Assuming all goes well with inspections, chef Jean-Philippe Failyau’s much-anticipated Park Burger is pegged to open Friday at 5 p.m. Platt Park neighbors have been waiting months for the shop to start serving its promised top-notch burgers (made with all-natural, Harris Ranch beef) and soft-serve milkshakes, in nostalgic flavors like orange creamsicle, root beer float, and malted chocolate.

Failyau’s big flavors–hamburgers topped with Brie and ham (the Frenchy); a fried egg and Swiss (the Croque); corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss, and 1000 Island dressing (the New Yorker)–look to raise the bar on the local burger market.

And that’s what I expect from a chef who has worked under Frank Bonanno. Failyau is a partner in Osteria Marco, and he’ll be splitting his time between the two restaurants.

If you’re familiar with Bonanno’s enterprises, you’ll surely spot some similarities: The concept is simple and well thought-out, the creamy white bar mimics that of Bones, the hamburger buns are made by Grateful Bread (which also makes Osteria’s bread), and eventually Failyau hopes to have Osteria bartender Adam Hodak dream up signature cocktails to round out the beer and wine list.

My take: This retro-styled, family-friendly spot suits Platt Park perfectly–and, if it delivers, Park Burger will quickly pull in diners from all corners of the city.

1890 S. Pearl St. 720-242-9951

Amanda M. Faison
Amanda M. Faison
Freelance writer Amanda M. Faison spent 20 years at 5280 Magazine, 12 of those as Food Editor.