The First Course: Stone Park Cafe

Where can you find the best burger in the city? It's a perpetual debate. Do you go low or high? Burger Joint, Corner Bistro, Prime Burger? Or is it the $29 foie gras and short rib burger at db Bistro Moderne? Gothamist has tried them all. We haven’t picked a winner yet (the search is half the fun, after all). But we do have a new contender. You'll have to go to Park Slope to get it, but the burger at Stone Park Cafe is worth the trip.

You might pass this burger by at first; the menu unassumingly calls it a “short rib sandwich.” But this is no McRib. The boneless rib meat is braised so long and lovingly that it’s almost sticky with its own beefy sauce. Beneath the meat is a dollop of creamed spinach and there's a soft-fried quail egg on top, which when bitten douses everything with a luxuriously rich yolk. Enveloping all is a homemade potato bun as light as brioche and scented with onion.

The sandwich is a miniature, served as an appetizer. Size notwithstanding, it packs a punch. So much so that you might be tempted, as we were, to order a second one and skip the entrees entirely. This carnivore’s dream dish was inspired by one of the waiters at Stone Park. At the end of his shifts, he used to cobble together a late-night snack sandwich from the chef’s perfect short ribs and the perennial favorite side dish of spinach. The chef, Josh Grinker, added the egg and put it on the menu, and a great burger was born. We applaud their collaborative spirit.

Stone Park's starters also include a tasty grilled octopus salad and a savory butternut squash ravioli. The atmosphere is sleek and modern but also friendly and low-key. It’s a combination that’s hard to find at a restaurant of this caliber in Manhattan. We'd put it on our list even if it weren't for that burger, which is enough to make us regulars.

Stone Park Cafe, 324 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, Tel: 718-369-6548