Whether you savor the sizzle of a summer grill or prefer your artisan patty with avocado and aioli, few can resist a juicy burger. Along with a pretty good claim to the origins of this portable “quick lunch,” the Nutmeg State has ample samplings of all types of burgers, including a version that’s all Connecticut: steamed cheeseburgers.
The list of claimants to the American hamburger’s birth is long and contentious, and almost everyone thinks they know exactly when and where the revolution happened. Frequently cited, an 1830s menu from New York’s Delmonico restaurant turned out to be a questionable facsimile. “Hamburger Charlie” in 1880’s Wisconsin is a worthier entrant, and others find “Hamburger Beefsteaks” on the lunch menu at San Francisco’s Clipper Restaurant as early as 1874. Hamburger steaks, plain or with onions, were reportedly served at the St. Louis World Fair in 1904, but the most convincing and longest-lasting example can be found right here at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven.
In 1895, Louis Lassen started serving his own version with the help of his Lunch Wagon, giving local factory workers the option for a portable lunch. In 1900, he moved the operation to a tiny box structure, built vertical gas burners, and offered a no-nonsense menu that hasn’t changed since. The red-shuttered brick building has moved a few times but is still going strong. You have to take it Louis’s style: sliced white bread and no ketchup (but try tomatoes or onions grilled to order). Though some criticize the lack of “bun,” places like the New Haven Preservation Trust and the Library of Congress have designated the historic site as the hamburger’s official birthplace. It is also the oldest standing burger joint in America.
Connecticut’s second claim to fame in the burger world is even more definitive. Hardly found anywhere outside the state, the famous steamed burgers are finally getting notice as one of our state’s unique contributions. Despite occasional outcries that they are “low-class food,” more and more restaurants are putting them on their menus.
The first to steam hamburger patties was probably Jack Fitzgerald, who opened Jack’s Lunch in Middletown in the 1920s. Close by, in 1941, John O’Rourke opened his diner and put the new style on the menu, where they remain today under the guidance of Brian, John’s nephew. By the middle of the century this unique burger migrated a little west, to Meriden, when another pioneer, Ted Duberek, opened his eponymously named restaurant on Broad Street in 1959.
These classic establishments created their own specialty steamers, using copper or stainless steel. Their cabinets, a little larger than a toaster oven, hold individual compartments for the meat and the cheese. Below, water boils, sending heat and moisture through small holes to cook the meat. The secrets are freshly ground, high-quality meat and sturdy, well-aged cheddar. While it takes a little more effort and preparation, steaming the meat actually showcases the beef’s flavor, instead of that of the charcoal or charred fat. Steam-melting the cheese separately means a higher-quality cheese can replace over-processed, plastic-wrapped slices. This then marries, rather than covers, the flavor of the meat. Traditional toppings — a little mustard or onions — keep the focus on the savory, juicy burger.
Until recently, the middle of the state was about the only place you could get this tasty treat, but thanks to television shows and hundreds of best-of-Connecticut lists, this burger craze is spreading. Ted’s Restaurant recently opened a second location in Cromwell and has plans for one in North Haven. After learning as a line chef at Ted’s, Kevin LaMay opened K LaMay’s in Meriden in 2006. They now have locations in East Hampton and run Double Play Café in Wallingford. Two miles away, the trail brings you to American Steamed Cheeseburgers, where customers can try their poppy-seed rolls. Other restaurants are also buying the steaming cabinets, and the Connecticut specialty has begun popping up on menus in Newington, Hamden, and Shelton.
Copyright ©2024 Edible Nutmeg. All rights reserved
