Good Taste: Lamb for two by the river

Every time someone orders a burger or chicken wings at Morgan's Pier - something that happens several hundred times a night when the sky is clear - a little piece of James Burke's cheffy heart withers.

Even the good-natured Burke (the former chef and co-owner of James, recently returned from high-profile gigs in New York) readily acknowledges this.

It's simply part of the Faustian bargain one makes when signing up for the great tradition of being seasonal "chef in residence" at the popular beer garden in the shadow of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Many other notable names, from Nick Elmi (last year) to David Gilberg, George Sabatino, and David Katz, have walked those same hot summer coals. And it must be said: The crackly crisp chicken wings are awesome.

But if you want to know the real reason owner Avram Hornik keeps hiring accomplished chefs to oversee his mega-river deck kitchen each summer, hold the cheese curds and consider one of the Italian-trained Burke's true specialties - charred toast topped with creamy burrata and tomatoes, maybe; or a perfect arancini of saffron rice stuffed with braised lamb ragu.

The most memorable dish, though, is the whole roasted lamb for two, served as a rustic platter of tender ribs, neck, saddle, and legs deconstructed and piled high. Deeply infused with rosemary and olive oil, that meat is set over a silky smoked eggplant puree, with sauteed chard and honey-roasted turnips – and it's a feast of epic savor alongside one of the city's most splendid river views. The chef will be grateful, I'm sure, for the pause between burgers.

- Craig LaBan
Whole roasted lamb for two, $32, Morgan's Pier, 221 N. Columbus Blvd., 215-279-7134; morganspier.com