Photo by Drew Keller
Keller's burger includes a seared vegan patty, vegan American cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, and a caramelized-onion sauce.
If you’ve visited the Left Coast, then chances are you’ve sampled the burger that arguably put the ubiquitous smashburger on the map: a Double Double from In-N-Out Burger, arguably the standard by which all other imitators are judged.
St. Louisan Drew Keller, a former manager at Katie’s Pizza + Pasta Osteria and current cook at Olive + Oak, hopes to open a vegan deli and thought a whimsical pop-up would be a good way to kickstart the brand. So this Sunday, between noon and 3 p.m., he and his girlfriend, Haley Christinidis (the general manager of at O+O Pizza and Clover and The Bee), are offering what they’re calling a “vegan In-N-Out burger bag,” a cheeseburger with a bag of Utz potato chips and a vegan bourbon chocolate chip cookie.
Keller experimented with the burger “100 different ways” before coming up with a “meaty” smashburger formula that caramelized like beef when cooked on a flat top grill. The main ingredients are sautéed Portobello mushrooms, textured vegetable protein, vegan beef broth, and spices, with potato protein used as a binder.
“We are planning on doing a pop-up every month, beginning this month,” Keller says. Next month comes “The Big Kahuna Burger,” inspired by the movie Pulp Fiction (the couple's favorite movie), followed by "things like gyros, deli sandwiches, fried chicken sandwiches, charcuterie boards, tacos, but also continuing our signature recreations of America’s favorite burgers.”
Keller, who’s been a vegan for three years, believes that veganism is the future (from both a personal and planetary health standpoint), hence his desire to introduce a vegan deli. “My goal is to give everyone healthier alternatives that I think taste just as good as meat,” he says. “One of my favorite things to do when cooking for someone is not to tell them it’s vegan until after the meal. And nine times out of 10, they are shocked that cashews make just as good of a cream sauce as dairy cream or that you can make an equally delicious cheese sauce out of carrots, potatoes, and a few spices that you likely have in your cabinet.”
Keller credits the chefs at O+O Hospitality (especially executive chef Jesse Mendica) for their creativity, insight, and willingness to help him fulfill his dream. He says there’s no location for the deli yet, “but the goal is to be in Webster Groves, where Haley and I decided to settle, and the community here is second to none.”
Tickets to Sunday's burger pop-up are $15 and available through Eventbrite. The pickup time is from noon to 3 p.m. at 149 Selma Avenue in Webster Groves.
