Diet Destroyer: The New Burger At Fortina

Every hot spot restaurant has a burger, but for the longest time, one of the county’s best and trendiest did not. Fortina has always been known for its wood-fired pizzas, pastas, bone marrow whiskey or wine luges (if you’re lucky), and a whole lot of swagger, but a burger was the one thing that remained missing.

A few months back Fortina, on social media, teased a burger that was then still in test phases. My anticipation level shot through the roof because I knew these guys wouldn’t serve just some ordinary patty on a bun, they’d surely slap their “on fleekness” on this bad boy.

Shortly thereafter I texted my friend Jared Falco, a chef at Fortina Rye Brook, to see if I could stop by and not only try the burger but to get some info about it too.

I sat down, with a large format bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru, because beer and burgers are meant to be, and out came the burger I had yearned for since I saw the first teaser photo.

Already starving when I walked in, the sight of the burger made my stomach growl and my mouth watered, and my eyes just about popped out of my head. No, not because it was a monstrosity of a burger, but because the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s covered in a pungently delicious Parmesan sauce (that I was told has more than just Parm in it, but the rest is an insider secret).

The burger itself is made up of a Pat LaFrieda beef blend and is seasoned and cooked on a flat top that helps develop a nice crust. The juicy burger is placed on a toasted Martin’s seeded bun with green tomato relish on the bottom that adds sweetness, and the savory Parm sauce enveloping it all on top. The kicker is the addition of a piece of crispy chicken fried mortadella in place of bacon, but you still get that same porky sensation, only crispier, meatier, and all the more Italian.

As far as sides are concerned, it comes simply, with just a lightly pickled cucumber. After I gobbled up the savory burger, I went to the pickle and noted it acts as a palette cleanser, to which Chef Falco agreed with. Some might appreciate a few fries to soak up the cheese sauce that will inevitably drip, and I thought about eating the deli paper that rested in the basket, but I somehow was able to control myself. Ultimately I thought the pickle was plenty, and you have to save room for pizza.

The $20+ price tag on the burger will be steep for some, but if you’re a burger guy or gal, dishing out for a quality creation should be no problem. I sure as hell didn’t mind.

I’ve been a fan of Fortina for a while now and with the addition of this burger, my heart grew fonder, even if it partially clogged up my left ventricle.