Burger Thursdays at the Ritz!

Every Thursday, $20 will get you a gourmet burger/fries and a beer at the Ritz Half Moon Bay. So I decided to check it out knowing, of course, that I would get a glass of wine instead of the beer.

First of all, the Ritz is just beautiful. The "Conservatory" is the seating area just off the main lobby where they serve cocktails, wine, and gourmet bar snacks, including the burger. It's relaxed but high-end, with great views of the ocean and outside patio/firepit/etc. Also, they have live jazz! That always helps the ambience. So on Thursdays, they offer a burger special and drink specials in addition to the regular (pricey) "bar menu." For the burger deal, they actually have a few options too: classic burger, burger w/ bleu cheese, crab cake burger, sliders, portobello burger, etc. I opted for the classic (not knowing it came w/ bacon, but I just pulled it off). In terms of wine, their by the glass list is fairly expensive but they do have wine specials--at $8. I don't think I need to explicitly say that $8 is a reasonable/normal price for a glass of wine--not a wine "special." Anyway, they were featuring a Bordeaux blend or a Napa Cab and I asked the server to bring whichever would pair better with the burger--he brought the Cab.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the winery it was from. Maybe because I actually didn't like it with the burger and was disappointed--a) because it didn't pair very well, and b) because I thought the Ritz would do a better job of pairing. Then again, I only had 2 choices on the $8 wine special list, so perhaps the Cab was the less bad option. While the cab didn't pair perfectly with the burger, it was very interesting nonetheless. The nose a had powerful, if not overwhelming, aroma of vanilla extract. Straight up vanilla extract that I would add to cupcakes or cookies. I don't know anything about the wine or how it's made, but this strong vanilla leads me to believe it was fermented/aged in new American oak. The palate was smooth and soft, with gentle tannins. I needed more for my burger. It was too soft and too vanilla-y to work with the juicy classic burger.

And more on the burger: solid, tasty burger. But not worth $20. Especially since I didn't get the beer with it for that price (next time I will!). And yes, there WILL be a next time. Mostly because I really enjoyed the ambience and the live jazz, etc. This past time I was excited to try their burger and follow their recommendation for wine (because I also happen to know their head sommelier was just invited to taste the 4th and final exam to become a master sommelier), but now that I know their burger isn't that special (and since I don't really like red meat anyway) I'll opt for the crab cakes or portobello burger with a chard or interesting white wine next time.