He was using liquid nitrogen to "cook" fish. More recently, Levin opened his own restaurant, Adsum, at 5th and Bainbridge Streets in Queen Village.
Being his own boss has done nothing to blunt his creativity.
The latest case-in-point, his sliders served on /*Tastykake*/ Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes.
Levin starts with beef brisket, not your usual cut for hamburger. He says grinding does a nice job of breaking down the naturally-chewy tissue, and the brisket gives the little burgers intense flavor.
He pan-fries the patties in a skillet with grapeseed oil and butter.
The burgers are seasoned only with sea salt and fresh-ground black papper.
After cooking in the pan, the burgers are topped with a house-made blend of spicy ketchup-like siracha sauce and sour cherry jam, and a slice of American cheese.
A run under the broiler melts the cheese, and then the little burgers are nested between the Kandy Kakes.
Levin recently got a personal letter from Tasty Baking Company president Charles Pizzi commending his creation, which wasn't his first.
Initially, Levin wanted to honor his father by creating something on his dad's beloved Jelly Krimpets, but a planned sausage sandwich didn't work out.
That's when the chef noticed that Kandy Kakes resembled burger buns, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Customers are not uniformly enthusiastic about the sliders right away.
One couple actually got into a verbal battle with another about the little burgers...are they good or not...and it was settled when the doubting couple ordered some.
After a taste, they admitted, to their surprise, that the combination does work well.
It's typical of a kitchen that refuses to recognize traditional boundaries or take "no" for an answer.
Most of Levin's food has a twist somewhere.
Diners generally come expecting that and are not disappointed.
Adsum is open for dinner seven nights a week at 5:00pm. There is also brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information, phone 267-888-7002, or visit their website, adsumrestaurant.com
