#meddlesomemoth

Crystal Creek Chuck Burger:  Other than the fact that it’s amazing, there’s nothing really unique about this burger. No gimmicks - just quality ingredients.  We ordered ours with bacon and avocado slices, in addition to the standard fixins’.  The bacon, delightfully, was served extra crispy and is an excellent pairing alongside the smooth avocados.  Of note is that you’ll find both spinach and iceberg lettuce on this burger.   Tillamook cheddar cheese (It’s pronounced “TTTTIIIILLLLAAAMMMOOOOOOKKKK” at full volume) covers the mouthwateringly thick patty, which comes from Crystal Creek Ranch in Eminence, MO and is the namesake of the burger.  I ordered my burger medium, which unlocked the chuck cut beef into a savory, smoky sweet, flavor.  Remember that “chuck” is a primal cut that comes from the shoulder area of our bovine friends enemies, and is a relatively tender (and therefore flavorful) cut of meat.  As a rule of thumb, the further the cut of meat is away from the neck or legs (which do all the work for a cow), the more flavor you’ll find.  The brioche bun was fluffy, although it did get a little soggy towards the end of the burger.  Quality ingredients combine for great flavor leading to a great burgering experience.  This is a burger that needs to move to the top of your “From The Gut Tribute Restaurant Tour” list immediately.

The Fries: Mostly forgettable, although they don’t detract from the burgering experience, aren’t a la carte, and are portioned well for a single serving.  The main story here is the burger, however.

The Service: You can expect to receive top notch service at Meddlesome Moth.  Our server, Chase, was knowledgeable, polite and discreet, and quick (although we did order immediately after sitting down).  We’ve had worse experiences, but few better.

The Ambiance: Part of the charm at Meddlesome Moth is the cool ambiance.  Three unique stained glass windows overlook the main dining room, while (as you would expect at a gastropub), a long, dark bar lines one side of the room.  I’m definitely not doing the interior justice - see for yourself.  

The Price: Not an inexpensive place to eat - but the price is more than fair.  My check clocked in at the high-teens, pre-tip.

The Comically Both Overhyped and Underhyped Super! Important! Announcement! to Commemorate our 50th Review: We’re in the final throes of designing a FTG tee shirt.  We’ll let you know when it’s out and ready.  Was that underwhelming enough for you?

Crystal Creek Chuck Burger: This burger, as you can see from the photos, was literally to big to fit in my mouth as is. It comes with sliced red onions, butter leaf lettuce, and sliced tomato, as well as the bun and burger of course. All of the vegetables were fresh and at their prime. But this is a burger blog, not a veggie blog. This burger comes in at what must have been a half an inch thick. I ordered this baby medium rare. It came pink, juicy, and so full of flavor that my mouth began to water just from the scent rising off of the patty. I added on the avocado slices and bacon. How could I not? Oh, I almost forgot. I had cheese on my burger. Yeah, cheese. Here’s a little secret of mine: if it’s Tillamook Cheddar and placed on the burger after the burger’s been cooked, I’m all in. The cheese was just barely melted. The avocado was perfectly ripe. The bacon was incredible. It was perfectly crisp the whole way through, and it was dry, but in a great way. It broke up well in each bite. Now, the burger. I think my eyes rolled into the back of my head after one bite. My legs might have been shaking a little bit. This is about the time James Brown yelled “GOOD GOD” in my head. The combination of everything on top of the patty itself was spine tingling good. The meat was delicious, fresh, and succulent. Yes, succulent. I couldn’t have asked for a better burger. Bravo, Meddlesome Moth. (Bravo is Italian for ‘James Brown says’, “you brought the funk!”)

The Fries: Let me say this, on night one, the were muy bueno. They were crispy, salted, and delicious. Night two, they were soggy. So for night one, they weren’t anything that would send you over the moon, but an excellent complement to the extraordinary burger. I, personally, want better fries.

The Service: Chase, my man, you did a great job. He treated us well. When we announced we were both having the burger, he smiled with all the delight of a kid in a candy store. He knew what’s up. He was on point the rest of the night.

The Ambiance: If you haven’t been to the Meddlesome Moth, when you walk in the ceiling is low. The hostesses are right there to greet you. As you gaze beyond them, there they are. They you ask? They are musical Gods. Three large, stained glass windows of Chuck Berry, Elvis, and Jerry Lee Lewis hang at about a forty degree angle and glare right at you. They glare in a good way. The place is heavily appointed in wood. There are booths, and plenty of table tops. It’s got a really great feel to it. Oh, and let me not forget the long and large bar with a very wide selection of brews.

The Price: The burger is $12. Add on avocado and bacon and you’re looking at just under $20 with tax. Folks, it’s worth every penny. Go for dinner, have the burger. You won’t regret it.

My friends, I think the wait was well worth it. It was for Burger Claus and I. Don’t you worry. From The Gut is back and better than ever. Oh, and like BC said, there’s a T-Shirt coming. Yes, a beautiful T-Shirt from From The Gut to go over mine and yours.