Community Corner

Bobby Flay's Burger Palace Opens in Bethesda

Bobby Flay's 16th Bobby's Burger Palace opened at Westfield Montgomery on Tuesday.

Tuesday was a big day for burger lovers of Bethesda, and from across Montgomery County as well.

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay opened his 16th Bobby's Burger Palace at Bethesda's Westfield Montgomery mall (7101 Democracy Blvd., near the Sears Automotive building) at noon, welcoming fans of his signature burgers, shakes and fries.
 
The restaurant's cooking methods are unique, developed by Flay for maximum flavor and texture.

Burgers: The burgers are cooked on a flat griddle (as opposed to a grill) with canola oil, flipped only once and "crunchified" with potato chips for no extra charge. The "crunchification" introduces a different texture into the burger sandwich, enhancing the experience, Flay said.

The different types of burgers—cooked medium, unless a diner asks for something else—feature toppings representative of different U.S. cities. "When I look at a map [of the U.S.], I see ingredients," Flay said.

A sign in the kitchen above the griddle reminds cooks to let the cheese melt thoroughly onto the burger before serving. 

French fries: The fries are soaked overnight, blanched the next day and fried. It's all done according to French brasserie methods, and that takes time, but Flay refuses to serve any other type of fry in his restaurants.

Milkshakes: The shakes are made from a special ice cream developed just for Flay's restaurants. Each shake is made from 11 ounces of ice cream and just a little bit of milk. The pistachio shake is a cult favorite at Bobby's Burger Palace, although Flay's favorite is the spiked vanilla caramel bourbon one, he said.

Result: The result of Flay's carefully developed and tested recipes? Happiness.

"When I walk into these restaurants, everyone seems to be smiling," he said.


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