Last Summer Fat Ronnie’s Burgers opened on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs, and took the town by storm. Soon as the doors opened, it was packed. A simple, yet brilliant concept — build your own burger. Choose from dozens of toppings. People loved it!
Each day, Fat Ronnie’s owner, Reynaldo Faust, would feature a special burger. You never knew what it would be. One day you could get a “Sushi” Burger, a burger wrapped in seaweed with Sriracha, avocado, and cream cheese.
Sounds kind of crazy, but people loved it. The specials were definitely creative.
One of Rey’s creations is about become famous. The Bleu-Berry burger is going to be featured on Spike TV’s new food show, Frankenfood.
Celebrity chef, Josh Capon is traveling the country, searching for innovative, creative, even somewhat frightening food combinations. You can check out the Frankenfood blog by clicking here.
What is the Bleu-Berry Burger?
One of Fat Ronnie’s signature burgers, the Bleu-Berry is stuffed with blueberries and bleu cheese, topped with a housemade blueberry mayo. Yuck you might say, mayo, burger, blueberries and bleu cheese?
Well, Reynaldo will tell you that it’s actually quite delicious. The blueberries cut the pungency of the bleu cheese and the cheese cuts the sweetness of the berries. The mayo adds the right amount of extra flavor and little more texture.
How does the Bleu-Berry Burger make it to Frankenfood? Well, Rey’s daughter and business partner, 10-year-old Reyna, is a huge food show fan. She has been encouraging Rey to submit some of his food creations to shows.
Rey is quite impressive in the kitchen. Though not a trained chef, he went to school for communication, he grew up in his dad’s restaurant. The business is in his blood, and his daughter is definitely a foodie. She eventually hopes to get on chef Gordon Ramsey’s Master Chef Junior, and Rey says it’s definitely a possibility.
Rey and Reyna put together the most adorable audition tape, featuring the Bleu-Berry burger and submitted it to Frankenfood. They got a call-back, and are filming the show in February in New York City.
The father-daughter team will head to the city. Not sure what to expect, but ready to show America their burger.
The Bleu-Berry burger will compete against other creative foods from amateur cooks. The winner of the show will walk away with $10,000, and of course some bragging rights. Rey is excited for this opportunity. How great to have a burger from Martha’s Vineyard represented, and have Rey and maybe Reyna too on national TV!
On a side note, I asked Rey what he was going to wear, and he chuckled. He said he’s just going to get dress that day, so nothing special. I would be going crazy right now trying to find the perfect outfit.
The show will air in 2014. Soon as the date is confirmed for the Bleu-Berry Burger episode and Rey let’s me know, I’ll pass it on so we can all watch.
New Additions to Fat Ronnie’s
As if being on Frankenfood isn’t exciting enough, there are some great changes happening to Fat Ronnie’s for the 2014 season. In mid-February, Rey plans to finish the renovations on the restaurant. The facade and the stairs will be finished well in time for Fat Ronnie’s opening in April.
Rey is expanding the menu. This year, he will be offering milkshakes. What goes better with a burger and fries than a milkshake. Just writing the word makes me want one!
For a healthier option, there will be salads added to the menu, custom salads which you design, like the burgers. Also, there will be boneless chicken fingers available in addition to the chicken wings.
Fat Ronnie’s was already a hot spot last year, adding these new items makes it an even more enticing option for dining in Oak Bluffs. If you didn’t go last year, make it a point to try Fat Ronnie’s Burger Bar. It is so popular, I wouldn’t be surprised if you see another Fat Ronnie’s pop up in another town on Martha’s Vineyard.
To learn more about Fat Ronnie’s, check out Fat Ronnie’s MV Burgers, a Burger Bar in Oak Bluffs. Also, all you Islanders, Fat Ronnie’s is looking for old photos of restaurants that were in that same location in previous years like The Frosty Cottage in the 1950’s, Mr. C’s in the 70’s, and Whales Rib in the 1980’s. They’d love to hang them on the walls of the restaurant.
Thanks for reading On Point. You can learn more about the Fat Ronnie’s on Facebook. You can also check out Rey and Reyna’s audtion for Frankenfood there. Speaking of social media, don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest and YouTube.