At this time, nonetheless, they’re the equal elements of the inventive workforce behind Miami’s latest “it” burger, Coney Burger.
Every Saturday, the couple works their approach by means of dozens of orders positioned by hungry Smorgasburg company searching for a style of considered one of Miami’s finest burgers. The traces have been rising steadily since they took the win on the Smorgasburg Burger Battle on June 11.
Regardless of 4 years finding out industrial engineering, Pedro has at all times recognized his place was in a kitchen. Following commencement from the Mariano Moreno Culinary Institute in 2018, he started incomes the title of government chef at locations like Pastel Gourmand, Palmar, and presently, La Pure Miami.
When Palmar closed, the chef took the helm of the proprietor’s different idea, La Pure. However the couple dreamed of doing one thing inventive collectively.
“Once we heard Smorgasburg was coming, we knew we needed to do one thing collectively,” native advertising and marketing guru Vanessa tells New Occasions. “On the time, we had been shocked by the shortage of excellent burgers, so we determined to create a model and launch.”
For Pedro, Coney Burger’s brief and candy menu gives an opportunity to stretch his legs past the parameters of high quality eating (La Pure is considered one of a number of Miami eating places to just lately obtain a Bibb Gourmand from Michelin).
Now, he says, the problem lies in providing a stellar model that speaks to each plant and meat eaters.
“When family and friends have completely different dietary preferences, it may be laborious to discover a place the place everybody can take pleasure in a meal collectively,” says Vanessa. “A part of our imaginative and prescient was creating a spot the place we might assist deliver individuals collectively by means of meals.”
“Our purpose was to have two actually good burgers — one vegan, one meat — with out compromising on style or texture,” provides Pedro. “For that cause, we knew each component needed to be one thing actually particular.”
Since then, the couple has perfected the recipe, testing varied iterations of every of their residence kitchen, dialing in every component to create the final word burger.
Vanessa, the inventive inspiration behind Coney’s branding, says the identify is a nod to Smorgasburg’s New York origins coupled together with her recollections of rising up close to and visiting Coney Island.
“For me it was higher than Disney World. I cherished all of the pageant meals, from large corn canine to large, juicy burgers,” she recollects.
At this time, you could find a rendition of every at Coney Burger, which operates as an everyday pop-up at Smorgasburg and Epoca Brewing in North Miami. And, as a result of the entire meals is produced in a industrial kitchen facility, Coney Burger additionally gives supply through a number of platforms together with their web site and UberEats.
Whereas each renditions provide up a distinct taste profile, they share one factor: the bun. Whether or not you go along with Coney’s wagyu or mushroom-based patty, you’ll get it on a vegan brioche bun. However don’t fear — if given the selection you wouldn’t have it some other approach.
Every from-scratch bun comes from a recipe usual after Japanese milk bread in order that it is without delay squishy and buttery — like a brioche bao. They’re baked contemporary starting at 4 a.m. the morning earlier than serving, with the final batch rising from the oven simply after dawn.
Attempt it with the eponymous Coney Burger, the couple’s satisfaction and pleasure, a made-from-scratch combine that mixes Japanese maitake and oyster mushrooms with candy potato, black beans, carrot, and a particular seasoning mix. A painstaking course of begins with boiling contemporary greens earlier than they’re hand chopped, floor, seasoned additional, and baked earlier than being given a fast sear on the recent griddle earlier than serving.
For the meat-eating crowd, the Wagyu Burger is shortly changing into considered one of Miami’s most interesting burgers. The chef says it is an homage to at least one he created for Palmar that gained a devoted following, with meat sourced from a neighborhood, family-run ranch in Homestead.
The Wagyu-bred meat is processed and hand-delivered to the couple contemporary every week earlier than they hand-shape and season six-ounce servings into puck-like, two-inch-thick patties. Every is frivolously salted earlier than it’s thrown onto the broiler, juices scorching right into a tasty crust of caramelized fats. It’s topped off with a thick-cut tarragon-seasoned pickled inexperienced heirloom tomato, the bitter acidity meant to maintain the fats from the burger in verify. A schmear of the chef’s egg yolk-based “pleased sauce” produces a sense its identify suggests, married with the tangy-sweet house-made yuzu mayo and a sprinkling of chopped chives.
Take your first chunk and your mind will attempt to decipher every nuance from bitter and candy to salty and umami. Then you definitely understand this isn’t a burger. It’s an expertise.
The menu additionally features a spicy “chicken-less” sandwich, a complete oyster mushroom from Miami’s Gratitude Backyard fried in a standard tempura batter, dipped in a house-made chili oil, and topped with a pickled cucumber, contemporary onion, and Coney sauce. There’s additionally the flax and cornmeal-based vegan corn canine. And fries — a trio of veggies (carrot, potato, and beet) which are fried and frivolously salted. There’s even some fairly candy treats for canine, together with a bag of cookies made utilizing candy potato, chickpea, and peanut butter combined with a gluten-free flour.
“Regardless of the place your consuming preferences land, or who you’re with, Coney Burger was created so nobody ever has to interrupt a superb time over meals choices,” sums up Pedro.
