Drakes Haus -- home of the "merlot burger" -- will open in Boulder in mid-May

I don't know about you, but I've never had a "merlot burger" -- a burger that's been injected, literally, with the deep blue-hued wine grape. But come mid-May, all of us will have the opportunity to try one when Drakes Haus, a restaurant that, in fact, squirts merlot into its...

By Lori Midson

March 12, 2013

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I don't know about you, but I've never had a "merlot burger" -- a burger that's been injected, literally, with the deep blue-hued wine grape. But come mid-May, all of us will have the opportunity to try one when Drakes Haus, a restaurant that, in fact, squirts merlot into its burgers, opens in Boulder.

Billed as a "gourmet burger restaurant and bar," Drakes Haus will be one of the new tenants in the Baseline Crossing development, just off US 36 and Baseline Road, specifically 2900 Baseline. And when it opens, says spokesperson Leigh Sullivan, it'll pimp nine of those merlot burgers, along with ten small plates, several varieties of fries and milkshakes.

But back to the burgers. The concept is the brainchild of co-owner and chef Kimber Hollar, who devised the idea at a backyard barbecue, where she and her co-owners, Richard Fitzpatrick (that's the same guy, by the way, who founded Magpul Industries Corporation, a local company that makes gun-related products) and Jamie Hanson, discovered it was a hit with the burger-craving crowd. "By injecting the burger patty with merlot from different wine growing regions, Kimber has created five juicy and deliciously rich burgers," says Sullivan, noting that the patties are smaller than a traditional hamburger. Those who order them, however, will get a duo, which, adds Sullivan, "allows our guests to mix and match different styles."

The burgers, including a South American with linguica sausage from Continental Sausage, along with a California burger smeared with cream cheese and crowned with avocado, sprouts and sun-dried tomatoes, will be backed by vegetarian burgers, as well as wine-free burgers and build-your-own options.

The two-story interior, fashioned by Semple Brown (the same firm that designed Frasca Food and Wine and Pizzeria Locale, also in Boulder), will encompass an "open, fast-casual-style first floor and a lounge-style second floor featuring a full bar with Colorado tap beers, craft cocktails and wines from around the world," notes Sullivan. And the second story, she adds, is "accentuated by the addition of a patio that captures an amazing view of the Flatirons." It will be the "perfect place for Friday nights out on the town or after Saturday afternoon CU games,"

Drakes Haus will serve lunch and dinner Sunday through Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. until midnight and Thursday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

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