Breaking down what a burger costs
Tuesday, Sept. 15 — Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the table.
This week’s “Family Meal” features our first story in a series that breaks down how much it costs for a local restaurant to make a specific dish. Today, we’re breaking down how much it costs to make the Wagyu burger on the menu at Minhwa Spirits, and why you pay what you pay. It’s a cool by-the-numbers glimpse into the budget and books of a local restaurant.
I’m also sharing why couples seeking an affordable date-night spot should check out Miller Union and its Friday night “Market Menu.”
Finally, Pataaka, the new Indian restaurant at Spring Quarter in Midtown, offers a recipe for Kerala-style lamb ribs. I’m definitely making this one at home when the weather cools down.
Cheers!
🍸 Beth
🎉 Say thank you on Sept. 25! Two out of three people in the U.S. have worked in food service. Join Giving Kitchen’s National Food Service Worker Day by celebrating the people who make our meals and moments possible. Show a food service worker some love and say thank you! SPONSOR MESSAGE
What It Costs to Make
the Wagyu Smash Burger at Minhwa Spirits
📈 There’s been a sharp increase in the cost of ingredients since the pandemic. While restaurants already operate on thin margins, rising ingredient and fuel costs, along with navigating complicated tariffs, mean the budget is tighter than ever. Not to mention factoring in overhead expenses like rent, utilities, and labor.
Welcome to “What’s That Cost?” This by-the-numbers breakdown series examines the costs behind creating one specific dish from a local restaurant, providing you with a glimpse into what it takes to make it and why you pay what you pay.
This time, we’re breaking down the costs for making the Wagyu smash burger on the menu at Minhwa Spirits, from ingredients to labor to utilities.
🍔 The Wagyu smash burger is a bestseller at Minhwa Spirits in Doraville, despite the $18 price tag. Plus, it comes with fries and a pickle. The burger’s real appeal, however, lies in the marinade. Chef Lino Yi marinates the burger meat for at least six hours in his Korean barbecue sauce.
Much of the expense for the burger comes from the meat, which Minhwa Spirits sources from Mishima Reserve, based in Seattle, Washington. Wagyu beef stands apart from other beef, not only for its quality, but for its exclusivity.
Minhwa Spirits co-founder Ming Han Chung said the burger wasn’t originally made with Wagyu beef, and it retailed for $15.
💲 Read more behind how Minhwa Spirits prices its burger and get the total cost breakdown here.
Want us to break down the cost of your favorite local restaurant dish? Send an email to beth@roughdraftatlanta.com with your suggestions.
Atlanta Food Culture Meets Comedy at Dad’s Garage
SPONSORED BY DAD’S GARAGE THEATER
🥘 Comedy-drama The Bear won Emmys and Golden Globes for comedy, but Atlanta’s Dad’s Garage dares to delve into the question plaguing the minds of erudite television gourmands everywhere: what if The Bear actually was a comedy? Presenting: SCANDAL! The Bare—a lovingly absurd and spoofish take-off on the critically acclaimed television hit.
While the SCANDAL! format is a classic sight at the comedy theatre, no two seasons are the same and feature a unique story, cast, theme, and plot.
The Bare runs Fri., Sept. 11 through Nov. 6.
→ See what makes SCANDAL! The Bare unique among Atlanta’s live performance experiences.
Editor’s Pick
💵 While we’re talking about restaurant costs in this edition of Family Meal, I want to keep that theme going with my “Editor’s Pick” and a prix-fixe menu from Miller Union to put on your radar.
On Friday evenings, Chef Steven Satterfield’s critically acclaimed Brady Avenue restaurant offers a four-course Market Menu for $65 per person that includes a seasonal salad, appetizer, entree, and a dessert option. But what’s great about the Market Menu – especially for couples looking for a bargain – is that the generously portioned courses can easily feed two people. Just tell your server you’re ordering one Market Menu to split. You can tailor the meal further with additional à la carte dishes.
The Market Menu is filled with several of Miller Union’s greatest hits. (Think the restaurant’s field pea and peanut salad and mains of skillet trout served in a stewed vegetable medley or ravioli stuffed with sweet corn and fromage blanc, both pictured above.) Dinner ends with a choice of two desserts, like a salted caramel custard tart garnished with thyme sable and caramel popcorn. The Market Menu comes with optional wine pairings for $25 per person.
💕 To me, Miller Union’s Market Menu is an excellent and affordable Friday date-night option for couples looking to dine at an award-winning restaurant without breaking the bank. Can’t get reservations? Go early and sit at the bar.
Recipe: Kerala-Style Lamb Ribs
🇮🇳 This week, we’re sharing a recipe for Kerala-style lamb ribs from Indian restaurant Pataaka, now open at Spring Quarter in Midtown.
Pataaka founder and chef Anish Nair grew up eating a very similar dish to the one he now serves on the menu at the Midtown restaurant.
➡️ Get double the Atlanta food and dining coverage with “Family Meal,” edited by Beth McKibben, on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and “Side Dish,” edited by Sarra Sedghi, on Thursdays at noon. Subscribe to both here.
