imagine a shop that sells one (1) thing??

If you're a foodie like me (which, given you're here, I'm going to safely assume you are) then you might have noticed a trend across the UK lately. 

We've started building up a load of these one-item restaurants. 

Cafés/restaurants that have looked at the whole concept of a menu, sacked it off, and committed their entire existence to doing a single thing.

And they intrigued me, because they raise a pretty simple question:

Are they brilliant at that one thing? Or is the whole thing just a gimmick?

So in this week's video, I went and found out. 

If you haven't seen it yet, you can click here to watch it, before or after you read this, entirely up to you.

But as always, there's plenty I'm going to get into that didn't make the video, plus a giveaway update, a hot take I've been challenged on by a Spaniard, and a lovely postbag off the back of the Burgurr.

Oh wait, hold on…

Quick word on the five £100 Hawksmoor vouchers from last time.

The winners have been selected 🎉

If that's you, keep a close eye on your inbox, because your confirmation is there. 

If it wasn't you this time, don't despair! 

This newsletter has developed something of a habit of giving things away, and there'll be more where that came from.

The premise is exactly what it says on the tin. 

Places that have hedged their entire reputation on one item, with no backup options. 

One thing, done (in theory) perfectly.

And the standout, the one I hyped up hardest in the video, was a place I've mentioned in this newsletter before. 

The CZER wrap

Now I've talked about this before, so bear with me if you already know the drill, but it deserves the full treatment. 

It's a chopped chicken Caesar wrap called Caesar but spelled C-Z-E-R, over Mayfair way. 

The whole place is done up American-style, themed like a New York bodega. You've got your boss-man corner shop at the front, and the trick is you walk in and pick whatever packet of crisps you fancy, and they smash it into the wrap for you.

It sounds like a gimmick but I promise you it is unreal, and I stand by every word of hype I've given it. 

If you go to one thing off the back of this video, PLEASE go to that.

Second place was a panna cotta-flavoured rice pudding I tried over in New York, which also features in the video. 

Don’t get me wrong, it was banging in its own right. But the CZER wrap is the one. 

The whole experiment was a lot of fun to film, and it turns out a fair few of these one-item places really are as good as they think they are.

What’s the old saying…

“A jack of all trades is a master of none”

(I just did a google and turns out the full saying is “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”, so that doesn’t make sense at all anymore 🤷)

Anyway, you’ve got a video to watch!! Click here. 

Two weeks on, and the responses to The Burgurr has floored me.

The thing about a project like this is when an influencer makes a product, the usual reaction is for everyone to line up and kick it (often before they've even tried it, just on principle). 

So the fact that people are really rating this thing means the world to me. 

I even spotted a lovely review from a former Guardian columnist, Fiona Beckett, who now writes about food/travel over on Instagram (@food_writer) and Substack. 

Someone who’s entire job is judging food, highly rating a burger I built??

That's very surreal and very cool. 

There's been a wave of support beyond that, too. 

Loads of my mates have been in touch and I've had a lot of very sweet texts, which has meant a great deal. My mum even went up to try it at the Edinburgh one, which is about as ringing an endorsement as exists in my world.

Two practical notes, because a few of you have asked:

First: if you go for lunch, you'll get handed the specials menu and the Burgurr's on it, easy. But if you go for dinner, you have to ask for it, because it lives on the specials and they don't always bring that menu round in the evening. Mildly annoying, but forewarned is forearmed.

Second: the peppercorn sauce is for the fries. People have been putting it on the burger. Look, I'm not going to police you, and I'll be honest, peppercorn does work on there because peppercorn sauce is one of the best sauces ever invented and goes with basically anything. But it was never meant for the burger. I dip my fries in it. So when you get that little pot, that's its intended purpose. Do what you want with the information. I just needed you to have it 🫡

Last time I planted my flag: lunch is the worst of the three meals. 

A confused, badly-timed nothing-meal, forever living in the shadow of a better dinner 😤

But I have to be fair and report back, because I got a brilliant rebuttal… and it's made me think.

Júlia, writing in from Spain, told me (respectfully but firmly) that I am completely wrong, and that lunch is in fact the best meal. And her argument was good enough that I'm giving her the floor.

Her whole point is that it's cultural. 

In Spain, the timing is different.

Breakfast around eight or nine, lunch around two or three. 

You get a decent gap and you arrive pretty hungry, rather than eating at midday for no reason. 

But the crux is the food itself. 

As she put it: "Here, we don't eat sandwiches, sad salads, or wraps for lunch. We eat full plates of food like chickpea stew, paella, or as many croquetas as you can eat."

And then she brought up "sobremesa". 

The long, lingering, social stretch of a lunch that just… keeps going. 

Nobody’s in a rush, and the meal evolves into an afternoon.

Reader, when I called lunch rubbish, I was picturing a limp meal-deal sandwich eaten at a desk. 

I wasn't picturing paella and three hours of conversation. 

Júlia has essentially pointed out that my problem isn't with lunch, it's with the sad British version of it.

The hot take stands for now, but it's officially under review.

Roll Boys: Shoreditch

Roll Boys in Shoreditch does savoury rolls, cinnamon rolls absolutely drowning in sauce, the works. 

They’re nothing short of stunning. 

Now, there's usually a queue (and you all know how I feel about queues, so I'd appreciate it if they'd open up another five locations to spare me) but it does move fairly quickly. 

One serious warning, though: you have to ration yourself. Once a month, maybe.

They're so filthy that you'll want one every single day, and that way lies ruin. 

Paulie's: also Shoreditch

Paulies is basically opposite Roll Boys, maybe a hundred metres away, so you can do both in one trip! 

It's a New York-style pizza spot, and it's really good. 

Now, Spring Street Pizza has long been the only London pizza I rate, and I still haven't made it to Crisp, which is meant to be the best. But Paulie's is tidy. I gave it an 8 out of 10.

One piece of advice, and it's advice I really should learn to take myself: get the pepperoni. 

They do a Cacio e Pepe pizza, and I fell for it, because I always do. 

I love carbonara, I love pizza, surely combining them is genius. And it's fine. 

But pizza is pizza. 

Keep it simple, get a pepperoni or a margherita, and stop trying to be clever. 

Their ranch btw is a 10/10, it’s homemade and has a little kick to it. 

Honestly, I think London needs more New York-style pizza. 

If you're planning to open some, you have my blessing and my gratitude.

One bit of housekeeping on what's coming btw: 

I went on a trip recently with Harrison Webb, which a lot of you have been asking for. 

We first met on KSI's food imposter video, got on like a house on fire, and then went out to France to film something for my channel. 

That's all I'll say for now, but he was sound, we made a really good video, and I can't wait for you to see it 🇫🇷

The postbag after The Burgurr newsletter was on another level, so this week's inbox is a bit of a celebration. 

Grab a cup of tea ☕

The kindest note gets to go first…

Lukas wrote in to call this "the greatest newsletter to grace my inbox, one of the few I actually read all the way through." 

Lukas, my friend. Thank you.

On the great pickle betrayal…

I braced for a backlash, and instead you were all remarkably forgiving. 

Charlie put it best: "You're not a hypocrite for adding pickles to the sauce. I don't like cheese but I'll happily chow down a pizza!" 

That's a watertight bit of logic and I'm using it as my defence from now on.

Now for the reviews from people who've had The Burgurr…

Andrew sent in: "Fair play lad, this is some proper burgerage." 

He'd been meaning to go ever since Hawksmoor's first email about it, but the Mrs wanted a no-messing steak night for his birthday. So, they compromised and ordered the Burgurr as a side to their steaks and each had half of it. 

His verdict: "The Burgurr is breaking boundaries. For the price, probably best burger in London tbf." 

Andrew, that means so much you’ve no idea.

Sam Jacobs has run into a logistical problem: he's never been to Hawksmoor, now desperately wants to go, but has realised he needs to go twice (once for a steak, once for the Burgurr) because there's "no way I could manage both in one sitting." Sam, this is the correct way to think, and I hope one of those vouchers found you.

Sam Bennett is taking the Mrs for their anniversary: "you recommended the creamed spinach once and I NEED to try them now." You're absolutely right to prioritise the creamed spinach but get the mac and cheese too while you're there!

One reader, 4,000 miles away in America, wrote that this is "the most fomo I've ever had in my life" and then generously offered that if I fancy flying one over to them, they'd love to try it. 

Another's in the US but will be "in Ireland next month if it's still available." 

And one lovely message from someone who said it's simply "beautiful that you made your own burger and how proud of it you are" and that it's made them want to come back to the UK just to try it.

Lastly, we’ve got a recurring-character payoff this week…

You might remember last newsletter I mentioned a reader from Birmingham who wrote in "braced for me to dismiss it" and pleading for an open mind but who'd forgotten to leave their name. 

Well. They’re back. 

"As soon as I saw your blog I said to my wife we're shooting down to London next weekend as I've got to try the BURGURR. P.S. I am the Birmingham pleader of an open mind, and I forgot to put my name! Damn. Love love love the blog. Thanks. Rhi from BURMINGHAM."

Rhi from Burmingham. Welcome back. You've been formally logged this time, and I hope the burgurr was worth the trip down!

Thank you to everyone as always that has taken the time to try The Burgurr or just simply write in with your thoughts and feedback on the newsletter. 

You’re all making this what it is!

Best answers, as always, feature next time. 

Especially if you're on the "gimmick" side, because I want to hear the case!

And that's Issue 08.

If you make it to a CZER wrap, a Roll Boys, or a Paulie's off the back of this then you’ve got to reply and tell me if I steered you right.

And if you've been to try the Burgurr, I still want every verdict, good or bad. Keep them coming.

See ya next time! 

Cal 🥒

No Pickles · Issue 08 · by the numbers

Stamps awarded to date: 4 (holding)

One-item restaurants investigated: several

Gimmicks uncovered: fewer than expected, pleasingly

Correct uses of the peppercorn pot: on the fries, and only the fries

Hot takes currently under formal review: 1 (lunch)

New Spanish words I've become obsessed with: 1 (sobremesa)

Hawksmoor vouchers sent to winners: 5

Readers experiencing life-altering transatlantic Burgurr FOMO: at least three