Little Bigs

High-end chefs are interesting. They spend their days conceiving highbrow creations, but at the end of the day they often crave the simplest fare, like the iconic burger. In the last five years, a number of upscale gurus, including Bobby Flay and Hubert Keller, have started flipping burgers. Closer to home, several chefs are finalizing plans to open a burger stand or two. Ahead of the game is Reef’s Bryan Caswell, who transformed a little rundown Chinese restaurant into a yuppiefied burger showroom. From a postage stamp-size kitchen, Caswell’s team flips hundreds of burgers a day. The place is packed with customers choosing the 3-ounce, hand-formed sliders in beef, chicken or a vegetarian version made with mushrooms. The sliders go for $2.06 each or $5.78 for three. The fries are a crispy triumph, seasoned simply with sea salt. Fans will tell you they’re worth every penny.

Little Bigs has some surprisingly decent yet affordable wine options (well, not so surprising if you consider Caswell's day job) and some dangerously good alcoholic milkshakes that are perfect for a late summer night on the patio.