little owl

new york, ny

website

yet another restaurant with a lot of buzz but very little space. i think the latest trend in nyc is to have a tiny restaurant that everyone wants to eat at but can't get into. jenny has been trying to get me to go with her to little owl for a few months now, but we've never been able to find time to wait in line. finally, jenny figured out that little owl was going to be open on new year's day for brunch. we resolved to meet there at 11 am (as soon as it opened) to wait in what we assumed would be a reasonable line.

turns out - there was no line at all! the three of us - derek, myself and jenny - might have looked slightly stalker-ish as we peered through the windows at 10:55 am. they sat us immediately and after our server explained that "we're known for our burger," derek and jenny ordered the famed little owl burger. it came with american cheese, so i ended up ordering the meatball sliders. wrong choice - the burger was amazing. a thick peppery and juicy patty, a buttery brioche bun that absorbed all of the juices from the meat, and crispy bacon hidden under the melted cheese. derek has declared it "the best burger i've ever had." high praise indeed.