Let’s take a second and talk about bacon…crispy, wonderful, fatty, rich…bacon. Something hasn’t been loved this much by the masses since The Beatles came over from Liverpool. This one piece of pork has been so widely revered over the last few years that it has inspired countless pieces of merchandise, advertising, cult-like followings and not to mention a booming business for purveyors of Miss Piggy (my apologies to the Muppets). And like so many of the gullible yuppies that fell into any one of those categories I mentioned, I was right there with everyone else. I am a bacon junky. So you had to understand my enthusiasm when I learned that the first bacon themed gastropub in New England was opening up on Green Street was downright childlike. I had visions of me swimming in pools of bacon like Scrooge McDuck did with his money, except my fantasy was much more delicious and satisfying. So I had to check it out!
Located almost directly across the street from the newly renovated Cove Music Hall and taking the place of The Center Bar & Grill (thank goodness), stands the current location of The Hangover Pub. The interior is still cozy on the inside but there’s evidence of extensive renovations to make the atmosphere more inviting, modern and less sticky. Neat wooden accents around the bar bring focal points to array of local brews on tap, and the red walls slowly morph into a black slate chalkboard which reads the menu all around the restaurant. But enough about the inside…let’s get to the food!
Considering this is a burger blog, I got the only burger on the menu…the Wagyu Burger ($12). Advertised with Grey Hill bleu cheese, baby kale, bacon-onion jam, layered on a brioche bun with house fries and smoke sea salt. I mean, the description alone makes your mouth water. For those of you unfamiliar with the Wagyu, it refers to a Japanese cow. While there are several different breeds, these cows are the most desired in the world because they are genetically predisposed to better marbling, meaning better flavor. Many cows enjoy a life of daily massages, and a steady diet of beer and sake are meant to make the animals happier, therefore producing a higher quality of meat.
The meal came presented on a wooden plank, with a brown paper bag of French fries on one side and the burger on the other. The buttery top of the brioche bun glistened in the lights cast above the table. As I began to enjoy the burger, the first thing that came to mind was how tender it was. Cooked to a beautiful medium, the warm pink center was the way every burger should be cooked. The baby kale took the place of lettuce on a normal burger, but added a nice fresh crispness to the bite, while not taking anything away from the meat. The kale also added a nice temperature contrast by being cooler than everything else. The bacon-onion jam reminded me more of caramelized onions, making me wish there was more bacon on the dish. With that being said though, the onions added another level of sweetness to a normally rich burger. Unfortunately, the bleu cheese got overshadowed in this dish. I’m not sure whether it was because there wasn’t enough or the other flavors were too pronounced, but I wanted something more melty. Bleu cheese is usually very assertive, and I just missed that aspect of it in the bite.
As the night winded to an end, and I polished off the last maple glazed zeppoli for dessert (must try – out of control!), I was happy with my experience at The Hangover. The food was delicious and extremely unique. Everything on the menu is priced right and almost seems priced to encourage a group to order several items; as if the owners want you to try everything on the item in one sitting (which I could probably do but shhhh! – don’t judge me) There was so much more on the menu that I didn’t get to try, but there’s always another day. I am glad that this bacon pub is in my neighborhood, now I just need to make sure I visit my doctor more regularly. But where will my burger adventure lead me to next? If you have suggestions, tweet me @edioufuc5. Until next time…
