Umami Burger

Much fuss was made when beloved West Coast flavor emporium Umami Burger flung open its doors in Greenwich Village last year. There were lines, there was hand-wringing, there were thousands of stamped buns. 

Aside from a hint of umami, the burgers tasted like pretty good versions of burgers --- that is, not that special. The original (top) benefited from a lacy circle of fried Parmesan and a sweet, umami-soaked roasted tomato, while the truffle (bottom) had garlic aioli and truffle cheese. But hey, a pretty good burger is always worth celebrating.