Justin Thyme in Croton-on-Hudson is a neighborhood eatery with a broad menu of burgers, wraps, entrée salads, sandwiches, pasta, and traditional American plates (shrimp scampi, ribs, meatloaf) that appeals to most groups, from families to first-date couples to girlfriends out for a martini-and-apps night. The kind of place you wouldn’t expect anything out of the ordinary on the menu…
Well surprise number one is the second item down on the “Café Burgers” list called The King (below, left). The reference here is not to any of the assorted King Georges of England or King Tut or even King Kong (though there are bananas) but to “the King” Elvis and his trashy love for peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Justin Thyme’s King burger is a 10-oz patty topped with bacon, peanut butter, and bananas—and it’s not bad. I can’t say it has anything on a cheeseburger but, as Chef/Owner Scott Labis pointed out, peanut sauce in Thai cuisine goes on all sorts of meats so the combo isn’t exactly unheard of. Now as for how those bananas pair with chopped ground beef and sizzling bacon, he didn’t offer up any rationale.
A second surprise menu item that’s quite delicious (as well as a fun play on a traditional Thanksgiving dish) is the sweet potatoes fries with marshmallow goo dipping sauce (above, right). This is a riff of the casserole of mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows melted on top that is at many Turkey Day tables (usually brought by an aunt whose forte is not cooking).
Who knows what could be next on the menu at Justin Thyme? There are rumors of a Harry Potter burger, which we hope doesn't involve Burtie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (especially the earth worm and snot-flavored ones!).