Ai Fiori

Michael White's "White Label Burger"

The Meat: Blend of dry aged beef, sirloin, chuck, and brisket (from Pat LaFrieda)

The Cheese: American Cheese

The Bun: House-made roll

Flip Tip: This burger only appears on Ai Fiori’s lunch menu.

The burger at Ai Fiori defies Murphy's law – specifically the adage that "If If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." Indeed this burger seemed too good to be true, but it was better.

Initially, I reacted to the burger's aesthetic seductiveness. Consisting of a circular dome above a rectangular base, its construction seems to reference architectural masterpieces: the Hagia Sofia, the Pantheon, or the Taj Mahal. My attention then quickly shifted to a superb first bite, followed by perfect pommes dauphines. The burger is sweet but salty, juicy but thirst-inducing, rich but leaves you “101% full.” Ai Fiori's burger is a gourmet oasis within a desert of mediocre Midtown burgers; pop in before all of corporate America discovers this gem of ground beef!