Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, March 8, 2025 (DK’s pick).
Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, and me (Innie)
Guest: Marissa
I. Ordering
It actually happened. Wayne’s and my incessant references to steamed hams finally manifested into an official Burger Crew selection. At this time of year, in this part of the country, localized entirely within the Mari Vees diner, we all sat down for an unforgettable luncheon of steamed ham(burgers with cheese).
Mari Vee’s offerings include a few different burgers, but all of them feature a steamed beef patty. Angela, Trevor, and Wayne ordered The Champ ($25), which is topped with mustard, onions, cheddar, pastrami, bacon, avocado, and a fried egg.
The menu proudly proclaims that this menu item was the winner of the “LA vs SF Burger Battle”, which naturally begs the question of what this burger was called before the battle. And if it didn’t win, would we be eating The Runner Up?
DK and I ordered the Mari Vees Steamed Cheeseburger ($18), which was topped with mustard, onions, cheddar, and bacon.
Also offered on the menu, but not ordered by anyone at this meeting, is the Not So Smashed Burger ($18), with American cheese, smash sauce, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.
All burgers were served on brioche buns and came with french fries.
II. The Burgers
DK, our newly appointed steamed ham historian, provided the crew with a brief backstory on the origin of steamed cheeseburgers. The steamed cheeseburger was popularized in the 1920s in Connecticut (not Albany, as many would believe). Cheeseburgers were in high demand, resulting in lots of experimentation using various cooking methods. One of these new ideas included the use of a steam cabinet, which could accommodate several tin trays of ground beef patties at one time. The steamed cheeseburger is still a regional dish found throughout Central Connecticut today, with the most famous establishment (Ted’s Restaurant) having served them since the 1950’s.
Fast forward a century, and the general consensus by Burger Crew is that the steamed cheeseburger is just okay. We came with open minds and palates, but the lack of Maillard was too disappointing for us to ignore. A good sear is one of our favorite parts of a burger, and this version of patty couldn’t compare to the experiences we’ve had with grilled or griddled burgers. The patties by themselves also didn’t seem well seasoned, which we speculated could have resulted from the seasoning steaming/sweating off of the patties as they cooked.
The steaming did result in a very tender, juicy patty, which we could appreciate as a draw for some customers. The size and texture of the patty was akin to a very thick slice of meatloaf. There was a lot of mustard flavor present on all of our burgers. No one thought it was excessive, but it was probably one step below being overly mustardy. Trev thought that the strong presence of both the onion and the mustard helped cut through a lot of the richness of The Champ, which was heavy on the beef and the toppings.
The pastrami on The Champ was described by the members as very good. It added a peppery, salty element, and even though there were only a few thin slices piled on top, it was one of Angela’s favorite parts of her burger. The fried egg was nicely cooked with a runny yolk. However, Angela thought that the egg and the avocado felt unnecessary to the overall composition of the burger. The creaminess, richness and fat in the burger resulted in both components simply getting lost within the rest of the toppings.
For both The Champ and The MV, there was an abundance of cheddar cheese, but cheddar’s natural tendency to congeal just caused it to mostly slide off of the patty.
Angela noticed that the bun had a nice toast, which provided one of the few crunchy elements to the burger. There was a noticeable lack of pickles, which would have added more textural contrast against the softness of the patty.
III. The Sides
The fries served alongside our burgers were delicious. They were thick cut and battered fries with a nice amount of seasoning salt. They came piping hot (Wayne compared them to the surface of the sun) and crispy, with fluffy insides.
IV. Miscellaneous
There was a single bathroom accessible through the kitchen, which was a little awkward when trying to avoid food runners and servers during the lunch rush. Wayne parked in the smallish lot adjacent to the plaza and declared it to be chaos. The lines on the ground are apparently drawn purely for decorative purposes.
V. Value
The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers. The prices given were $16, $20, and $15 for The Champ, and $17 and $17 for The Mari Vees.
VI. The Verdict
While we enjoyed trying out a new twist to our beloved burgers, we believe there is a reason why steaming is not a popular option in the burger scene.
These were the ratings given by the crew: 3.6, 3.6, 3.7, 3.0, and 2.8.
Nex Burger Crew meeting will be April 27, 2025 at Burger She Wrote.