Delicious

burgErs

Look

—Emily Toman

around any corner in Preston Hollow, and you’ll find some type of burger joint. Mariel Street set out to do something different. “It’s kind of reinventing the burger,” she says. Her new venture, Liberty Burger, offers variations on the staple not found anywhere else in Dallas. The “amore” burger comes piled with baby spinach, cantaloupe and a crisp layer of Parmesan cheese. It’s the most adventurous item on the menu, and not enough people order it, Street says. “It’s the perfect blend of salty and sweet.” Besides great taste, there’s a lot of heart behind Liberty. Street began working on the concept after serving two years in the Peace Corps. She applied the principles of social responsibility to her business. The all-natural beef comes from a Dallas purveyor, vegetables are grown in Texas whenever possible, and buns are baked fresh every morning. Almost everything in the restaurant has been recycled — from the paper napkins to the wooden beams. Street, daughter of Dallas restaurateur Gene Street, has been working in the industry since age 14. Her father tried to talk her out of opening her own place. “I would rather work 365 days out of the year than be bored for one year.”

Liberty Burger

5211 Forest

972.239.2100 givemelibertyburger.com

PRICERANGE:

$6.50-$9.50

AMBIANCE: CLEAN

HOURS:

11A.M.-9P.M. MON-SAT CLOSEDSUN

TIP: YOU CANMAKEANY BURGERA BISON BURGER, WHICH IS 90 PERCENT LEANERTHAN BEEF OR CHICKEN.

1 Elevation Burger

ThisHillcrestCrossing establishment uses 100 percent grass-fed, free-range beef with USDA-certified organic ingredients for a healthier version of your typical, greasy burger. 8611 Hillcrest, Suite 195, 214.360.0088, elevationburger.com

2 Gazebo Burgers

Neighbors will testify that this burger spot easily beats out any of the over-hyped chains. Plus, they do a great veggie burger for the herbivores out there. 5950Royal, 214.368.3344, gazeeboburgers.com

3 Chip’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers

For a traditional, no-frills burger, 30-year-old Chip’s doesn’t disappoint. The restaurant also offers glutenfree buns. 4530 Lovers, 214.691.2447, chips-burgers.com

Wine 102

Duchman Family vermentino ($12) Texas

Wine drinkers are creatures of habit. We tend to drink the same wines and shop in the same places for those wines, which, frankly, doesn’t do much to expand our wine horizons. This is an especial problem for beginning wine drinkers, whose lack of experience is compounded by the intimidation factor — wine can be a scary thing for newcomers, who are overwhelmed with labels, names, terms and the like.

So, four easy things anyone can do to boost their wine savvy:

One of the things that people always laugh at when I talk about wine is the idea that they can learn more by drinking more. For example, if you like pinot noir, why not try a different kind than what you usually drink? One choice is the Mandolin pinot (about $12), which has less fruit than similarly priced wines, but a little more earthiness.

It’s amazing how this will change your perspective, especially if you buy wine only in grocery stores. Wine retailers are more likely to carry something such as the red and white from France’s Chateau Bonnet (about $10) solid, dependable and tasty wines that don’t have cute labels or marketing budgets.

And even those you don’t. No one, including the so-called experts, remembers the name of every wine they drink. That way, the next time you shop for wine, you know what to look for, and avoid. You don’t have to do it often. But every once in a while, if you don’t like sweet wine or red wine or whatever, taste one. Given that your palate will change over time as you gain more experience, there’s also a chance you’ll appreciate wine you didn’t like before. Regional wine fits here: Texas’ Duchman Family Winery vermentino (about $12). It’s a white wine that is bright and fresh, with some lemon-lime fruit.

JEFF SIEGEL’S WEEKLY WINE REVIEWS appear in our Eat Local dining newsletter. Sign up at advocatemag.com/newsletter.

Ask the wine guy

—Jeff Siegel

I liked a wine a lot, but when I went back to the store to buy more, there wasn’t any. Why is that?

ause wine, unlike other consumer ds, isn’t always replaceable. You can ays make another bottle of ketchup, but e a wine is gone, it’s gone. This isn’t lly a problem with most grocery store es, but it can be for wine that is sold tly in wine retailers.

ASK THE WINE GUY taste@advocatemag.com

Jeff Siegel