than salt and pepper. It’s fired under the broiler, then finished on a grill over white-hot white oak, that intense heat enrobing each cut in a crusty, slightly smoky and teasingly salty char. Garnishes — pickled mushrooms, a Sriracha-kissed steak sauce and a small pitcher of silky béarnaise — arrive at the table, but they’re almost unnecessary distractions. Yeah, the steak is that good.

A twist on the side

Working collaboratively, Becker and Del Prado defy the genre’s expectations at every turn. For starches, the two reject potatoes — there isn’t a hash brown or sour cream-topped Russet in sight — and concentrate on a delectable series of dumplings. They’re a joy, and an ingenious celebration of the possibilities that happen when flour and water come in contact with skill and creativity.

Divine gnocchi-like corks, lightened with ricotta, are finished with a savory lamb stroganoff. Rolled noodles, thick as a pinkie and browned on the stove, are dressed with traces of walnuts and a rich Gorgonzola cream sauce. Brown butter and fragrant sage are pitch-perfect finishing touches for the firm, scallop-shaped semolina dumplings. Oh, and there’s a pierogi of the gods, filled with a decadent spin on mashed potatoes, crowned with the requisite sour cream and sweetened with golden raisins.

TOM WALLACE

The hanger steak at Burch.

 

 Read the rest at http://www.startribune.com/burch-a-new-kind-of-steakhouse-defies-stereotypes-to-earn-four-stars/215871011/