There are certain dishes that can speak to people, elevating food to something that transcends mere sustenance. These are the dishes that folks will sometimes crave at odd hours, inspiring them to drive to different area codes, or to wait in long lines just to satisfy a fix. More often than not, these items tend to be shining examples of comfort food, such as a hot dog at Pink’s in Los Angeles, pork ribs at Rendezvous in Memphis, or a charcoal-oven pizza from Lombardi’s in New York. For many people, these foods are almost like religion when the cravings kick in.
I tend to be a creature of habit, so when I discover something that really speaks to me, I’ll often revisit that meal on consecutive days, just to revel in it. Most recently, I’ve done this with In-N-Out Burger, which has been more of a rediscovery than anything. Oddly enough, there was a good three-year span in Los Angeles when I practically lived right next door to an In-N-Out Burger, and so I had completely purged those cravings from my system. Then, about three months ago, a friend from Brooklyn came to visit, and we stopped by the In-N-Out here in Napa: suddenly, I’ve been on a steady diet of Double-Doubles ever since.
I’ve discovered that other eating habits will also manifest themselves in different ways. For instance, there are occasions when I’ll order the exact same thing every time I visit a certain restaurant. I’ve definitely fallen into this routine with the fish and chips over at the Silverado Brewing Company. Without exaggeration, I’ve probably eaten that very same dish on each of my last 10 visits — I just can’t seem to get away from it. Although I will concede that their fish and chips is technically not by-the-book (the SBC uses a type of Vietnamese catfish, not Atlantic cod), the preparation is consistent and the execution is always spot-on.
Admittedly, I could list scads of old favorites, both known and unknown, but my latest thing has been the Chinatown Duck Burger at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. Although its location in St. Helena often prevents this item from becoming an everyday diversion, I do have an impressive streak in the works: I have had the Chinatown Duck Burger the last three times I have visited Cindy’s, with very little desire to order anything else. The burger is sublimely simple, which is at the very heart of its appeal: ground duck (cooked to medium), dressed with house-made shiitake ketchup, served on an Acme Bakery bun. For me, it’s the perfect lunch during a day of wine tasting, which is how I first discovered it.
The Chinatown Duck Burger’s true strength is in its design, as if it had been carefully engineered just to be delicious. First of all, ground duck replaces ground beef, so the patty does not forgo its fat and flavor content, as it would with other meats, such as buffalo, or even worse, turkey. Ketchup, which is already replete with umami, gets a significant boost from umami-rich shiitake mushrooms (and perhaps from a little soy sauce as well), providing the sandwich with a criminally addictive flavor profile. And finally, the Acme bun boasts a pedigree from one of the Bay Area’s top bakeries, giving the duck burger its culinary flourish. All the pieces are in place.
If I feel like drinking wine with the Chinatown Duck Burger, I’ll usually order a glass of the 2006 Tofanelli Charbono. The combination makes for a terrific meal, especially since the nearest In-N-Out burger is 20 miles away.
