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“Juicy Lucy” Inspired Bar Burger ($13)
—serrano and chipotle pepper-infused burger, filled with mozzarella and served with house-cut fries.
For contextual purposes, let it be known that I am a fries enthusiast. Fries are my world. I think about them constantly and I can eat a bajillion of them (no, really). That said, I’m also very picky about the fries I allow myself to consume. They need to be hot, moderately salted and dark brown, and I prefer them a bit soggy in the middle and crispy on the ends. The fries that came with this burger met every one of my fry criteria. I tried them first and almost forgot about the burger itself.
The almost-forgotten burger is cooked “Juicy Lucy” style, which is a burger that has the cheese stuffed inside the meat instead of placed on top. Unfortunately, when I cut it in half, most of the cheese fell out, making for messy eating and an un-cheesed burger. Moreover, the serrano and chipotle pepper makes the burger almost taste like sausage, which isn’t a bad thing if you like that breakfast sandwich taste.
Chicken Parmesan sliders ($12)—parmesan and panko-crusted chicken breast with marinara and fresh mozzarella.
As a chef, I imagine it’s difficult to make burgers look pretty. That’s why I think sliders are a great, more aesthetically pleasing, option. The small skewers with a pickle and tomato worked as a garnish, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to eat it as its own thing or with the slider. I went the collaborative way and took a bite of them every now and then between bites of the slider.
The slider itself was on a sweet, toasted bun, which was interesting because I’ve never tasted marinara sauce with something sweet before. Overall, it worked. The chicken was crispy, the mozzarella was prominent—as mozzarella should always be.
The Safehouse (The Republik's bar and lounge)
1349 Kapiʻolani Blvd. #30
Tuesday–Saturday, 6pm–2am (food served nightly till midnight)
Happy hour nightly (excluding show nights),
6–9pm; $2 off food; $3 wells, drafts and house wine; $2 off signature craft cocktails
808-941-7469