Michelin-starred chef Michael White is dipping his toes in DC’s haute burger pool, bringing the “White Label” burger to Osteria Morini for this weekend only. The patty regularly graces the menu of Ai Fiori, his swanky New York Italian, and has been one of the more buzzed-about burgers in Manhattan.
The popularity stems from a special dry-aged meat blend designed by legendary butcher Pat LaFrieda, combining chuck, brisket, short rib, and rib eye.* The mix is the same for Morini’s weekend brunch special, but head toque Matt Adler puts his own spin on the toppings. The wood-grilled burger comes slathered with mustard-rosemary aïoli and crowned with Emmentaler cheese, onions, and shaved fennel. Thankfully, the pricing is somewhat gentle in the realm of chef-y burgers at $15, with an optional fried egg for $2.
In addition to Saturday and Sunday brunch, the White Label is served as a Nationals playoff special on Friday in the bar and lounge, served before and two hours after the game with a Port City Monumental IPA for $15.
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*This post has been updated from an earlier version.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
