Ina Garten's Favorite Cheeseburger Is From The Nation's Capital

Ina Garten has just revealed to the world where she's enjoyed the best burger she's ever eaten. Eater D.C. recently reported that she spilled the beans in a talk she gave at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where she kicked off the book tour for her memoir, "Be Ready When The Luck Happens." Garten was fielding questions from the audience when one member asked where she's had her favorite cheeseburger.

It turns out this wasn't a one-time meal from long ago. "I had it this afternoon. It was in the Four Seasons. Is it called Bourbon Steak? Oh my god," she said, laughing. Her memory did serve her correctly, as the restaurant is indeed called Bourbon Steak, and it is in the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. Bourbon Steak serves ultra high-end cuts of beef, top tier seafood options, and elevated takes on classic steakhouse sides (and you definitely pay for it).

There is a little bit of mystery surrounding her favorite burger, however, because the steakhouse has two on its menu. One is a double cheeseburger made with Wagyu beef, American cheese, sautéed onions, and secret sauce that goes for $28, while the other is a prime steak burger with aged white cheddar and red wine shallot compote that costs $26. She didn't specify which burger she had, and the hotel respected Garten's privacy and declined to say which one she'd ordered.

Ina Garten's obviously known for her talents in cooking and recipe development, like her tweaks with potato salad or her trick when making salad dressing, so it shouldn't surprise you that she has her own recipes for burgers as well. But some of them include a decidedly different ingredient than most. She's used dijon mustard as a flavoring agent for the ground beef in the past, but one of her burger recipes employs the heavy use of egg yolks as a binder for the meat. The inclusion of egg is typically something you see in recipes for meatballs or meatloaf, which gives the meat a denser and firmer texture when it's cooked. Most traditional burger recipes don't use egg, which is one thing that makes this addition unique. 

Garten's memoir is available now, in case you want to read about her storied life — it wasn't all about cooking and lifestyle. Did you know she once helped in writing the nuclear energy budget during the presidencies of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter? Talk about an impressive career pivot. And if you happen to find yourself in Washington, D.C., you now know where to get a Garten-approved burger.