TWIN CITIES BURGER BLISS: The NOOK

The Paul Molitor Burger: An enormous seasoned patty of beef filled with creamy, melted pepper jack cheese and topped with fried onions, pickle & ketchup all on a grilled bun. The single greatest cheeseburger I've placed in my mouth. Little did I know that this juicy lucy masterpiece could be found at Casper & Runyon's Nook in Saint Paul, MN.

Recently profiled on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, this tiny bar/grille on the corner of Hamline Ave S and Randolph is a gem that has garnered praise across Twin Cities publications in years past and now deservedly has hit the national stage. Despite my propensity for learning all there is to about Minneapolis and Saint Paul original restaurants, the Nook had never come into my life. It wasn't until the Food Network came to town, taping a special episode on hole-in-the-wall burger joints, that it was brought to my attention...by my out of town parents. Their viewing of the show spurred a late night phone call simply asking, "Hey- why haven't you taken us to this burger place yet!?". My answer: I'd never heard of it. My life-givers next visit meant a planned trip to see what the buzz was about.

It doesn't seem like the exposure has gone to anyone's head at Casper & Runyon's. A poster of Diners, Drive-ins & Dives host Guy Fieri is the only sign that the Food Network was there, and even it was mixed in with the rest of the cluttered memorabilia blanketing the walls. Despite their humble unwillingness to exploit their 15-minutes of fame, there's no doubting that the place is popular. On my first visit, a Friday afternoon around 2:30 PM, every table was taken. A family was even dining on the edge of the pool table tucked at the back of the restaurant.

Wall-to-wall people in a relatively unflattering atmosphere is usually a sure sign that the cooks in the kitchen are frying up something above average. The menu is loaded with food options from pizza, wings and sandwiches to a full page worth of burger creations. Not all the burgers are juicy lucy in style, but the famous filled variations carry the most mouth appeal after reading their menu description. My choice of the Molitor burger was an easy one given the pepper jack cheese center. A root beer and shared orders of fries and beer battered onion rings completed my order.

The wait was a bit longer than expected, but worth every second. These burgers are crafted with personal attention and care by the young late twenty-something owner friends who are said to (on the show) just really like beer and burgers and wanted a place to share their passion.

While my anticipation for trying these hyped all-beef patties in their full-glory, I contemplated the best burger I've ever had. There was no question that it came from Solly's Grille in Milwaukeee; a tiny 50's style counter top diner on Port Washington Road. Their use of a 1/4 stick of butter on every burger, onions fried to perfection and crispy cut fries has always been a sublime eating experience that I recommend to friends and family in the area. Their burgers have also been profiled on the Food Network and were once listed in USA Today's "10 Best Burger's in America". Could the Nook really top Solly's? I had high doubts...

First bite...satisfaction. The meat...juicy, tender. The cheese... rich and creamy with a touch of peppery zest. The onions and ketchup... oozing out from the edges of the toasty bun. Seasonings dance across the tongue and shear joy dominates the senses. This burger is phenomenal. No time to talk, no time to reflect. Just need another bite...and another...and another...

I downed the huge burger in under 5 minutes. I was stuffed, but still picking at fries and onion rings, which were also extremely good when I realized how badly I wanted another. It was that incredible. Luckily, I calmed my cravings and avoided dropping another calorie-bomb into my stomach. You must try these burgers...

Specials and more information are listed on their Myspace page. Of particular interest might be their $1 burger nights on Mondays. You can also find this amazing food at Shamrock's on 7th, just West of Xcel Energy Center. The Nook owner's recently acquired this much more spacious bar/restaurant where they also feature their award-winning burgers on the menu.