Gamechanger?

Burgers and pizza could sustain me forever. In an effort to reign my caloric intake, I've unfortunately had to curb the consumption of my beloved foods. However, certain occasions inspire me to forget about calorie counting and when my London bruv Aly Patel rolls into town, all bets are off.

I figured that it was finally time try out Bill's Bar & Burger in the Meatpacking. After they announced that they are opening up a massive outpost in 45 Rock (I work on the 7th floor of 45 Rock), I needed to figure out if this place was legit. I now fear that all my gym time over the past year might be a waste if I am an elevator-ride away from these delicious patties.

My gold-standard for burgers in New York is the Shack Burger. Bill's is on that level...plain and simple. The meat is wonderfully delicate and really well seasoned. The American cheese that tops it melts into the bun and meat and is unpretentious. The special sauce is not that special: thousand island dressing, but it works really well. The bun looks like the picture perfect sesame seed bun from a McDonald's commercial. The whole thing melted in my mouth and made me want ten more burgers (and once upon time, I could have polished off another ten).

The fries that come with it are awesome. They are even more awesome when covered in brisket chili: which is smoky and rich and turns the fries into a formidable side to the burger itself. I left most of them on the plate, but Aly P cleared his. I'm sure if Lord B was in town, he would have eaten us both under the table.

Bill's is definitely a worthy adversary to the Shack. It's also open "very late" on weekend evenings--meaning a post-Saturday night stopover is likely. Rumor has it the dogs are pretty delicious too. Just when you think the burger movement has reached a saturation point, Bill's comes along and remakes the landscape.