High Tide Cafe

Give Feras Obaideen credit. Last summer, he opened the ill-fated Quick Bite restaurant in the former home of famed burger joint, Your Place. It made it about a month or so.

"It didn't last long," he says. "That was really quick."

Good one, Feras (pronounced just like Ferris, as in Bueller). So he rebounded with the High Tide Cafe, which opened in September. He's got his fingers crossed.

This time around, Obaideen is emphasizing his burger selections, the menu portion aptly titled "Your Burger" in tribute to Your Place.

He's got a unique offering. Obaideen hand-patties the meat, then sets his burgers on the griddle, covering them with a metal lid for the duration of the cooking.

He adds seasonings (just name your spice), choosing from oregano, paprika, garlic, black pepper, fajita, parsley, cumin, steak, jerky or even a super-duper, all-spice medley. He sprinkles them onto the burger toward the end, as not to detract from the meat, he says.

Pick your topping, too: mild or hot peppers, bacon, eggs, sun-dried tomatoes, onion rings and fries.

The burger ($5.99) takes on a heavily steamed flavor, the texture tender while the actual meat turns grayish. They taste similar to White Castle burgers; they're just much bigger. The approach isn't perfect for everyone, but we certainly enjoyed our meal.

Of course, High Tide still offers many of the same items as Quick Bite, including slow roasted beef and lamb gyros ($6.95), Philly and chicken cheese steaks ($6.89-$6.95), and a few fried appetizer baskets.

Say this for Obaideen, the guy's a gamer. Here's hoping it works out this time around.

Address: 6 North Market Street

Phone: 577-6682

Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu., all day Fri.-Sat., closes 7 p.m. Sun.