Hamburger Heaven

I had heard about this burger from my pal Irene, she who knows all the best restaurants a month before anyone else. I think she's channeling Michael Bauer. Or maybe she's his secret dinner companion? In any case, she's always in the know so the rest of us follow her lead.

When the monster burger came to the table at Murray Circle, where I was lunching with two of my longest-standing friends in the world, my first thought was, "Geez, I'll never finish that!" My second thought was "The fries are undercooked."

Wrong on both counts. I did pack in the entire gigantic pillow of lovely, medium-rare chopped beef topped with a savory cheese and the fries were delicious, if pale. Crisp and herbal on the outside, creamy on the inside - just the way I like 'em.

So, if you are wondering where to meet your pals for lunch, once again I can recommend Murray Circle. It's a little spendy but for food quality, service and atmosphere (where else can you get such a dramatic view of the Golden Gate bridge?), it really can't be beat.