McDonald’s, don’t worry. You still have the best fries.
Rewind to last year. In the grand scheme of things, it’s almost like foodie David up against corporate Goliath in the battle of the burgers. Sometime in the fall of 2009, an italian burger shop in Rivoli (Piedmont) opened its doors to the public and introduced an alternative to the typical fastfood burger. The company wanted to go with the approach of “slow” fastfood, embracing a zero kilometer philosophy that meant using patties made from locally produced beef in the region. They also looked to an eco-friendly strategy with biodegradable utensils. Hence, Mac Bün was born, the country’s first and only agri-hamburgeria, and while the name may instantly conjure an image of giant golden arches, in piedmont dialect it only means something that’s good – ma che buono – in italian. Needless to say, this didn’t sit very well with Ronnie and for the time being, Mac Bün has been replaced with M**BUN. End of story.
Back to the present. I just learned about M**BUN last week and made it a priority to check it out asap. We got there about 12:45pm on a Saturday and a single line of about 12 people had already formed. The menu is written on blackboard, listing a selection of hamburgers, hamburger meals, carne cruda (raw meat with garlic and olive oil is a traditional dish) and the usual drinks and sides. To the right of the service counter, a refrigerated display offers soft drinks, bottled water, single-serving desserts and regional products such as cheese and sauces. We ordered the small hamburger meal (menu piccolo) for 9€. It consists of burger of choice + housemade potato chips + soft drink. I also got the M**BUN hamburger which is made from fassona beef, a breed of cattle that Piedmont is known for. You place your order, pay up, then you’re given a pager. When it vibrates the order is ready for pick up.
We waited for less than 5 minutes before the pager went off and the burgers definitely looked and tasted like it was made-to-order. A big slice of tomato, an actual green leaf of lettuce, and lots of mayo and ketchup (you need to specify that you want la salsa) on a thick, juicy patty between a sliced bun. Fassona beef is awesome – it tasted like they just slaughtered the cow or something. I swear it was that good! In comparison to MotH’s toma cheese-topped burger (which was still very delicious), fassona meat is burger KING (oops). The only item that I didn’t much care for was the potato chips. They weren’t hot, maybe a little too oily, and just lacked that appeal for which McD’s fries are so addictive. In any case, we liked the M**BUN experience and despite the higher cost, would eat there again.
Website: http://www.mbun.it | Address: Corso Susa 22/ e – Rivoli (TO)
Ba-da-ba-ba-ba…I’m really, really lovin’ it!
Ba-da-ba-ba-ba…I’m eating it!
Ba-da-ba-ba-ba…I’m not so much lovin’ it!
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