Wee little burgers

International restaurant chain bombards Dallas with mini-burgers

The mini-burger invasion is coming for you.

Photo courtesy of Burgerim

Whee, it's baby burgers everywhere with the looming arrival of Burgerim, an international fast-casual chain specializing in gourmet mini-burgers, which is opening restaurants all across Dallas-Fort Worth.

Three locations in the DFW area will open by the end of February, says Jose Garcia, operations manager for Texas. "We have Lewisville, the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, and Town East Mall in Mesquite, all in the process of building out," he says.

A Dallas location will open in the spring at 6770 Abrams Rd., in the same Lake Highlands shopping center as the Alamo Drafthouse.

Burgerim was founded in Israel in 2013, then debuted in the United States in 2016. It's growing at a fast pace: There are currently locations in California, Nevada, Florida, and Tennessee, plus three in Texas — two in Houston and one in Lubbock — and more in the works.

"In the state of Texas, our 3- to 5-year plan is to open 300 locations, and we're planning on 50 locations to be open by the end of 2018," Garcia says.

Their mini-patties are 2.8 ounces each. That's not so small! It's practically a quarter-pounder. You can order them in a single, duo, trio, or a 16-pack, then customize away from a choice of buns, sauces, toppings, and even the kind of patty itself.

Patty options include beef, dry aged beef, Wagyu beef, merguez (spicy beef), turkey, lamb, chicken, salmon, veggie, Spanish beef, or falafel.

The lamb burger gets high marks, as does the unique "tightly-packed" quality of the ground meat. The veggie burger is vegetarian, not vegan, but is made in-house from green lentils, tofu, carrots, and onion.

The burger comes with lettuce, tomato, and onion, but they take the controversial approach of putting those on the bottom — their rationale being that they'll absorb the flavors from above.

You also can choose from nine additional special toppings, including mushrooms, jalapeños, grilled onions, bacon, avocado, fried egg, and choice of cheese from Swiss, cheddar, bleu, or pepper jack. Those sit atop your patty; no absorbing for them.

Their style of fries is unusual: cut into rounds like a thick potato chip. There are also sweet potato fries, home fries, and onion rings; plus wings, chicken tenders, and a trio of salads that include a chopped salad and a salad with grilled chicken.

Sodas are self-serve, from one of those Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers; there is also beer and wine.

Some Burgerims are in malls; two such locations in the works include the Allen Outlet Mall and the North East Mall in Hurst. Others are in strip mall centers. Either way, it's good news for burger fans, Garcia says.

"People like Burgerim because it has an intense menu with a lot of variations," he says.

burgers

Steakhouse News

High-profile Palladino's Steak & Seafood heads to Preston-Royal Dallas

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Filet Mignon will be on the menu.

A high-profile new steakhouse is coming to North Dallas: Palladino’s Steak & Seafood, an eponymous concept from Dallas restaurateur Joseph Palladino, will open at 5959 Royal Ln., in the former Spec's space.

Palladino is the larger-than-life ex-NYPD police officer-turned-restaurateur known for concepts such as Nick & Sam's Steakhouse and the Coal Vines pizza chain.

Palladino's Steak & Seafood is a newly created concept, which will combine steakhouse, Italian dishes, and seafood, particularly sushi. The first location is already penciled in for New York, opening in the former Michael Jordan Steakhouse at Grand Central Terminal, which closed in 2018.

The New York location is being designed by the international design firm Rockwell Group and according to a spokesperson, is slated to open in early summer. The Dallas spinoff will open in winter 2025.

Palladino first landed on the Dallas restaurant scene in 1998 to partner up with the equally larger-than-life restaurateur Phil Romano, and went on to have a hand in the creation of Nick & Sam’s, the swanky steakhouse on Maple Avenue (now run by Sam Romano, son of co-founder Phil Romano), Nick & Sam's Grill, Dos Jefes, and more. He created Coal Vines as an homage to the casual neighborhood restaurants reminiscent of his upbringing in New York.

Joseph Palladino and Troy Aikman Joseph Palladino and one of his many celebrity pals, Troy Aikman.Instagram

Palladino was approached by Preston Royal's landlords to open a restaurant at the center. Given his local following and celebrity draw, as well as the large local appetite for steakhouses, Dallas made sense as a second location, particularly at the highly desirable intersection of Preston and Royal.

On the culinary side, Palladino is partnered with veteran chef Sam Hazen, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America as well as an instructor there. His star-studded resume includes La Côte Basque, the Quilted Giraffe, Quatorze, Michelin three-star Le Gavroche, Terrace in the Sky, Cascabel, and Tavern on the Green. He was most recently at Tao, the glitzy Asian concept from Tao Hospitality, where he worked for a decade, giving him sushi expertise.

Palladino is busy getting the New York location open first, and the menu has yet to be revealed.

"But it'll have high-quality steaks and seafood, along with some of my trademark specials and Italian dishes," Palladino says.

However, Hazen previewed a dish on Linked In, consisting of a slice of toast with a cut-out center of pate, with accompaniments that included cornichons and mustard — like a pate version of the classic "egg in a hole."

The hospitality will match the cuisine and ambience. “I intend to bring a very special steakhouse to the city, one that the locals can embrace," Palladino says. "They’re going to receive a good experience — that’s important to me.”

"Pate in a hole" dish shared by Palladino's chef Sam Hazen.Sam Hazen

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