Dish Spotlight: Venkman’s patty melt

This crave-worthy classic keeps it simple
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The Patty Melt at Venkman’s

Photography by Nick Melvin

Chef Nick Melvin likes to cook food that makes you feel good. The patty melt he created at Venkman’s in Old Fourth Ward is no exception. To Melvin, a patty melt is “food that feels a little dirty while you’re eating it, but when you get down with it, you just feel happy and satisfied.”

The chef is a fan keeping things simple. The restaurant sources uncut rye bread from TGM bakery and slices it thick so it will hold up to the patty melt’s juiciness. The house-ground patty is grilled in butter and topped with “Obama cheese.” Why Obama? Melvin says it’s because he isn’t a fan of our current American president. The onions are sliced thick and cooked with caraway seeds, celery seeds, and chili flakes in butter until the breakdown. Then everything is piled onto the toasty rye bread, finished with French’s yellow mustard. The acid in the neon fridge staple is perfect for cutting the richness of the sandwich.

The patty melt is available on certain days and only in limited quantities. So how can you track it down? Follow Venkman’s Instagram account for the heads-up. The melts sell out quickly, so be sure to arrive early.

“It’s just familiar,” Melvin says of the sandwich. “It makes you feel good. That’s the direction all of our food has really taken. I want people to eat our food and feel good about it.” 740 Ralph McGill Blvd Northeast, 470-225-6162

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