Burgers are everywhere. But for real paragons of patties between buns, one can’t just pull into the nearest drive-through. Sometimes you’ve got to get in the car and not stop driving until you hit downtown Fredericksburg. Why? Foode, the culinary brainchild of chef Joy Crump (she co-owns the restaurant with Beth Black and Jeremy Harrison), has one of the best burgers I’ve tasted in Virginia.
I first sampled the Fredericksburger last year when I was working on eating my way across NoVA for my Best Restaurants list. Another year of dining has done nothing to diminish my ardor. How do I love thee, Fredericksburger? Let me count the ways.
There’s the all-natural beef patty, cooked to a juicy medium, just as requested. It’s deposited between layers of a liltingly sweet, egg-washed bun that receives a bolstering embrace from the grill before the real magic happens.
That magic? It’s contained in two complementary elements. I don’t know why Crump’s bacon aioli isn’t yet a staple in every kitchen. It combines two of the best fats that a burger can meet: smoky bacon and tangy aioli. Together, they create an adipose alchemy that I would happily eat straight from the jar. But it’s even better when it meets a melted layer of nutty, sharp Vermont cheddar.
The Fredericksburger is pictured here with salad in Green Goddess dressing. Overlook this error in judgement. The only correct accompaniment is Crump’s herb fries. Showered with a small kitchen garden’s worth of green stuff, the crispy frites are almost as desirable as the burger itself. Together, they’re worth a drive from just about anywhere.
900 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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