The Burger Bar. Specifically: DMK.

I believe the burger bar is God's gift to the male race. Ok, one of many. However it is the one that, sinfully, I find to be most enjoyable.

When my father came to celebrate our birthdays, my 21st his 50th, we descended on a burger bar, Burger Bar Chicago, to spend our manly saturday afternoon.  Watching college basketball, sharing sweet potato fries, and even enjoying beer in the same theme as the tattoo we share.  I found this scenario to be my perfect definition of a burger bar: a lineage of men sharing beer, burgers, fries, and sports.

Now we move to my favorite of these joints in Chicago: DMK Burger Bar.  The DMK is derived from the initials of the owners David Morton and Michael Kornick, both with fine restauranteur history of their own.  Morton, owner of the Italian Chain Pompei, is a descendant of the late Arnie Morton, founder of the Morton's of Chicago chain of steakhouses. His brother also happens to be a co-creator of my beloved workplace, N9NE Steakhouse.  Kornick, also part of the N9NE Group in Chicago and Vegas, wears the hats of owner and chef of his own mk restaurant.

Now for the restaurant itself, this place has everything I could ask for.  It represents trendy, simple, economical, culinary, and manly all at once, which I find to be an achievement in itself.  You may find this windy and large description leaving DMK without an identity, but you would be very incorrect.  The identity is simple: American grass-fed beef and American craft beers at a great price.  It is the means to which they achieve the ends that meet my long list of criterium.  

For me, it is a Double #1 (Aged Cheddar, Smoked Bacon, Charred Balsamic Red Onions, and Rufus Teague's BBQ Sauce) with an Allagash White (or three) and a small sweet potato fry.  The best part: even with three draft beers, this very fulfilling meal only sets me back $25, and that is a price I am very willing to pay for my favorite burger, fries and three drafts of my beloved Allagash White.

My burger of choice is also the pick of my girlfriend (subtracting every addition but the BBQ sauce, picky).  However after the numerous groups I have brought in with me to try DMK, I have seen almost every burger taken down, even the Bison and the vegetarian (which they have worked hard to perfect).  Each and every guest remarked on the burgers as the best they have had.  The fries are equals in culinary excellence, with my favorites being the sweet potato (served with a lemon tobasco aioli) and the parmesan (served with a truffle cream).

The libations are worthy in their own right, as the craft beer selection is nothing short of incredible.  DMK employs a cicerone to perfect their beer list in partnership with the restauranteurs and perfection they may have achieved.  The list features all varieties of beer and includes the local breweries of Three Floyds, Goose Island, Two Brothers, Half Acre, Metropolitan, and New Holland.  Local spirits of North Shore Distillery and Deaths Door Spirits are even featured at the well-stocked and tended bar of DMK. 

With so many facets, it could be called everything from a joint to a bar to a diner to a restaurant, but for my current Chicago favorite, the Burger Bar tag is perfectly applied.

DMK also owns and operates the newly-opened and equally delicious Fish Bar next door (with a review soon to come).