You may have raised an eyebrow when Jonathan Gold claimed that L.A.’s Burger Kitchen was “the only place this side of Chicago where you can taste La Frieda’s Black Label blend.” Didn’t Mark Pastore of LaFrieda say Minetta Tavern was the only place serving the blend of dry-aged rib-eye, brisket, and skirt steak, whatever certain others have claimed? Indeed, Pastore tells us the Burger Kitchen blend consists of dry-aged briskets and other cuts, and sends this official statement: “Despite repeated and official statements from us to the contrary. Restaurant owners continue to falsely claim to serve black label chop beef. We will make one final statement, after which our legal counsel will speak for us to these people directly. Minetta Tavern is the only one that has ever served Pat LaFrieda ‘Black Label’ chopped beef. Period.”
