Instagram sent me, not via an influencer, but a very alluring ad. If I were to book a reservation…read morethen and there, I could get an Old Fashioned made with Colonel E.H. Taylor for a lower price. Sold! I made a reservation and stopped in that week (if not that very day).
The Old Fashioned was fantastic! It had strong whiskey notes without hitting you with a wall of spirit the way a Manhattan, for example, does. The other additions of bitters and syrup did a perfect job rounding the cocktail out, adding sweet and savory notes. As much as I love variety, I loved it so much, I ordered two! I can't lie and say this wasn't at least in part due to the reduced price, that notwithstanding, me ordering two of the same is some of the highest, non-verbal praise one could get from me.
For a main, I had the opportunity to try the burger, a special only available 5:00 - 6:30, and mind you I eked in by the skin of my teeth. Before I attempt to break this down, though, I need to take a slight tangent: Do any of you remember the quote from The Menu where Anya Taylor-Joy says: "A real cheeseburger. Not some fancy, deconstructed, affluent b***s***, a *real* cheeseburger."?
I am pleased to report the burger here was somewhere between Chef Slowik's "very traditional cheeseburger" and the one Taylor Joy describes! In other words, just fancy enough to feel like I am getting a unique, creative, well thought out dish, but without all the pomp and circumstance! There's just one little problem: as soon as I bit into it, the juices erupting from within soaked the bottom bun, and turned it into a fork and knife affair with an unseen level of precision and speed. Very regrettably, this was the burger's undoing.
That first, heavenly bite that had angels singing showed what the burger was really made of (and I mean this figuratively and literally). The beef was of the highest quality, well-seasoned, cooked medium and juicy, with a perfect sear that would have Louis Camille Maillard crying tears of joy. Two types of cheese (one being crisp and airy, the other thoroughly gooey and savory), the perfect amount of bacon, moisture and flavor from a tempura tomato, and divine sauces! One of them was a little sweet, which elevated the flavor like no one's business. Together, all these flavors were a symphony that could give Beethoven a run for his money. However, that unfortunate fact that the thing fell apart so quickly meant that symphony was limited to one bite, the rest being encountered piecemeal.
I would rather skip fries than skip dessert (which I did), and ordered the Mango cheesecake. Such velvety perfection! Neither the sweetness nor the mango notes were overpowering, and while it didn't have the crust of a traditional cheesecake, the more gentle variant here absolutely works. I also appreciated the tart sorbet to offer some contrast in flavor, temperature, and texture.
Now, let me talk about the service. Given that the restaurant was at capacity, the bar service and speed to get my items was reasonable. Could it hypothetically have been just a touch faster/more attentive? Yes, but in practice, when you have a full house, this is as good as it can get before robots take over.
Finally, there is the matter of prices. There is no doubt in my mind that the quality is up there, at the same time, the reason I skipped the side of fries was it would have set me back $11. I suppose the real question is whether or not the quality equals the price, and after some reflection, I think the answer is yes, but one must be prepared for the sticker shock ahead of time.
That said, the final verdict: The Franklin Room absolutely delivers on an all-around fantastic meal. I think whatever you order will be in the 90th percentile, at worst! However, this comes at a cost. Therefore, I would love to return to the Franklin Room, but it would likely be more a very occasional treat than a place where I'd be a regular.