How I Made It: The Union Burger at Union & Finch
As part of our recurring series, we asked the creator of an iconic Lehigh Valley offer to tell us how they created it.
Next up, the flagship burger from Union & Finch, a modern American bistro in Allentown. Co-owner Shahnaz Hanna tells the story to Paul Kita.
My husband Ed and I lived in New York City before we came to Allentown. Once we moved here, Ed still commuted to New York and back. Every Wednesday night he’d stay over in the city to break up his commute and try and visit a different restaurant to research ideas for our business. One of the places he’d visit frequently was a place called Burger & Barrel, a five-time winner of Miami’s famous Burger Bash competition. Ed was fortunate enough to meet the chef of the restaurant and learn some of the ins and outs of their burgers.
So, before we decided to open Union & Finch six years ago, we knew we wanted a great burger on the menu and Ed knew he wanted to use the same purveyor Burger & Barrel used—Pat LaFrieda. We reached out to Pat LaFrieda, who was making deliveries to restaurants at the Casino in Bethlehem, and they agreed to provide us with our own burger blend as long as we picked it up from the casino because we couldn’t meet their delivery minimum. So, I would have to drive down to Bethlehem, meet the driver with our kids in the car, pick up the meat, and drive back to the restaurant. Eventually, they realized that the quantity we were selling was enough for them to come and deliver to us, but I put a lot of miles on our minivan making those trips.
Six years ago, a month or two before opening the restaurant, we had a burger tasting. There were four or five people, including Ed and myself. The restaurant was empty. We knew we wanted to use Pat LaFrieda beef, but we wanted to test the other options as well. What else could we throw in there to make it special?
After a few rounds of testing with our chef at the time, we found the right balance: housemade red onion marmalade, housemade sweet pickles, and pecan wood-smoked bacon—all on a brioche bun.
We cook the seven-ounce burger on our grill and recommend medium or medium rare, so you can really taste the unique flavors of the beef. With the marmalade, you taste the sweetness of the onion and the tartness of the vinegar it's cooked in. Our pickles trigger more flavor as well because our brine has some unique touches which elevate their taste. The bacon is a thick, smokey pecan wood bacon. And the brioche bun, toasted lightly in butter, is perfect for this blend of meat. If you’re looking to top it with a cheese, we recommend either bleu or goat cheese.
The Union Burger has been on the menu since we opened. I can’t tell you how many we’ve sold. People love it. I still love it. The taste still takes me back to six years ago, tasting it for the first time, and in that moment realizing this is it.
Burger and a beer for $12? Say less!
Don't miss a Thursday at Union & Finch, where you'll find one of the best specials in the Valley: get the Union or Classic burger with any draft beer for only $12. If you need to skip the Pat LaFrieda beef, swap in a falafel patty.
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