I've been looking forward to revisiting this burger at Bistro Don Giovanni for nine whole years, and on our 5-year anniversary (of dating!), I got to return to Napa with Jonathan last weekend to enjoy this Top 20 burger before indulging in some wine tasting.
It's amazing how time and exposure to other foods influences our taste buds. Back in 2006, after Oprah featured the list on her show and myself then committing to trying all 20 of GQ's Best Burgers in America, naturally I tackled the ones in my own state first.
The Bistro Burger falls at #11 on the list, and was also the first gourmet burgers on the list that I ate. In fact, I think it's likely it was the first gourmet burger I ever ate up until that point. I remember (in 2006, at 20-years-old, scoffing at the $14 price tag. (Note: I'm amazed the price has stayed the same all these years... I've since paid $18 easily for a delicious gourmet burger.) I remember being absolutely astounded at the quality of the meat, the flavor, the texture. It was a truly revolutionary experience for my taste buds.
So, nine years later, does it live up to my memory? Yes and no. Yes, in that it is truly a delicious burger -- certainly as good as it was then. It'd be difficult to go back and not order it. Thinking about the juiciness makes my mouth water just writing about it. But also, no, in that I am less 'wowed' than I previously was, which speaks more to my many years of burger tasting than it does to the deliciousness of this particular burger.
If you're in the Napa area, I highly recommend stopping by and enjoying this burger and some delicious wine for lunch.
