Radius

Posted by Edmund in Boston, Featured Articles, Gastropub, Restaurants | 0 comments

Cuisine: Eclectic, Fine Dining, Bar Food.
Specialty: Radius Burger, Deconstructed Boston Cream Donuts.
Location: 8 High Street, Boston, MA 02110.
Price: $19 for the Burger w/ Fries.

I’ve traveled the nation, eating at the great burger Meccas of the United States: Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, etc. Yet I’d never found that Holy Grail of burgers for which I’d been searching for so long. If I had eaten the best of the best in all those megalopolises and had still failed to find a perfect burger, though, where could I find it?

Then, while I was off-guard, that burger finally hit me—and in Boston no less! Boston isn’t even known for its burgers! But miracles do happen, and in this case it happened at Radius, one of Boston’s hottest restaurants, which serves up one of the few burgers frequently at the top of Boston’s best burger lists.

You might be wondering, what is it that exactly sets the Radius Burger apart? Well, there’s not really one identifiable factor, as Radius nails everything, beginning with, to my very pleasant surprise, the ambience. It’s classy enough for you to have a 7-course meal in it (and they do offer one), while casual enough for you to go in there with jeans and a t-shirt for a drink and a burger. In that sense, it’s just the right blend of elegant/formal and layback/casual, with really nice loungy couches and chairs on one side and simply decorated, spacious tables on the other.

Regardless, it’s quite the intimate experience, as the restaurant is dimly lit, but in a very unique way. Red lights reflect across the top in a semi-circle (hence, going with the idea of radius/circle), chic spherical lamps hang from the top of the bar area, and small candles shimmer on the classier dining room tables. Overall, Radius exudes an extraordinary vibe, fantastic for a date.

I also like that the architecture again mixes the old and the new. The dining room is simple and somewhat classical, emphasizing large columns and some nicely engraved designs running across the spherical ceiling. In the more casual bar area, there is more of a modern emphasis, as it features clean wooden panels, simple black-line designs that run downward, and austere, grey walls with differential lighting across different parts (i.e. some parts are darker).

I normally don’t talk too much about ambience, especially for a place I’m going to for a burger, but this is exceptional, especially if you’re just paying $19 for it.

I know what you’re thinking, though: $19 is still very expensive for a burger. Before you jump the gun and write this place off as a rip-off, let me explain. The burger is a behemoth, coming loaded with Vermont cheddar, a landslide of horseradish cream, and a mountain of fried onion strings, as well as a tray of fries on the side. That may not sound like it would cost all that much to produce, since there aren’t all that many gourmet ingredients on it.

It doesn’t matter, though, because the burger is sheer perfection. The meat is not just cooked perfectly, but it is succulent as can be. The onions give some great oil and a phenomenal crunch in every bite. The buns never give out in any way. Best of all, though, the sauce leaves you with a complex symphony of flavors, like a yogurt mixed with pepper, spice, and some tang. As long as I can remember, I’ve hated anything with horseradish. Yet, this burger uses it so subtly, giving the cream such a light touch of that tangy spiciness, that it has single-handedly forced me to reconsider my whole stance on horseradish. Nothing short of perfection could cause me to do that.

So now I return to the question of value. $19 for a simple burger and some fries, especially one without many gourmet ingredients, is ridiculous. But perfection has a price, and this burger is so flawless that I would willingly pay the price without hesitation. Factor in the extraordinary décor, too, and you’ve got somewhat of a steal.

As a final note, I’ll touch on the service. Since I wasn’t sitting in the dining room, I didn’t get a great feel for it. The service, though, was on the slow side. I ordered just a burger at the bar, yet it took more than 15 minutes to make. It also took another 10 or 15 minutes for them to come take the tray away after I had finished. To be fair, this is definitely the type of place you come to relax and talk, not to rush. In that sense, it’s nice that they give you time to sit around and just lounge.

There’s really nothing left to say. Radius delivers not just one of the hottest scenes in the city, it even produces a burger that is perfect, no questions asked.

Take it from a burger fiend: If you want a burger experience like no other, Radius is the place to find it.

What I Tasted

1. Radius Burger (Vermont Cheddar, Horseradish Mayo, Fried Onion Strings): I just love everything about this burger. It’s simple, with few ingredients, yet everything blends perfectly. The meat is extremely juicy, cooked perfectly with some pinkness in the middle. It’s seasoned nicely, and the horseradish mayo that’s drizzled all over complements it surprisingly well. Honestly, I hate horseradish, but here its harsh flavor has been moderated so that what you taste is more like a yogurt sauce with a subtle peppery, spicy tanginess, which is all the more surprising because this burger is absolutely smothered in horseradish mayo. The sauce adds to the texture, too, as it’s on the really thick and creamy side. Moreover, the fried onions are fantastic. You don’t get the oozing oiliness of grilled onions, so they’re never cloying. The horseradish helps balance out that oiliness further with its fresh, spicy kick. The onions also have an incredible crunch, again boosting the texture. The buns only add to the whole combo, as they’re perfectly crisped. The bottom bun soaks up all the moisture from the meat, giving it a very satisfying softness, while the top gives you an added crispy texture for contrast. And those buns are big enough and cooked enough to withstand the heaviness, oiliness, and creaminess of this monstrosity. The cheese finishes off the total package. It’s melted all over so that you get it in large quantities in every bite, allowing it to stand up to the behemoth meat patty’s dominant flavor. Finally, this burger gets bonus points for not only coming up with a unique combination that I’ve never seen done before, but for radically changing my philosophy on horseradish. 5.0/5.0. I’d change absolutely nothing, and this is easily the best burger I’ve had in my life.
2. French Fries: These are traditional French fries done right. They are not ultra-thin, but you don’t get the mushy potato fluffiness of other fries either, since they are crisped just right, giving you a great crunch in every bite. They are also seasoned very nicely with some basil (I think), so they have a nice freshness, amplified by the fact that they’re not really that oily in comparison to most fries. I have just two complaints: 1) They are a bit on the salty side, though that’s fine if you eat them with ketchup, and 2) they are boring in comparison to the burger. Considering how unique that burger was, I’d liked to have seen a fresh take on the idea of fries, but these are just the traditional done really well, which is something you can find at almost any steakhouse/gastropub. 4.0/5.0
3. Deconstructed Boston Cream Donuts, served with Chocolate Ganache and Vanilla Sauce: Honestly, this dish isn’t anything exceptional if you just look at the ingredients. It’s a deconstructed donut comprised of 3 components (as with the burger): miniature sugar donuts (donut holes), vanilla sauce, and melted chocolate. Of the three, the vanilla is the weakest, as it tastes just like whipped cream with a little bit more sweetness and more denseness. The chocolate is a bit better. It’s a nicely sweetened chocolate syrup that could go reasonably well with any treat, though I wouldn’t go so far as to call it fantastic chocolate. Finally, the donut holes are nicely baked and sugared, making them perfectly warm little mini-balls of dough, but that’s all they are—somewhat plain balls of fried starch. Altogether, though, you have a very fun dish, featuring a nice contrast of light cream, heavier milky chocolate, and an airy, sweet, and warm dough. What I like most about the dish, however, is that it’s a truly modern take on a Bostonian classic, so it’s extremely fitting for the city and for a restaurant that emphasizes the unity of the old and new. On the taste of the dish alone, I’d probably give it a 2.5, but I like the idea of it so much that I’ll boost it to a 3.0.

As a side note, I have to compliment the restaurant on its presentation of the burger. Just look at the photos to understand. You get a classy, squeaky clean rectangular plate with three compartments for fries, ketchup, and burger. It’s not something to brag about, but it is an impressive presentation of the true American meal, complete with each of its components placed in its own spot—the fries and the ketchup juxtaposed with a large, insanely drenched burger, with no spillage on any part of the plate at all. Presentation is just a small detail for a burger, but if I’m paying $19 for the burger, the least they can do is add a nice touch like this.

Scores

Ambience: 4.8+/5.0 for a burger bar. 4.6/5.0 for a classy restaurant.
Service: N/A, since I was at the bar.
Taste: 4.2+/5.0. 5.0 for the burger, though.
Value: 4.0/5.0.
Score for the Burger (value and ambience considered): 4.8/5.0
Overall Score, for the Lounge: 4.2+/5.0