If nothing else, understanding the principles of burger architecture may at least assist in keeping your dry-cleaning bill down.At McDonald's, we take great care to serve quality, great-tasting menu items to our customers each and every time they visit our restaurants.

A keen eye can determine if that first bite is likely to result in a pure, unsullied burger experience, or whether you’re likely to be mopping up sauce, pickle and meat from your lap with a napkin that, with this previous knowledge, might instead have been protecting that new pair of jeans from impending ketchup stains. In summary – the next time you order a burger at your favourite eatery, pause before taking that first bite. One cannot count the number of times an otherwise delicious-looking burger has slipped from the grasp of its brioche bun due to a poor choice of raw materials, or the number of enjoyable meals have been let down by sloppy presentation. While a careful and considered approach to burger architecture can elevate a simple burger to a supreme culinary experience, the improper consideration or implementation of these principles can reduce an otherwise tasty meal to an unsatisfying or, at worst, intensely frustrating experience. Is there balance in colour, visual texture and proportion? A truly superb burger architect utilises the overall presentation on the plate to elevate the experience beyond taste and smell, leaving the patron wanting another serving if only to excite the visual senses for a second time. We all know that fast food advertising oversells the appearance of the humble burger with studies in artificiality, but it cannot be denied that a good burger is a beautiful burger. Venustatis – Beauty in a bunįinally, Venustasis describes the aesthetic appeal of the burger. Improper or overeager application of sauce(s) is perhaps the most common problem among local burger sellers. The balance of ingredients must promote stability throughout the duration of the meal, limiting structural deterioration as the burger is eaten and preventing against the soiling of clothing with ketchup and/or mustard. Do the ingredients stay in place when the first bite is taken, or do they slide out of the back and sides of the bun? If almost nothing is worse than a burger that is toppled on arrival, then the dreaded burger-backslide is surely unforgivable. Utilitas refers to how functional the burger is, primarily while being eaten. A skewer is a sure sign that the structural integrity of the burger is questionable at best. The parts of the burger must complement one another to provide strength in balance, without external aid. Firmatis – Strength on presentationįirmatis is a measure of the utility of a burger, or in other words – how robust is it? Does it stand proud and tall, or does it topple at the first sign of disturbance? Almost nothing is worse than a burger whose top half topples on its way to your table. Vesuvius identified three fundamental principles of architecture which we believe accurately transfer over from the construction of Roman aqueducts and colosseums, to the careful piecing together of bun, beef and condiments. Perhaps most famous for inspiring Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man (and, by proxy, our Vitruvian Burger), Vitruvius’ only surviving work, De Architectura, served to influence centuries of architectural and engineering projects. Burger architecture – the measure of a burger before ingestionĪlthough argument abounds over the true creators of the hamburger, it cannot be denied that the father of modern architecture was the great Vitruvius engineer, architect and advisor to his patron Caesar Augusta, emperor of Rome. This is when ‘burger architecture’ was born. In particular, our transcendent experience with Rockwell & Sons’ double-patty smash burger necessitated the conception of a more holistic approach to burger appreciation beyond the simple “bun soft, meat tasty” dialectic. It follows that our burger experiences are discussed to a great depth, to the extent that new and innovative ways of rating the humble German-American sandwich were required. Burgers are a go-to choice for many a lunchtime excursion here on Foodie Fridays, and there is certainly no shortage of choices in our locale – Huxtaburger, Rockwell & Sons, Brother Burger, Belle’s Diner to name but a few, and that’s not even taking into account the inordinately high pub-to-street corner ratio of Fitzroy proper (worthy of a Wikipedia mention no less).

Burger builders on foodie friday