Last week I reported on my visit to Gottlieb Hospital to sample their new patient menu.
As mentioned, the patients can order whatever they want (given their dietary restrictions) or any combination of what they want.
I at first thought I’d get chicken and waffles, but they didn’t have fried chicken (or, as is probably predictable, many fried items at all, aside from bacon and hash.)
Seeing cheeseburgers and bacon and glazed donuts, I asked that the kitchen prepare me a Luther Burger.
Named after Luther Vandross, this cheeseburger with bacon is usually mounted on a Krispy Kreme donut. It took some time explaining to the hospital kitchen how to prepare a proper Luther Burger. They seemed a little taken aback, or maybe “appalled” is a better word, but gamesome.
Then the Director of Food Service delivered my meal, explaining that the hospital never, but NEVER would normally serve this to a patient. For me, he figured it wouldn’t make much difference, though he did not approve.
The Director of Food Service actually brought me another hamburger on a regular bun, in hopes I would eat that instead of this sugar-glazed, savory monstrosity I had asked him to create. I ate some of the regular burger too.
How was it? Pretty damn good. Or maybe I should say as good as a Luther Burger ever gets.
I asked about wine, but the hospital didn’t have any (!!), so I settled on a 2011 Mr. Pure Prune.
The juice paired very well with the Luther Burger: the plumy sweetness bumped up the bacon flavor, coordinated with the glazed donut, and, of course, fruit and cheese are always good together…plus, the juice was pretty much the same color as the hamburger.
Have you ever had a wild craving while in the hospital? Did you find a way to satisfy it?
