Look At That Fatty

FAT as defined by Webster's Dictionary: 1 : notable for having an unusual amount of fat
3 a : richly rewarding or profitable.

It seems that both definitions have a drastically different tone; one, a careful warning that whatever you about to consume, or perhaps, even yourself, has a tremendous quantity of fat. The other, represents something of a positive along the lines of "fat ass" or "fat paycheck".


The Max Restaurant Group has an array of restaurants around Connecticut. From the upper-class Max on Main in Hartford, to Max Amore (Italian), Max Oyster Bar, and Max Tavern to name a few. The most recent incarnation to represent the group is "Max Burger" located in West Hartford at 124 LaSalle Road. To state the obvious, the place specializes in burgers, fries, and shakes. They do have other items on the menu such as chicken, meatloaf, and some selection of salads, but that's almost like going to an Italian restaurant and ordering the New York Strip.

On the menu at Max, they have some beautiful burgers made with different selections of meats (Kobe Beef, Turkey, Tuna, Shrimp) and various sides to go along with those burgers (sweet potato fries, fries, onion rings, etc...). Simple right?

Then...there it was...it was almost as if it was calling out to The Belly Busters saying "try me...I dare you..." We had to read the description twice and here it is:

Fatty Melt - 8 oz., sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato, applewood smoked bacon

Holy hell. The mere thought of ordering the burger concoction made one of us loosen up our belt. If you were to explain such a thing to a normal bystander on the street, they would either reply with "Woah" or "You serious?" or "What a fatass." Yet, as the name implies, there is no room in the mentality for healthy eating---this is the ultimate version of health sin. Dr. Oz and Richard Simmons would get an aneurysm just from thinking about the damage this sucker can do. Yet, you only live once...and after the "Fatty Melt", probably only another five years.

When it arrived at the table, it was one of those things that you just know will be good before you even sink your teeth into it. The toast on the burger was grilled to perfection and the saltiness of the bacon was a great contrast with the richness of the cheese.

The quality of meat that Max uses for their burger also makes a large impact on your tongue. The beef is juicy, fresh, bursting with taste unlike anything that you could reproduce on your backyard grill. The apple wood bacon had a sweet but sharp taste that accented the rest of ingredients beautifully. And, when you take that first bite and you sink your teeth into that cheese, then bread, then more cheese, then burger and bacon, then more cheese again....you understand, without need for explanation, the definition of indulgence.

If J. Lo were a burger...she'd be this. Again, what really pushes this over the top is the simple fact you can't get this everywhere and the tastiness of every bite which is inundated in cheese. The only criticism we can even say is that it might be TOO cheesy (although, we do love cheese so it wasn't a problem)...the slice of cheese on the burger may be a little unnecessary. However, there is nothing that this burger doesn't do and doesn't do well.What you need to do is drag your fatty down to Max Burger and give this sucker a try...if not for anything except it makes a great story. By the way, when you're in there, the fries are pretty good as well, but go crazy and order one of their milkshakes...although you may feel slightly nauseated when you leave, it's all about the experience of it going down.

Ultimately, the burger creation displayed here seems to occupy both definitions of "fatty" that were given up above. It is both a sandwich that delivers on unhealthiness but surprising richness in flavor, experience, and taste...there is no way you won't be smiling as you pick it up for the first time. So leave your "Eat This! Not That!" book at home along with your yoga balls, gym pants, protein shakes, and ab crunches. Once in a while, there's nothing wrong with being a little "fatty".

3 1/2 Belly Bustins out of 4