The True Whopper

In December 2007, SLM ran a Q&A with Chef Hubert Keller (just before he debuted BurgerBar at Lumiere Place, several months before he opened SLeeK at same). In the Q&A, he mentioned his “Fleur Burger 5000” (as in $ 5000): a Kobe beef burger stuffed with foie gras and black truffles and served on a brioche truffle bun, paired with a vintage bottle of Chateau Petrus (from the same region where the truffles were grown). At the time, the Fleur was only available at Keller’s Fleur de Lys restaurant in Las Vegas. Thinking Lumiere might be the proper venue for such a splurgeburger, he put the Fleur on the menu at SLeeK as well, but hadn’t sold one since it opened. On Saturday night, August 23, Houston-based BMC Software Chairman of the Board Garland Cupp was the first to pony up the five grand, which also included 2 pieces of stemware and a signed and numbered certificate marking the experience. The reason for the splurge? A really good 2nd quarter perhaps? A strong night at the blackjack table? Rumor has it he simply “wanted to be the first.” BTW, SLeeK sold their first Fleur Burger 5000 in just under six months. It took a year and a half to sell the first one in Vegas. – George Mahe