The burger: I'll admit that I detected the barest, faintest whiff of a sellout when I spied a burger on the lunch menu at the otherwise rigorously disciplined Brasserie Zentral. After all, this all-American staple doesn't really have a profile among the gathering places of Vienna, Budapest, Munich and other sources of inspiration for this remarkable newcomer.
But Zentral finds itself in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, and chef/co-owner Russell Klein is nothing if not a realist. He has a clientele to serve, and some of them are probably going to want to spend their lunch break cozied up to a burger rather than a schnitzel or corned veal tongue salad. "Part of being a brasserie is being accessible," said Klein. "Our concept might be challenging for some people, although I don't think that it is. People see German, they think it's weird. A burger, however, is straightforward, it's easy to understand. Besides, who doesn't like a good burger?"
Ok, sold. And it's not as if Klein doesn't incorporate regional gestures into the Zentral burger. The opposite, actually, making it something of a novelty burger, and an excellent one, at that.
Naturally, the ground beef is seasoned with paprika, that mainstay of Hungarian cuisine. Zentral's house-made version is a special point of pride for the restaurant. Klein has hundreds of pounds of organic red bell peppers – harvested at Riverbend Farm in Delano – dehydrating in the restaurant's vast basement workrooms. They're ground on an as-needed basis, to create vivaciously fresh paprika. "It's an every-day process," said Klein. "They hit the spice grinder, releasing oils and aromas, and the flavor is a night-and-day comparison over all the other paprikas that we looked at. I still haven't found any that compares, even the stuff that we brought home from Hungary."
Klein folds just enough of that pungent paprika into the lean, flavorful, grass-fed beef to lend it a hint of a punch. The patties themselves are heavyweights, portion-wise, and the kitchen takes them to the point where their exteriors boast a rustic char but their interiors are pink, velvety and juicy.
The toppings continue the travelogue-on-the-Danube vibe. Cheese is a gooey, gruyere-like raclette. Granted, it's not the same premium raclette that takes center stage next door at Foreign Legion. That's the Kleins' cheese-obsessed wine bar, where raclette – the dish – is one of the menu's must-order specialties (be sure and get the version with salty, herb-seasoned Italian ham). Opting for a perfectly servicable raclette – the cheese – for the Zentral burger is strictly a cost-cutting move. "Otherwise, we'd have to charge $20 for the burger," said Klein with a laugh.
There's also a generous swipe of aioli that's fortified with horseradish and vinegar-ey gherkins. More much-needed acid comes from a juicy tomato slice, and a pile of soft caramelized onions adds just-right sweet notes.
If that sounds like a lot, it is. "Yeah, it's a messy burger," said Klein, in total understatement mode. Even the sturdy pretzel bun (Klein is obsessed with pretzels; if you're visiting on a weekday, scoot upstairs to the skyway-level Cafe Zentral and pick up one of the kitchen's marvelously chewy ones for the road) isn't enough to hold this monster together, so, yes, you'll be reaching for a knife and fork. Trust me, those utensils won't leave your hands until you've relished every morsel.
Price: $14.50 ($15.50 with cheese, and that's a must), and worth it.
Fries: Included. The menu hails "Belgian frites," but I opted for a salad instead. What was I thinking? At the time, leafy greens felt like the health-conscious thing to do. It was a decision fostered by observation: diners at an adjacent table were enjoying burgers, and the sight of their sheer heft sent a shiver through my cholesterol level, enough to take my appetite off deep-fried potatoes. Of course, now I'm consumed with regret, because the fries at the Kleins' Meritage are one of the primary reasons to visit downtown St. Paul. Next time.
Nighttime note: For those who can't make Zentral for lunch, Klein has recently added the burger to his dinner menu. The move almost – note, almost -- makes up for his decision to remove the not-to-be-believed semolina dumplings, served in an emerald-green tomato water-herb consommé. It was one of the loveliest dishes I've tasted this year, and I'm draping my cubicle in black crepe at this very moment as I mourn its demise.
Address book: 505 Marquette Av., Mpls., 612-333-0505. Lunch served Tuesday through Friday, dinner served Tuesday through Sunday.
Talk to me: Do you have a favorite burger? Share the details at rick.nelson@startribune.com.
