The ‘Smoke Show’ burger at Bun & Patti (By James Tran)
Restaurants, Little Italy

Dramatic Burgers in Little Italy

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

In today’s vast jungle of burger joints, it’s hard to find any that reinvent the wheel. Although at Bun & Patti, which recently debuted in Little Italy’s AV8 Apartments building, a stroke of novelty is achieved.

Consider its “Smoke Show” burger something you won’t find in other eateries, at least in terms of presentation. The thrill begins with a six-ounce Flannery Farm aged beef patty that’s mixed with brisket sourced from Gold Canyon Meat Co. The patty teams up with white cheddar, truffle aioli, bacon, lettuce and tomato. Tucked into a brioche bun, it’s presented in a smoke-filled dome that a staff member lifts open at your table. Bravo!

There’s also the “Notorious” double beef patty with veggies, cheddar and secret sauce–and another construct called the “Hangry,” which uses an Impossible Foods patty crowned with vegan cheese, bean sprouts, and sun-dried tomato jam. It sits atop a bed of smashed avocado inside a vegan sesame bun.

From the “No Burger, No Problem” category, you’ll find fried or grilled free-range chicken sandwiches plus wings, salads, fries, O-rings and side orders of thickly sliced bacon.

Bun & Patti is the brainchild of husband-wife team Elion and Amy Prodani. The venture was inspired by Elion’s experience managing fine-dining restaurants in Las Vegas over the past 20 years.

“We are looking to change how people view a burger place,” he noted. “We deliver a high-end burger not just by focusing on the ingredients and the environment but also on the technique in our preparations.