Navy Beach’s Champagne-Worthy Burger
We are looking forward to the flesh on display this summer at Mountauk newcomer Navy Beach. We refer, of course, to its burger, which is building buzz in early previews. Franklin Ferguson, the spot’s GM and a partner, tells us the burger was actually cause for consternation. “The burger!” he told as the place was finishing up previews. “I don’t know what to do with the burger. It’s so good. We spent more time on that than any other menu item — on all the other menu items combined. It’s a debate between my partner, myself and the chef every time we sit down. Finally we just put on two burgers.”
One burger on the preview menu, the Navy Burger, is a blend of chuck, short rib and brisket from Cromer’s done in-house, and has all the fixins, topped with Cabot cheddar and a bacon marmalade of the chef’s creation. “When you put everything together you can do it with a beer; you can do it with champagne. Because of the salty and the sweetness in the marmalade it works with champagne,” says Ferguson, who has a sommelier background. The second burger, the Traditional was dropped after previews, after everyone seemed to like the Navy so much (and order it more).
Price has been a sticking point with all the haute burgers these days, and Ferguson says the team tried to strike a balance. He knows all too well that sticker shock can lead to buyer’s remorse. “We didn’t know what to do with the price point: some people are doing like a $10 burger that’s a patty and some processed cheese. Other places are doing like an $18 burger, which is sometimes piss-poor and you’re like ‘This is a $20 burger?‘”
The all-out Navy Burger comes in at $15, and meatball sliders on the bar menu are $9.
