The Juiciest Lucy
Lucy’s Original offers up surprisingly cheesy burgers, in the best way.
Posted by: Ryan Donaldson on May 31, 2011 at 02:00PM
8 Comments
Nearly a year after St. Johns’ beloved Little Red Bike cafe closed, the memory of that kitchen’s fried egg sandwiches and sinfully moist banana cake still brings on intense cravings. But mourn not forlorn taste buds: Little Red Bike co-founder Evan Dohrmann is dishing out some of the cafe’s triumphs from a mobile truck dubbed Lucy’s Original, often parked at 3925 N Mississippi Ave. Loyalists will be happy to find two of the cafe’s signature fried egg sandwiches during the week and old brunch favorites on Sundays.
But the heart of the truck is new: a Minneapolis cult burger featuring an inside-out approach, with American cheese oozing out the center of the patty, plus pickles, thousand island dressing, and a potato bun. The name Lucy’s Original is a playful wink at the “who did it first” arguments rooted in many American classics (in Minneapolis, two pubs on the same street still compete for bragging rights over the burger’s recipe). Dohrmann uses the formula as a base, but adds enough spin to call this burger his own.
While juggling “original” ideas and his own conceits, Dohrmann has figured out the secrets to a burger that keeps us coming back:
Create a Special Beef Blend
The best burgers hit a good ratio of lean to fatty, combining different cuts to achieve a taste that is truly beefy. Lucy’s Original blends 25 percent brisket, 25 percent chuck, and 50 percent sirloin, all freshly ground each morning in the truck’s one horsepower grinder, a key to success. “You can taste the texture of freshness,” Dohrmann says. Once ground, the patties are then shaped with the cheese tucked inside. The ratio was inspired by the wildly popular version at New York’s Shake Shack, owned by superstar chef Danny Meyers since 2004.
Add Unexpected Flavors
A changing list of carefully considered toppings distinguishes Lucy’s approach: tomato confit and avocado; red chili aioli and a fried egg; or the ultimate standout here, grilled pineapple, sriracha mayo, and peanut sauce. These concoctions push the burgers into new territory—an unexpected flavor experience. Straying from the house formulas is discouraged, but an intriguing customer combo is usually humored.
Use a Good Bun
A great burger has a bun with just enough flavor and sturdiness to prevent the whole thing from turning into a soggy mess. Lucy’s made the right choice: a potato bun from local Fleur De Lis Bakery. The golden brown domes, delivered daily, are beautifully toasted on the flat top. Dohrmann also commissioned a special seeded multigrain bun for his vegan Yacht burger, oozing vegan cheese and crowned with veggie specialties.
Insider Tips:
1. Living up to the mobile nature of a food truck, Lucy’s location is spontaneous and unpredictable. The truck is often found just north of Failing Street on Mississippi Avenue, but it’s a good idea to check movements on Lucy’s twitter feed
2. The menu appears limited, but regulars know to inquire about the “secret menu” for a taste of something special.
3. Hours (sort of): Most days Lucy’s is open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but opens at 10 a.m. on Sunday. One thing you can count on: they’re closed every Wednesday. Prices run $5–8.
4. Where Lucy is parking on First Thursday, 4–8 p.m.: Head to the just-opened CorksCru Wine Merchants, an inventive wine shop and occasional eatery at 339 NW Broadway. Eat outside or head inside for tables and wine flight tastings. Is there anything better with inside/out burgers and biscuits?
A must have the next time I am in Portland! Yum
Lucy’s Original has the best veggie/vegan burger in town. I have tried many around town and this one makes me feel, for just a moment, that I could happily leave meat behind. But when you do choose to order on of the meat-based options, you’re rewarded by delicious, ethically-sourced everything. And you know we Portlanders love our gult-free food. Thank you Evan for making burgers a regular part of my diet again!
Sigh.
I can’t “Minnesota Nice” this: no one in Portland has any business labeling any flattened ball of beef with cheese in it a “Lucy Original” (original! The cheese-stuffed gall!) of any sort, jucy or juicy (or bluicy—oh, yes, there are Bluicy’s (Blucy’s? Depends both on one’s orthodoxy and one’s allegiance, I suppose)) or otherwise.
We suffer through the winters, we get to lay militant claim to our tasty-as-hell burgers. I’ve trudged through thigh-high snowbanks* for those treats, back when food trucks were some thing hippie/yuppie hybrids did in far-west places that don’t have weather. Don’t poach without sufficient credit, Dohrmann; if nothing else, that burger logo of yours ought to be Minnesota-shaped.
*I mean, probably. They felt thigh-high. My legs were cold. Whatever; that’s beside the point.
TeaBea:
“The name Lucy’s Original is a playful wink at the “who did it first” arguments rooted in many American classics (in Minneapolis, two pubs on the same street still compete for bragging rights over the burger’s recipe). Dohrmann uses the formula as a base, but adds enough spin to call this burger his own.”
Seems like maybe Dohrmann thinks the Minneapolis burgers are famous enough for people to get the reference. Hence he doesn’t dumb it down and spell it out. How much more of a reference could he have made? You got it. Was it a stretch for you?
No need to defend your cheese filled burgers- I imagine they are something akin to a White Castle Burger or an in-and-out burger- more a nostalgic idea than a great burger. Jucy Lucy’s et al can’t possibly be made with the quality of ingredients that these burgers are made from.
Different strokes for different folks- weather really doesn’t play a role in a great hamburger.
@Friendly Farmer
You imagine wrong. Jucy Lucys are nothing like white castle or in and out. They are not fast food. They are carefully crafted by very gifted grill cooks. I have no idea what would make you think this.
There are many different restaurants (yes, SIT-DOWN RESTAURANTS) in both St. Paul and Minneapolis that offer the Twin Cities’ signature dish, (though both “original” locations are in Minneapolis). Their approach varies from establishment to establishment. Matt’s Bar takes a very straightforward approach; there is only one Jucy Lucy on their menu, and they do nothing to gussy it up. The Blue Door Pub in St. Paul does just the opposite, experimenting with various cheeses and and toppings, from the normal all the way to things like coconut soaked fresh mozzarella and pickled ginger. Most restaurants that serve Lucys also make a point to source locally and/or organically.
Your insinuation that we in the midwest could not possibly create a burger with fresh ingredients in elitist and insulting, but most of all frustrating. I have no doubt that this truck makes a delicious burger, and I am glad that my people in Minnesota have created a foodstuff that others in distant states wish to share with their patch of the country. I don’t care about the name of the truck at all. They can call themselves Lucy’s Original; I get the joke. But please don’t try to tell me that you can improve on a cultural cuisine that you don’t fully understand. People in Minnesota take the quality of their Lucys seriously, make no mistake. Portland doesn’t own the market on “fresh ingredients.”
Mmmmmm – all this talk about burgers I’ve had! Making me hungry! I’m from Minneapolis – my parents took me to Matt’s Bar, because they used to go there and wanted me to taste a Jucy Lucy. They are delicious simple burgers – I think it has something to do with the flat top that’s been in use for unnamed years – can’t get that kind of flavor on a new grill. Matt’s has always been packed when I’ve been there – you stand in the door and wait your turn and then don’t want to give up your seat! Maybe if you sit there long enough you’ll have room for another Jucy Lucy! Everytime I’m back in Minneapolis I make my way to Matt’s and stand in line.
I’d heard the hype and wondered why? about Shake Shack in NYC. Then I went there, ordered the cheeseburger and fries and understood. Fresh burgers made right in front of you (also on a flat top), and eaten in the park. Great messy burgers but I have to say the Minneapolis Jucy Lucy is better!
Now Portland has their version of a Jucy Lucy…..I’ll seek out the food truck and try it and compare. But I have a feeling I’ll like the PDX version also – mostly because I like a good burger that has heart behind it – which I think all three places strive for.
After abstaining from red meat for over a decade, I tried one of the burgers at Lucy’s and it was totally worth it. In fact, though I hadn’t planned on making red meat a regular part of my diet, I had two more burgers from Lucy’s on subsequent occasions. Yum! I’m off the beef again, but I love love love going to Lucy’s for the best egg sandwiches around.
Tea Bea:
I’m pretty sure the name is an homage.
I’ve eaten some bad food in PDX from supposedly quality places so stop bragging Farmer. You can’t possibly rear some ingredients in the Northwest the same way they can in fertile plains soil. As well, I actually find the flavor in signature Northwest food to be more bland than the midwest.