As soon as we heard that Engine No. 9 would be delivering food to patrons of The Bends across the street on 1st Ave. N., we figured they must be serving some good grease for a hangover cure.

 

And so, we made our way to the newly opened Engine No. 9 whose owner and chef, Jason Esposito, is someone many of you may know as the former chef at Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro, a favorite among many locals, especially boaters, who enjoy a nice view of the water when dining. However, Engine No. 9’s menu offers something different with its gourmet burgers (yes, the burgers are actually made from scratch from what we can tell) and hotdogs!

 

We always wish we had more room in our bellies to try everything especially when you come across interesting sounding items on the menu. They’ve got an appetizer called Sriracha Crusted Hot Wings (you know you wanna try it), The No. 9 Dog (hotdog sandwich), burgers named One Bad Pig, The Double Attack, Alice in Pain, etc.

 

Here’s what we got.
 

We knew we had to try one of the more interesting appetizers since we were starving. Something we’ve never had before were called Macho Tater Tots–crisp tater tots with chili and topped with shredded jack & cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce, sour cream and chunky red salsa. Tater tots with a Mexican twist…almost a meal on its own. Probably could’ve used some more kick but it was a good pre-game to the main meal. 

 
The Vegenator: The "Thin Lizzy" came with grilled portobellow, truffled goat cheese (yum!), caramelized onion, roasted red peppers, zucchini & pesto on multigrain toast. It was packed into a triple-layered sandwich like a Big Mac, but much healthier and delicious. It was hearty and extremely filling. And you can never go wrong with a side of sweet potato fries!

 

DJ Fab: On the burger menu, I went for The Heart Attack. Just couldn’t resist the perfect combination of a fried egg, juicy Angus beef burger, four slices of big, thick bacon, cheese and chipotle mayo! It would definitely be a hangover cure with all the greasiness and juiciness involved. The egg almost gives it that brunchy feel. (Wonder if they served mimosas too?) Now you’d be happy to learn that at least I didn’t go for the The Double Attack…yep, all that x2 and using grilled cheese sandwiches instead for buns! Better have 911 on speed dial if you do that!

In addition, according to a few friends who’ve tried the joint, a must try is the Chubby Duck, a heavenly combination of caramelized onions, pancetta, brie, foie gras and duck cracklins. Sounds pretty decadent!

 

Engine No. 9 is located at 56 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N. (corner of MLK and 1st Ave. N). They’re open Monday to Sunday between 11am to 12am. Yup, they’re open all week long! Tell them we sent you over!

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