By: Anna Frost
As someone who does not often consume burgers, there is something incredibly satisfying about biting into a juicy, flavorful burger. My limited burger exposure has little to do with a disliking of the food itself – like any decent American, I cannot resist the call of meat, cheese and an excuse for vegetables surrounded by soft bread – but rather a contempt for fast food. But when I stumble across a place that puts love and care into their burgers, it is akin to a first date that you wish would never end. You just want to hold on forever. It is magic.
Today, I had two such meals, both in Oak Bluffs. I stopped at Fat Ronnie’s on Circuit Street on the way to the beach when I realized that my breakfast of passion fruit yogurt nearly five hours previously was not enough food for the day. I bit into the mushroom-Swiss burger I ordered to-go and achieved something near nirvana. The strips of Portobello mushroom on top of the burger were the right amount of salty, which balanced the rich cheese, while the soft bun absorbed all the juice/grease from the burger. Perfection, although cliché, is truly the only description I can provide.
Then, in an unlikely stroke of fate, lightning struck twice. After salsa lessons at The Ritz, we sat at the bar for one more drink and decided on the Big Bite Combo – consisting of three cheeseburger sliders, a chicken quesadilla and tater tots covered in their heavenly, or devilish depending on your view of melted cheese, LoneStarBeer queso. The Ritz grinds their own beer for their burgers and has a secret fat percentage – I asked, the chef wouldn’t tell. I now know why they were so keen to keep it a secret. The music slowed, the lights dimmed, it was love at first bite. Even as sliders, their burger patty was full of flavor and impossibly juicy. I can only imagine what an experience their full-sized burgers must be.
So it happened, this burger-shy foodie found love twice in a day. If you need me, I’ll be on Circuit Street, alternating between Fat Ronnie’s and The Ritz, growing quite fat and wholly satisfied.
