Zee Burger in Woodbury: A First Beefy Bite
Amy Kundrat
When news first broke that Carole Peck, our east coast answer to Alice Waters, would be opening a burger joint adjacent to her popular farm-to-table Good News Café in Woodbury, the first thing I did was clear my calendar.
The second thing I did was ask the obvious question. Was this the same Carole Peck who has been running the Café in Woodbury since 1993, hosting culinary trips to France and espousing local farms?
Burgers? Carole, really?
Actually it makes perfect sense that Peck, who has been committed to sourcing locally and seasonally for Good News Café for almost twenty years, would want to widen her spectrum and open a more accessible establishment using the same approach that has won her accolades and a loyal following. Fueled by an extended financial recession, the inexpensive luxuries of the gourmet burger joint formula has been trending in Connecticut. Staying true to her signature style, Peck has joined this fray by creating the farm stand version of the burger joint.
The nod to farm stand begins upon approach. A series of white signs announces “Zeeburger” and “Sizzle & Shake” as if they were just-picked vegetables for sale at a quaint road-side produce stand. Inside the simple and unadorned pine walls, chalkboards and linoleum floor continue the market feel, culminating in a menu filled with grass-fed beef and house-made condiments. Carole herself was even behind the counter prepping and chopping away despite some opening month hiccups*.
Central to Zee's approach is a grass-fed beef burger on a Whole G Baker’s brioche role. Burgers come in ¼ lb and 6 oz. versions and surprisingly, alternative burger choices outnumber their red meat cousins, with options such as Zee’s Slammin’ Salmon, Zee Shroom Stack, Zee Falafel, Zee Tweety Bird and Zee Cheddar Cheeser (a grilled cheese sandwich). A list of toppings come free, but there are a few including the smoked jalapeno relish you can (I should say, MUST) add for a mere $.60.
The ¼ lb burger is a small imperfectly formed patty of juicy meat, cooked a little beyond ideal temperature on my first visit, yet beyond rewarding in its juicy, full-flavored beefiness. The roll was good, but I found myself tossing it aside to get up close and personal to the patty. I added just a bit of the house-made ketchup but found myself reaching for my husband’s fully-fixed burger, complete with tomato, asian pickles and Carole’s ketsup. The full condiment embrace is the way to go. The latter is a mean combination of mayonnaise and house made ketsup you may find yourself swabbing at with several salty hand-cut french fries, and then when those are polished off, just about anything else you can find at your table.
Although it’s not called Zee Dogs, it could be. Don’t miss the Zee Mean Kobe Beef Dog which comes with jalapeno relish or the Zee Tweety Dog with a cranberry carrot ginger relish, each stuffed into a portugese-style bun. My choice is the Kobe Dog, a thick frankfurter with that same killer relish that will make you break a sweat and chug your beer.
The salads sound intriguing in their own right with a Zee Crunchy Kale and Popeye Spinach and Shroom that, were I a vegetarian, would have seriously threatened to derail operation burger. They failed, but there is always a next time or an unsuspecting vegetarian friend.
A recommended beverage pairing for any Zee burger is a bottle of Narragansett. If you’d prefer not to imbibe, definitely grab a shake. Pricey and hefty, both milk shakes and floats are made with Connecticut’s Arethusa Farm Dairy ice cream and weigh in at 16 oz. and $6.50.
Zee Burger shows us there is plenty of room for interpretation on something as classically American as the burger, and Peck's concept of the farm stand burger joint is one of the most compelling examples yet.
Zee Burger is located in Woodbury, CT and is open from Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Information online at www.zeeburger.com.
* On our first visit, Zee was thick with smoke and backed up with orders. Dissapointed but not deterred we waited more than an hour before making our way back. Our patience was rewarded. We have also since heard, as of May 24, they have upgraded their ventilation system.
[Photography courtesy of Elizabeth Dorney & Amy Kundrat]
Reader Comments (12)
I think the relish is what really makes any of the burgers or dogs, it's so unique. The ketsup is as well, but falls short of the relishes.
Ryan - that statement would cause quite a stir on the hot dog thread!
Just confirmed source for Zee's beef: Finger Lakes in New York, Jeff Rosenkranz.
Hi,
My name is Libby Fitzgerald, and I own Greyledge Farm in Roxbury Connecticut. Our farm raises all-natutral grass-fed 100% Black Angus cattle. In the last four months, I repeatedly called Carole Peck to see if she would be interested in using our beef and beef hot dogs for her new restaurant, Zee Burger. Our farm is located within 10 miles of her restaurant. She never had the courtesy to ever return one of my calls. Eventually, we dropped off a sample of our product for her to try. Again, no response. It really bothers me that she has received so much press locally about being "farm friendly" and a great supporter of local agriculture. I would understand if she was using another local farm, we all support and encourage one another, but it appears that this is not true. She is importing her beef from upstate NY and ignoring the farmers in her own backyard. I would really hope that her customers, and the community at large, would put pressure on Ms. Peck to be true to her word and actually source her products locally. Please visit our web site, www.greyledgefarm.com and see what we do. Any thoughts would be welcome!! Thank you!! Libby
Libby, I am sure you have a terrific farm but your comment is self-aggrandizing and not the best way to make your point or promote your farm. The site is about local food, not about airing your grievances with businesses.
I understand your response, but perhaps your web site should research the source of Ms. Peck's products before writing such a glowing article describing her as "our east coast answer to Alice Waters" and someone "who has been committed to sourcing locally." Small farmers do not have the PR machine behind them that Ms. Peck so graciously enjoys. Someone needs to speak up for us and represent our views. Thank you.
Libby: Your tone and grievances in YOUR comments are skewed wholly negative and are reflective of your personal issues with the subject and restaurant, your latest comment cements this.
The overall tone of this CTbites post does both use "glowing" remarks as well as points out some obvious flaws: overcooked burger, exhaust issues, pricey shakes.
Let me break this down for you. If you choose to use comments to only bash on ANY website, it says just as much about you and your business than it does about the post and/or subject. You're only making yourself look bad.
Hi CTLocalFoodie,
This will be my last post, so you don't have to worry about my clogging your blog with my negative comments any longer. Like all farmers in CT, we work long hours to bring you the fresh, healthy, sustainable and humanely raised food that you enjoy. My comments were meant only to point out the fact that CT has many local beef producers (Stuart Family Farm and Laurel Ridge are also very close to Ms. Peck's restaurants) and that I wish that she had truly sourced her beef for her burger restaurant locally and supported the local agricultural community. There is no need to go to the "finger lakes" of upstate NY to purchase delicious grass fed beef. You are not the only person who has written about her being a big supporter of locally grown food. I just wish that you had researched your article more carefully before describing her as such. Thank you.
@Libby It is my belief that you catch more flies with honey.
Going after Peck or the author (me) as you have done rather than sharing your farm as a resource, will certainly grab attention, but probably not the kind you are after.
Peck is currently in France and responded to my fact-check after we published, hence my comment about her source for the beef as a comment and not in the article. I hope she responds to my further questions about why she chose that farm and I plan on adding the information when I find out.
I respect Peck as a pioneer for a farm-to-table trend that is peaking here in CT. I also hope that farms like yours are garnering the recognition they deserve.
Sincerely,
Amy K.
Well, the exchange between Libby and Amy was almost as good as the article on Zeeburger - Not! Geez, ladies. Let it go. Would have been better to just delete Libby original comment, Amy, than indulge her.
Anyway, I haven't been to Zeeburger yet, and probably won't go. Nothing against Carole, but the food combinations and stylings she uses in the burger joint and Good News Cafe just don't temp my taste buds. The hamburger is a classic as. And so is the hot dog.
So who needs cranbery carrot ginger relish?
I went to Zee Burger. I love the Good News Cafe. I found that Zee Burger was disappointing. There is no excuse for fries that are not crispy. I read here that the burgers are steamed. Hmm, these are not like Ted's steamed burgers in Meriden. Zee Burgers version is uninspired and under seasoned. Checked for diet Pepsi in their cooler. I was assured that it was there. It wasn't. I was then told that they were out of diet Pepsi. I bought a bottle of water and I was never told that water and cups were available gratis in the dinning room.
I talked to four people who also went to Zee Burger. It was interesting that everyone described it as disappointing..
When I showed up at Zee Burger the out door dining area was empty. I looked through the window and it looked like the restaurant was empty. It was prime time for lunch! I then noticed in the back corner that there were two tables of two. Both with a "Mom and a child" (were the kids too young for school?)
Once a week I drive by the Shake Shack in Westport. There is always a line that extends well out of the door. I have never eaten at the Shake Shack, I don't know much about it. The fact that Zee Burger was empty at the "height" of the lunch rush was very telling.
Carol needs to reimagine this place. It is obviously not a successful establishment.
db
We ate there today at about 2:30 on a Sunday. There were 3 other tables seated with people. We sat in the warm, small dining area with a lack of any style. They served our food to another table who picked through it for a bit and then realized it wasn't there food. They returned it as my husband was asking for our food to go. Instead of offering to re cook our order they simply packed it up. I should have just asked for my money back at that time. TERRIBLE service for not being busy. The catsup was watery. The bread was dry and burgers small. EVERYONE that has talked about this place had nothing positive to say. We should have listened to them but thought we would give it a try. We will NEVER go back. Over priced and terrible service.