There are 30 different ways to have the title meal at Oneburger, the downtown Coral Gables eatery opened by the owner of its neighbor, the Globe Cafe and Lounge. The first gourmet burger joint to open in the City Beautiful serves up several takes on the beef patty, as well as ground chicken, turkey, tuna and vegetarian varieties.
ELAINE DE VALLE
edevalle@MiamiHerald.com
Don't be fooled by the one-word name.
There are 30 different ways to have the title meal at Oneburger, the new downtown Coral Gables eatery opened Wednesday by the owner of its neighbor, the Globe Cafe and Lounge.
The first gourmet burger joint to open in the City Beautiful serves up several takes on the beef patty, as well as ground chicken, turkey, tuna and vegetarian varieties.
"We set out to create a basic but more gourmet or boutique burger, using the highest-quality ingredients, that was a cut above the standard fast-food prototype but still more affordable than a higher-end restaurant burger," said owner Danny Guiteras, who said the One in the title refers to No. One.
"We really wanted to get out of the 'cheese, lettuce, tomato' box," Guiteras added.
Choices include the basic - like a pancetta bacon cheddar burger that reminded advertising executive Paul Delbo of those he cooks in his backyard - and some items most have never imagined.
Take the black, black & blue - a slightly blackened beef burger, topped with a roasted black bean spread, aged maytag blue cheese, a light orange reduction drizzle, red leaf lettuce and tomato - for $5.95.
"Delicious. Like a good homemade hamburger, " said Truman Skinner, a real estate developer who had lunch with his business partner Thursday.
"It's quick, and it's different, " said David Samole, 29, who also sampled the bacon cheddar and can't wait to go back and try more from the menu. "It has great variety."
And moderate prices. Most combos run under $10, a real bargain in the Gables, and burgers are priced from $4.50 to $9.25 for the Kobe beef or spicy tuna with Cali Roll topping and wasabi-soy spread.
Guiteras, who opened the successful Globe Cafe in 1997, almost opened a salad spot.
"It started out as a salad concept because of the popularity of salads at The Globe, " Guiteras said Thursday as his wife, Lorraine, brought out plates topped with thick burgers, homemade fries and towers of onion rings for a steady stream of customers.
"Then salads became too trendy, " he added, citing many salad places that opened.
He toyed with pizza. Then, the avid world traveler found himself in London amid a "big burger scene happening, " and voila.
"Burgers are universal. Burgers are fun, " Guiteras said. "There's a burger renaissance going on. We saw a lot of gourmet burger places. But what we didn't see was someone taking recipes and applying them to burgers."
Like his chicken Marsala, with a Marsala wine sauce, sliced mushrooms and melted Swiss cheese.
There are also chicken wings and tenders, salads, tortilla wraps and soups.
There's also a plan to expand. He wants two or three more - in South Beach, Brickell, the Miami Design District - within a couple of years and said he has already been approached about franchising.
"I want to be the Starbucks of burgers, " Guiteras said.
Some customers Thursday complained about having to find parking, though many walked from nearby downtown offices and took their orders to go. Legal secretaries Melissa Cabrera, 24, and Odaly del Oro, 39, sat at one of the five tables and had the same thing: a "really good" tomato basil soup and the vegetarian burger, which was surprisingly light, they said.
"I've had it at other places, and it's usually a little heavy, " del Oro said.
edevalle@MiamiHerald.com
Reviewed on September 17, 2006
