Vegetarians, take heed. The Whiskey makes one heckuva black bean burger.
Vegetarian meals are most certainly not The Whiskey's main shtick. The menu's foundation is beef burgers, most topped with booze-laced condiments. The signature The Whiskey burger, for instance, has smoked Gouda cheese, bourbon bacon, whiskey onions, and dill aioli on top. It's a fresh-tasting burger, although I'd prefer a more caramlized exterior and an extra dash of salt.
The other main shtick -- surely you guessed it from the name -- is brown spirits. The Whiskey stocks more than 100 whiskeys, bourbons, scotches, and ryes.
Yet that black bean burger, called The Garden Veggie, is worth a trip when you want to satisfy a burger craving without treating yourself to ground beef. The patty itself is has a substance and texture to it, a rarity in beef-burger wannabes. In the top photo, you can see the actual black beans. That's not enough to make the creation blog-worthy, though. The faux-flipper has a layer of creamy brie cheese on top, plus whiskey onions (essentially thin fried onion rings) and, to add a jolt of spice, Sriracha (hot sauce) aioli. I ended up finishing that yet leaving some of the The Whiskey over.
The Whiskey, on Orlando's Retaurant Row, is dark yet not intimating. I'd go back again.
Although it sounds tempting, I probably won't order The Vanderbilt. I'd probably spend $100 on a place where the chef wears a tall toque. Then again, $100 might indeed be a phenomenal value for a platter full of luxury ingredients. Take a look. Anyone want to split it?
Eat enthusiastically,
Rona