Burger at Toro - 3/29/2010

I tried the burger at Toro and I ordered it “messy” based upon the high praise I read on ChowHound. I thought it was generally a good enjoyable burger, but I felt there was some room for improvement. I the patty was great. It was nicely charred, pinky and juicy in the middle, and rich due to the fact that it was made from short ribs. I liked the pickled red onions. They added a nice tanginess and crunch to the burger. I love the lime and pepper alioli, and I thought it did a nice job of cutting the bite from the pickled onions. But ultimately I did not think all the components worked perfectly together. I felt like the use of short ribs made the burger too rich for the alioli, as some of the subtle flavors were lost. The burger had a slice of American cheese, which really did not add anything except a slight plasticy texture. I think a stronger cheese, like a sharp cheddar, would have been better. I also was not a fan of the bun. It was a simple, light, Wonderbread like bun. I get the appeal of this kind of bun if you are having a simple cheeseburger with ketchup and mustard at a cookout in the summer, but for this rich burger I would have liked something more substantial like a semolina roll. It was a good burger, but I don’t think I would go back just to have the burger. I think Toro has better options on their menu. Wild Willy’s is still my favorite burger.