The perfect burger

Like a true cook, she knew the signs of doneness without tearing open the burger. "It's time to flip them when they don't stick," she said. Then, as soon as she flipped a half-done burger, she gave it a final touch of salt, this time sea salt, and cheese. In our case, Gruyere. "I love watching it dribble down the sides," she said.

A word about what she does not do. Unlike just about every other burger chef in the country, Silverton never, ever presses down on a burger with the spatula to force out the juices. Rather, as the burgers cooked, she toasted the oiled buns, handing them off to guests so they could begin personalizing. Toppings were more bottom-ings here. The burger came last.

Everyone seemed to want a little of everything: lettuce, avocado, bacon, tomato, onion, peppers, pickle. Option paralysis only seemed to set in over the mayonnaises. Here the Gruyere tribe split evenly among garlic, tapenade and chili.

Watching Silverton's youngest son, Oliver, made it clear why burger buns must be soft. As he took his towering burger to the table, before sitting down, he leaned over and squashed the burger with just enough weight to compress it into a bite-able state. It was as liberating as seeing the Queen Mother eat a quail with her hands. The world was now allowed to follow suit.

Biting into my first Silverton burger was a revelation. There wasn't a hint of fattiness about it, just moistness and a swelling chorus of flavors. Out of curiosity, I tried the burger of a little girl who wanted her burger well done. It was moist too.

After joy, shame. I had always thought inviting someone for "just a burger" was reassuring. Guests could buy beer instead of wine, bring kids, even dogs. I realize now that I meant I was going to give them an indifferent meal because I was feeling sentimental and lazy. Had I known the difference a little bit of care makes, my friends still could have brought beer, their kids and dogs, but we would have had what Silverton has convinced me may be the true American delicacy.

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Nancy's burgers

Total time: \o7 40 minutes

Servings: 6