Fatty's Cafe (2)

Back in February when I first tried Fatty's Cafe, I said I'd be back. And so it goes. The second time around, I was still amazed that this little place that's "totally off the beaten path" was so crowded and so pleasing, in so many ways. Because I've been there before, I won't go into the atmosphere etc, just the food and service.

The Saturday night crowd meant we had to wait a few minutes at the bar for a table, but we were seated quickly, we barely had a chance to have a glass of wine. The restaurant is so small that I believe in the first 10 minutes we were there we interacted with every member of the staff. And they were all very friendly.

After a positive experience with the grilled cheese last time we asked what today's special was. Our waiter didn't know, but did his best to try to convince us to order it as a mystery appetizer. We were tempted but ended up going with the black bean bowl again. For the main course I was tempted by the hangar steak (see Central Kitchen), but we went with the previously tempting burrito, and the "charity burger," $2 of which goes to charity (I forgot to ask to what charity it goes, but I still feel good about my choice).

The burrito, "A big fat tortilla stuffed with rice, beans, peppers, onions, cheese and steak" was good but nothing special. (I think I just wasn't in the mood for Mexican; good thing it was V's order.) It had some strong flavors and the meat was tasty. My bites seemed to have a lot more rice than anything else.

The burger is served with avocado, tomato, sprouts, garlic aioli, anejo rum ketchup and blue cheese. I went without the bun and just ate the burger with knife and fork. The combination of flavors was amazing. It is quite a list, but I really enjoyed tasting it all in every bite. The flavors and textures made for a dinner that was definitely not just about the burger, but about how it all came together. On the side were sweet potato fries. They were crispy, salty and sweet, making for a great contrast to the softer and more savory burger.

Once again, a dinner that puts Fatty's as one of my favorite spots. The food was cheap but good, the service was friendly, the atmosphere is great, and as a bonus, it is within walking distance of my apartment. You can't ask for much more.