Bespoke Burgers

The Natick Collection positions itself as not your average mall, and so it goes at its Met Bar & Grill, a steakhouse and burger bar (from the folks behind the Metropolitan Club in Chestnut Hill) that takes an haute approach to the humble beef slider. If plain ground beef insults your palate, you can ask for Kobe, and opt for such toppings as roasted poblano chilies or cranberry ketchup. Those too shopped-out to choose can go with signature creations like the Barcelona: serrano ham, manchego, sun-dried tomatoes, and tapenade.

Sadly, sides are spotty—the fries were undercooked, and the sweet potato “planks” were half burned, half raw. Alcohol-spiked milkshakes took the edge off, but the kitchen should remember that with food, as with fashion, the art is in the details.

Natick Collection, Natick, 508-651-0003, metbarandgrill.com. $$