WTF?! Wall Street Eatery Unveils $175 Burger

It seems like ages since Daniel Boulud introduced his $28 burger back in 2001, much to the horror of old-school carnivores who resented haute cuisine's appropriation of the popular, affordable American food staple.   

Today, the DB Burger is $32--a price tag that few sophisticated foodies would bat an eyelash at--and it has spawned a horde of pricier imitations, including Mr. Boulud's own truffle infused Royale. At $81, Old Homestead steakhouse had also briefly claimed the most expensive burger in the city mantle, but now it too has been left in the dust: The Wall Street Burger Shoppe has unveiled the $175, "Richard Nouveau," burger, named after the fictional mascot of the Web site Pocketchange—an exhaustive account of conspicuous consumption in Manhattan—the Daily News reports today.

It "comes topped with a blizzard of real gold flakes, plus 25 grams of black truffles, a seared slab of foie gras and an aged Gruyere typically reserved for a high-class cheese tray," the News reports. "The patty is made from 10 ounces of Kobe beef, a pricey meat so rich that grinding it up is like bathing in bottled water."

Yes, the restaurant has adopted the British spelling of "shoppe," which seems appropriate since few people in the Financial District can afford to shell out $175 for a burger these days, unless they happen to be paying in foreign currency.