I recently learned that certain New York City food writers have strict criteria when assessing a hamburger. Apparently patties must star beef and come on a bun, which is kind of comical considering Louis’ Lunch in New Haven served the first hamburgers on toast in 1900. At Love & Salt, the airy California-Italian restaurant from Guy Gabriele, daughter Sylvie Gabriele and chef Michael Fiorelli, they offer a Pesto Chicken Burger ($15) on their weekend brunch menu. This poultry fueled creation may not technically qualify as a burger with purists, but sure tastes great.

A pair of thin herb-flecked chicken patties sport winning sears and draw on a meatball recipe. Fiorelli uses dark meat Mary’s chicken, skin and all, a promising decision. He mixes the ground meat with bread, eggs, Parmesan, ricotta, basil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. He drapes the juicy patties with molten Fontina cheese before stacking thick-sliced yellow heirloom tomato and cascading arugula pesto. Chef Fiorelli prefers to craft his pesto with basil, almonds, Parmesan and olive oil. The bread that holds the Love & Salt burger together is a pillowy toasted brioche bun from Larder Baking Company, the bakery that powerhouse chef Suzanne Goin and business partner Caroline Styne founded.