Linda Falkenstein
The Longtable burger at Longtable Beer Cafe.
For reasons I can’t adequately explain, ever since the election I have been craving hamburgers. And by hamburgers, I mean cheeseburgers. In Wisconsin, doesn’t a hamburger just mean a cheeseburger anyway? So far the most satisfying example of this American standard I’ve eaten is the Longtable burger at Longtable Beer Cafe, 7545 Hubbard Ave. in Middleton. This burger feels sumptuous but still straightforward. It starts with a nicely shaped and smartly cooked patty of grass-fed beef from Highland Spring Farm in the town of Dunn. It is grill-crusted, and I mean crusted, with black peppercorns, lending crunch and a distinct, heady, familiar spicy heat. The cheese is provolone, not customary on a burger, and it lends a welcome nuttiness. The default condiment is housemade “LBC white sauce,” a tangy mayo-based dressing. But this burger gets its flavor from the beef itself and its sear, without leaning on a pileup of add-ons. That said, you can add avocado or bacon; it’s also possible to sub an Impossible Burger patty. The order comes with a choice of side, and because this is Comfort/Denial Eating 101, I opted for the salty skin-on frites (a $3 upcharge) with a housemade chipotle aioli dipping sauce (from among other options). What the heck, gather ye cheeseburgers and fries while ye may.
