The South's Best Late-Night Burger

From the robust patties to the bread-and-butter pickles, Atlanta's Holeman and Finch Public House shares what makes their burgers the best.

Holeman and Finch Public House
2277 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA
holeman-finch.com or 404/948-1175

Every night around 10 P.M. at Atlanta's Holeman and Finch Public House, a staffer reaches behind the crowded bar, retrieves a white bullhorn, and then shouts, “It’s burger time!” Astute diners know to arrive at least 45 minutes early to place their orders: Holeman serves only 24 burgers each night. It takes time to compose this pedigreed version of a quintessential American hamburger. The kitchen grinds grass-fed beef daily for the thin double patties, toasts the domed bun to a buttery sheen, makes the pickles and ketchup in-house, and crowns the creation, almost patriotically, with a Kraft American single. Southern food revivalist Linton Hopkins, who owns Holeman with several partners, serves the cult beauty late in the evening so the rest of the gastropub menu (sublime charcuterie, farm egg and pancetta carbonara, and the city’s most progressive cocktail list) won’t be bulldozed by its popularity. Not a night owl? The restaurant assembles plenty of burgers for the Sunday brunch.

Why is it the Best Late-Night Burger in Atlanta?

• The Meat: Two juicy patties made of a 50-50 mix of rich brisket (for robust flavor) and lean chuck (for balanced texture). The only seasoning? A sprinkling of kosher salt.
• The Bun: These hand-shaped mini loaves are a variation on pain de mie, a hybrid of brioche and classic sandwich bread that includes milk in the dough for subtle sweetness.
• The Cheese: The staff experimented with Cheddar, Gruyère, and blue before settling on Kraft American cheese because “it melts like no other.”
• The Pickle: Frisky pickling spices—mustard seeds, peppercorns, onion strands yellowed with turmeric—often hide among the slices of homemade bread-and-butter pickles.

Printed from:
http://www.southernliving.com/travel/south-east/best-burger-00417000070777/