Umami Burger

Greenwich Village got the first New York City location of this California-born sensation, a burger love-fest dedicated to "umami," the savory fifth flavor that goes beyond sweet, sour, salty and bitter. So what? Everybody's here for a hamburger. The Manly Burger is gender-stereotyped enjoyment—the beef is ground in the kitchen and topped with beer-cheddar cheese, bacon lardons, smoked-salt onion strings, mustard spread and housemade ketchup. Everything is housemade, including good fried pickles with jalapeño ranch sauce. A full bar, Mexican Coke, smartly chosen draught beers, laudable non-beef options and thin fries with truffled cheese further set Umami apart from standard-issue burger joints. Adam Fleischman, the big cheese behind it, is gaming to take over the world.