A super-tasty spin on the ’60s classic surf ’n’ turf.
By Ari Weinzweig
On the March specials list at the Roadhouse, you’ll find this remarkably tasty burger! It’s a down-to-earth version of surf (the fried clams) and turf (the burger) in a way that would be likely just right for a summer day on the Maryland shore, but sure tastes great here in southeast Michigan in the middle of March.
If you order one, you’ll find a small stack of freshly fried Quahog clam strips, set atop a blanket of homemade Roadhouse tartar sauce sitting, in turn, atop the just-off-the-grill burger on a Bakehouse-made brioche bun. The burgers, if you haven’t had one lately, really are something special—pasture-raised beef, dry-aged, ground fresh daily, hand pattied, and grilled over oak. Contrast that meatiness with the crunch of the hot, fried clams, the creaminess of the tartar sauce, and the pillowy elegance of the brioche bun from the Bakehouse … you can clearly see—and quickly taste—why it’s so good!
Seriously, this great burger makes me smile every time I see one heading to a table. And, more importantly, it makes me want to sit down to order one. I’ve watched a few times from afar as people bite into it. I love the look they have on their face. I’m guessing you know it too. Where something you’ve never had before looks really good on a menu. You’re curious, intrigued, even excited. You decide to order it, and then anxiously await its arrival, hoping it will be as good as you imagined it might be. And then when it comes, the visual affirms your intuition. You marvel at how good it looks, you pause for a minute to prepare, and then, with a bit of drum roll in your head that only you can hear, you take your first bite. When it all works, when what you’re tasting exceeds your expectations, you smile, if only to yourself. You’re so glad you ordered it. All of which is the feeling I get from this really great burger.
To take it up another notch still, we’re serving the Clam Burger with a side of what we’ve been calling “East Coast Fries”—our usual hand-cut, double-cooked, potatoes tossed when they’re hot and right out of the fryer with a healthy dose of Épices de Cru’s East Coast Spice Blend. (Read on for much more on this super tasty spice blend!) An all-around, all-American, totally terrific blending of textures and flavors, a fine finish, and a fun meal to make the most of. Order one, imagine eating it by the ocean, and start thinking about sunny, warm days that are soon to come!