Bread and Bone Wood Grill

Sunday night saw me dining at the latest and 'hottest' burger restaurant to pop up in Adelaide the Bread and Bone Wood Grill. This restaurant, located in Peel Street is the newest venture of the people that brought us the food/bar amazingness that is Press*, The Pot, Melt and Proof. The concept is a simple one, burgers, hotdogs, some sides and a small grill menu with a nicely rounded drinks list at medium level pricing. Notably, given the Press* burger is renowned as potentially being the best in Adelaide expectations for burger nirvana were high.

I had prepared to possibly line up to get a table as they don't take bookings and I was aware this place had been doing a roaring trade since opening two/three weeks ago. Lucky for us we ended up getting a table straight away, I assume because it was a Sunday and still early (it seemed to get pretty busy just as we were leaving). The staff were all welcoming, efficient and helpful and we were quickly offered water whilst we looked over the menu. The venue itself really impressed me, modern, funky and clean but still warm and inviting. The space was airy and well spread out so you didn't feel cramped and the acoustics meant we could still converse easily. The background music gave a nice buzz to the room without overpowering it and the decor/lighting just oozed that hipster Melbourne vibe. The waitress soon returned and took our orders, a sparkling for me, an apple cider for my friend, two B&B burgers (one sans pickles) a side of fries, a side of onions rings and a small serve of the daily chopped salad.

We didn't wait too long for our meals to arrive, first positive was that everything arrived at the same time, all perfectly hot and well presented. Second positive, my friend's burger arrived with no pickles, I always appreciate a restaurant that will not only make changes but actually delivers them. I'll start with the sides as the burgers were rightfully the stars of the show here. The salad changes daily, on this occasion it was a jam packed combination of lettuce, green beans, fetta, olives, almonds, grilled corn, cherry tomatoes and cucumber. Perfectly balanced, perfectly fresh, well dressed and full of bold flavours this was a really delightful side dish and highlighted that the cooks here don't just know how to grill up a mean burger. Next up the fries, a generous potion that were exactly the same as those I have eaten at this eatery's sister restaurants. Thin cut, golden, crunchy yet still fluffy and not a hint of excess oil to be seen. Likewise with the onion rings, which were not only super light but had a deliciously crispy batter and a sweet, kind of caramelised flavour. Both these sides are classics at burger restaurants and Bread and Bone nailed them.

And here we are... the gastronomical show-stopper that was the B&B burger.

Described on the menu as beef, speck, cheese, tomato, lettuce, caramelised onion, pickles, sauce, and kewpie this simple sounding burger absolutely blew my mind. The bun was sweet, soft and toasted just so. The salad ingredients were fresh, crisp and in just the right proportions to complement the meat. The generous serving of cheese was melty and not overpowering, and both the kewpie and sauce were sufficient to ensure a juicy burger without being soggy or drippy, with the kewpie being particularly good with a creamy, thick texture and a subtly sweet flavour. The onions were sweet and the pickles crisp with just the right amount of tanginess to cut through the richness of the other condiments. However, it was the meat patty that made this the *best* burger I have ever eaten. A mishapen, homestyle patty consisting of what was obviously a high grade medium ground mince that was tender and  absolutely void of excess fat or any signs of gristly bits. Cooked to a perfect medium, the outside was slightly charred and the middle pink and juicy. Whilst the overall seasoning and flavour was exactly what you want in a good old fashioned burger it was the smokey, cooked fresh on charcoal taste that made this extra special. I cannot rave about just how perfect this was, expertly cooked, quality ingredients, simply well balanced and intensely moreish.

Despite eating all of this food we still had room to squeeze in dessert, there are two options on offer here, a red velvet soft  serve with chocolate shavings and a salted caramel soft serve with toffee coated popcorn. We ordered both (for review purposes of course!) Both had an amazing texture that was creamy, smooth and super thick. The red velvet was very chocolaty, with a subtle red velvet undertone. It was really unique and the favourite of the two but both me and my friend thought it was missing a 'cream cheese' type component that makes red velvet stand out from other flavour combinations.

The salted caramel was surprisingly light, with a distinct caramel flavour to the ice cream, the salty sweet flavours were evident but perfectly balanced. The popcorn was very addictive, with a super thick, slightly brittle coating that gave a fantastic textural contrast to the soft serve.

So would I come back? Hell yes! Would I recommend eating here? Not only would I recommend it, I would say it's one of those places you must try at least once! If the single goal of this blog is to find Adelaide's best eats this place has cemented a well deserved spot on that list. This place takes the Adelaide burger game to a whole new level not only via the deliciousness of their food but in the hip, funky and very Melbourne vibe this place has. Well done to the brains behind this, this kind of venue is exactly what Adelaide needs to continue the recent and super exciting revival of the Adelaide CBD food and bar scene.