I title this one,
“The genius is the simplicity”
I recently pulled in to Coeur D’Alene Idaho for a quick business trip. I got in to town around lunch time, armed with an appetite and a time zone change. As I was driving the main drag of CDA, I noticed an old looking awning on the left, with the words “Hudson’s: Hamburgers since 1907”. I was struck by two things: 1/ these folks have been making hamburgers for 113 years and 2/ they still call them hamburgers. I had to have one.
Upon walking inside I was greeted with a long old school counter, but not in a cheesy way. There were round diner stools fixed to the ground, and a sign that said “cash only”. I was immediately impressed. I sat down, accepted my cold glass of water, and waited a mere 15 seconds to be asked what I would like. I of course, ordered the “cheeseburger”, from the menu on the wall that included a hamburger, cheeseburger, or double of each option. No sides, no options, no fries. Just burgers, cokes and of course, a nice selection of pie for dessert.
As I waited for my burger, I began to take notice of the lone cook working the griddle. He had a giant (and I mean giant like the size of a soccer ball) pile of ground beef on one end, and a pile of whole onions and huge pickles at the other end. As orders came in, he would break off a hunk of meat, flatten it out with his stainless steel spatula, and throw it on the heat. He had a steady stream of burgers working their way from right to left, uncooked to cooked. Meanwhile he was cutting a generous amount of pickles and onions on a regular basis to add to the finished product as they came up.
In no less than 5 mins, I had presented to me a simple, but delicious looking cheese burger on a classic white plate with green boarders. The pickles were abundant, as was the sliced white onion. There were a variety of house “hot” sauces available to add at ones leisure, but I chose to go with the burger as served, and allow the meat, cheese, pickles and onions to speak for themselves. And speak they did!
The burger was hot, as it was 15 seconds off the grill when I took my first bite. The bun was warm and soft, and the combination of american cheese, thick white onions and a liberal helping of pickles worked together like a finely choreographed dance. Each flavor was distinct, and neither over powered the other. Being able to enjoy both the parts, and the sum of the parts simultaneously was indeed a rare treat. Too often these days burgers can have so much going on, that all the flavors meld into one, robbing the patron of the opportunity to sit back, and appreciate the simplicity of well cooked meat, onions, pickles, cheese and bread.
I remarked to the cook that he did a fine job, and that I appreciated the simplicity. He reminded me that the key ingredient was the grease. He was not wrong, and I thank him for his wise words.
This burger will unlikely be a contender for a foodie magazine “best burger of the year” award, but there’s a reason you can still get away with “cash only” after 113 years serving essentially one item, and I like the cash policy, I hope they never change.
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