LT Burger Opens In Bryant Park - NYC

Ladies and gentleman of Manhattan, Laurent Tourondel of Bryant Park's new LT Burger is proving he knows your Americana childhood better than you do.

Yes, those 12 burgers and sandwiches are mighty fine, especially the heaping seven-ounce Angus beef Standard ($9) and Dirty Chicken ($12), smothered with smoked Gouda and frizzled onions. But a few unexpected touches will have us coming back:

Hand-washing sink: Tourondel stuck this double-basin farmhouse "dirty hands" sink in the middle of the restaurant so that harried patrons and staff could use it at will. A smart move, one that has us wondering why more quick-service restaurants haven't done the same.

Clarified-butter croutons: An enormous star-spangled blue and white bowl filled with Caesar salad ($11) dares you to eat the whole thing. The croutons, dusted in Parmesan, black pepper and oregano, take on a chef's touch with a dousing of clarified butter.

Macaron shake: Spun together with almond extract, almond gelato and chewy bits of macarons and marzipan, this shake eclipses the standard pairing of vanilla shake and fries ($3.75).

LT Burger, 8 W. 40th St. (between Fifth and Sixth aves.); 212-582-8200 or ltburger.com/bryant-park