Ask Ronen Shnaider why he got into burgers, and the answer is simple, if a little unexpected: “I got religious.” Burgers, apparently, are ideal fare for a strictly kosher restaurant. With that notion in mind, Shnaider opened Burgy’s Goldburger Burger Bar in Thornhill a few months ago.
In Toronto, burgers are becoming the new opiate of the masses. Consider The Burger’s Priest, opened by a zealous former seminary school student, or Holy Chuck Burgers, which also toys with the theme of reverence (or rather, irreverence). Add the far-from-secular Burgy’s to the mix, and it becomes clear: something about a good burger makes people think about the bigger picture.
Shnaider says he wasn’t trying to jump on any bandwagon. He just wants to serve a good kosher burger. Actually, he’s taken things a step further: he uses beef that is glatt kosher, which has an extra set of restrictions. After a cow is slaughtered according to kosher standards, its lungs are inspected. Only if the lungs are perfectly smooth will the meat be deemed glatt kosher.
“If the lungs are smooth, you know that cow has never sneezed,” Shnaider quips. “It’s the cleanest, best meat you can get.”
Only five to eight out of every 100 cows pass the test, he adds.
Shnaider grinds that meat himself — for quality control — using only the best chuck. Six-ounce patties are formed by hand and cooked on a flat top grill. They are also smashed, like the patties at The Burger’s Priest and The Stockyards.
Adhering to kosher standards isn’t always easy. Supervisors from COR, the largest kosher certification agency in Canada, go through Burgy’s fridges on a regular basis to ensure compliance. They even go through receipts. In practical terms, that means don’t ask for a cheeseburger. Or worse yet, bacon.
The menu stalwart is a simple Goldburger ($6.99): one patty, with toppings, inside a challah bun that’s custom made by My Zaidy’s Bakery. Most toppings are free, including the 16 house-made sauces like spicy mayonnaise or chimichurri. Add fries and a drink for $3.
In addition to burgers, the menu offers a schnitzel sandwich, made with free-range chicken, or a steak sandwich, featuring a six-ounce AAA rib eye steak ($9.99).
If the lack of bacon becomes too much to bear, Shnaider has a suggestion: fried salami (add it to any burger for $2, or go for the zalmy salami burger, $7.99).
Burgy’s Goldburger Burger Bar, 7000 Bathurst St., 905-597-3444