Burger Adventures LA #1

You probably don't know it unless you've lived in Los Angeles, but the unofficial food of this city is the hamburger.  (The official food is the "ghetto dog," but that's a story for another time.)  There's a mom-and-pop grillery on every other corner with locals who swear by it and an In-N-Out just off every third freeway ramp.  I do love the burgers at In-N-Out, which maintain consistently high standards of freshness and flavor whether you are dining in Hollywood, Kettleman City, or Las Vegas. (Yes, I've been to In-N-Out in each aforementioned locale.)  I get my burger animal style.  Sadly the fries aren't anything to write home about unless you get those animal style also.  And then they're amazing for about the first five minutes until it gets cold and the cheese consistency becomes that of plastic.

With burgers so permeating the cuisine of the area, there is a fierce competition to be the best in the Southland with restauranteurs adding their own gourmet twists since Father's Office led the charge. (This blog considers the F.O. burger a standard for comparison and their huge selection of craft beer pushes them over the top. Just don't ask for ketchup.)

Here are a few entries that I've sampled recently, with more sure to come in the future.

Lazy Ox Canteen, Little Tokyo 

This just might be the new LA standard for hamburgers.  Fresh lettuce and cheese on top, amazing stone-ground mustard, extremely fresh beef really make this one a winner.  Truly a burger that is greater than the sum of its parts, as gourmet cooking should be.  Couple it with a craft beer from the eclectic list for even more flavor mingling.  The fries are just right too, retaining some potato flavor while having that delicious greasy-smoky air to them at the same time.  The downside: this burger is $15, so it's a splurge but it's worth it once in a while.  I suggest going for lunch during restaurant week where you get 3 courses for $25.  Finish the meal off with salted butterscotch pudding and you're in heaven, friend.

Slater's 50/50, Multiple Locations

Let me begin by saying I have been to the Huntington Beach location and tried the signature 50/50 burger, made with the half beef half bacon blend that led me to become interested in Slater's in the first place. That burger comes topped with avocado, pepper jack cheese, and chipotle mayo and I enjoyed the combination immensely, though the fact I had just finished a half marathon may have had something to do with it.  This review is for the Anaheim Hills location and the "B'B'B'Bacon Burger."

I never thought there was such a thing as too much bacon, but upon consuming a 2/3 lb pile of meat (you can get 1/3 lb or 1 lb also) with a fried egg sandwiched in there for good measure, I realized I'd found it.  Topped with extra thick bacon, bacon flavored cheese, bacon thousand island dressing, and a bacon pretzel bun, it's not a very balanced meal and might have benefited by some lettuce or tomato, though I could see that being considered blasphemy.  Add this to the very long wait and I wasn't impressed.  I'm also not sure how I managed to get home without falling asleep after consuming this along with the amazing heavily garlic flavored "Vampire Dip" and a pile of fried appetizers.  As with every place I am drawn to drive long distances for, this place has an excellent beer list.

So I guess you could say I'm 50/50 on Slater's 50/50.

Simmzy's, Manhattan Beach

Gourmet food pairs so well with craft beer.  I think this higher-end beach pub does it best, combining the relaxed pub food with unexpected touches of deliciousness that keep it packed most evenings of the year.  The open air location is not huge and just steps away from the heavily-visited Manhattan Beach Pier so the wait can be over an hour on busy summer nights.  If it weren't always so packed, I'd consider this to be the best restaurant in the area and I'd be here every other night.

You'll find a good starter in the Blue Cheese Haystack, consisting of thin fries tossed with blue cheese and buffalo sauce, the right combination of spicy and savory to get you ready for more flavor complexity to come in your entree.

And now, the burger.  It's topped with smoked onions and melted cheddar, and finished with garlic aioli along with the requisite lettuce and tomato.  The super juicy beef is served on a challah roll to catch all those dripping flavors trying to get away.  You may get messy holding this one.  The smokiness of the onion carries on well with the meat and makes this burger nearly perfect.  And it's a great value at $9.75 when compared to the Lazy Ox burger. 

A not-so-big secret: you can get the same burger at the same price along with a fine selection of beers at nearby Tin Roof Bistro, usually without waiting as long.  (Both restaurants have the same owner.)  The food is great here as well, but it's a little bit more formal so you won't get that same laid back attitude that Simmzy's imparts.  Anything on the menu at either of these places is a winner and the consistent quality keeps me coming back for more.