Nothing, really. But the one thing I did know was that it was rumored to be damn delicious. To be honest, I had some preconceptions about how good it was going to be.
Oh, and how good it was.
BotE is one of those joints that has the potential to make it big, especially in a place like Hawaii where affordability isn't always the make-it-break-it question. Yes, that is potentially one of the drawbacks of BotE - the prices ain't cheap. However, the excellence of composition really make the meal worth it.
Again, this is an establishment that is a contrast to the usual burger mess sold to the willing masses - it's pricier, but for good reason: everything is made fresh, every ingredient is high-quality, and the items are unique and tasty. It's not the usual special-sauce-laden greasejob with a slab of American over it. The burgers are decidedly upscale.
Remembering the faces in line, I don't think anyone was complaining.
Another special twist to BotE is that you can custom order your burger, starting with an 8-dollar half-pound fresh ground chuck patty (it's huge). From there you get your choice of a venerable smorgasboard of condiments, including everything from red wine reduction glaze (!) to portabella mushrooms to a selection of cheeses, lettuces, etc. etc. etc.
It's an impressive menu, especially considering that aside from the custome orders they offer ready-made combinations, including chicken sandwiches and the like. They also have a few brow-raising items. One of these are the truffle fries.
Truffle fries?! In a small burger joint? This is a good sign. A very good sign. This is a good sign because anything truffle-related on a casual menu is a sign that 1) someone who runs the store knows how awesome truffles are to begin with and 2) this someone realizes that people should be trying foods with freaking truffles in them, because as (1) stated, truffles are awesome.
So maybe I was a little let down that the fries weren't pungently truffle mushroom-y. But the flavor was there. The musky scent drifted off of the hot, steaming fries. They tasted earthy. It tasted good. Admittedly, it's not something I plan on getting every time I visit (especially at near-5-dollar prices). However, it was a treat. It was also the principle of the matter that was important. Truffle oil, in a burger shop? It meant, above all, that BotE was an establishment working towards perfecting the art of the burger meal.
Yes, perfection is debatable. And yes, maybe perfection can be a simply-prepared cheeseburger. But perfection, I think, can also be a burger stacked with roasted pepper relish and top-shelf cheddar. I had the classic, which came with a 1/3 lb. chuck patty, the aforementioned relish and cheese, dill pickle chips and lettuce/tomato on an artisinal bun (made locally, at Mauna Kea Baking Company). It was good. Not only was the flavor combination good, each ingredient by itself was exceptional. Two things were noticably different.
1: the bread. The bread was not soggy, nor was it stodgy. It was fluffy, with a good crust.
2: the burger itself. The patty was not greasy. It didn't drip grey-brown fluid from the inside. No, the meat was moist and flavorful and cooked nicely (medium). It wasn't grainy, nor was it bland. Graciously, it tasted of meat and fire (and not the "broiled" liquid-smoke flavoring sh*t they put in BK patties either).
The way, we are reminded at times, it should be.
If a restaurant exists, it should be, at least in principle, striving for perfection. Doesn't that make sense? If you're going to charge people for your food, it should be made to the best, exacting standards you create. Otherwise, what's the point? Some restauranteurs understand this. Others don't. It's the places that don't that hurt cuisine.
Sacrifices do need to be made for the sake of price. Yet greatness lies in the details. And details, unfortunately, come as a result of skilled people making your food. It's not going to come from the daydreaming teenager making tacos with bagged meat and sour-cream guns for 7 bucks an hour.
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