Monarch Burger

Before it became Fable, there once was a restaurant named Fuel and then subsequently Refuel.  I loved their fried chicken and in fact, they had some other really tasty dishes.  Executive Chef Robert Belcham continued to run the successful Campagnolo and Campagnolo Roma as well as opening up a secret little spot aptly named Upstairs at Campagnolo.  That is where the Dirty Burger was born.  Being regarded as one of the best burgers (if not the best) in town, it was only a matter of time that it deserved a place of its own.  Located on a few doors down, Monarch Burger serves these made-from-scratch beauties in the energetic and lively American bar.

We ended up checking the place out after softball one night where I started with the Kale Caesar.  Yes, I had to get my greens somewhere and this was tasty.  I enjoyed how the leaves were fairly small where I could eat them in one bite with minimal chewing.  There was still the robust texture of kale which held up nicely to the ample amount of cheesy and garlicky dressing.  To some, it could be overdressed, but due to the heartiness of kale, I thought it was appropriate.  Before I got to the burger, I also had the Poutine dressed in real gravy and plenty of cheese curds.  I would've preferred that the curds weren't all melted, but it did add a lot of body to the poutine.  The fries were lightly crispy while a bit salty.

For the main event, I had the Single Cheeseburger with bacon and fried egg.  As plain as the house-made bun appeared, for me at least it was the ideal compliment to the ingredients.  It was solid enough that it didn't disintegrate while being soft enough that the ingredients didn't slide out with each bite.  The made-to-order patty (cooked in lard) was meaty, appealingly-seasoned and not overdone.  The ample bacon was thick-sliced and crispy all-the-way through.  

Milhouse ended up with the Double-Cheeseburger with bacon and fried onions which was predictably more filling, meatier and messier.  Again, the bun held everything in while the extra cheese added more saltiness and melty goodness.  The caramelized onions were sweet and provided more moisture as well as the pickles, lettuce and tomato.  On the side, he had the regular Fries and they were on the saltier side much like the poutine.  They were still good though being lightly crispy with a natural potato texture and taste.  Seeing how I already love the dirty burger, my visit to Monarch Burger was predictable.  Prices are on the higher side, but remember, everything is made in-house.

The Good:
- Fresh ingredients prepared well
- Crumbly and moist made-to-order patty
- Robust, yet not dense house-made bun

The Bad:
- Fries a bit salty
- Can get pricey with all the additions