fancy burgers

Burgers are all the rage. They have been for me for years, because yes, they are my favorite food. But I'm very particular about my burgers. I like a simple one with quality meat (grass-fed Angus is my preferred), onions (raw, grilled, or caramelized), lettuce, tomato, and some sort of sauce (not too much, just a touch to mingle with the juice from the burger to lubricate the whole experience). Notice I did not include cheese.

The restaurant burger rage is all about making it fancy. Putting all sorts of stuff on it. I just had the Umami Burger finally. I had been to the Los Feliz Umami months ago for their happy-hour only $5 Smash burger, which is closer to my kind of burger (though it does have house-made? American cheese) with caramelized onions. I went back tonight, craving a burger, and deciding between the Smash and the Umami. I decided to go with the Kombo #1 with the Umami burger, fries, and house Nakhor beer ($15, $2.50 savings over individual prices). The burger is seasoned with the umami fifth taste stuff that I barely understand. Then on top there were caramelized onions and shiitake mushrooms, oven-dried tomatoes (which I couldn't taste), and a fried crepe of Parmesan, which totally overpowered the whole thing. But then again, I think Parmesan cheese tastes like a fart. I'm standing by that. The burger wasn't bad, it was just too much going on. The brioche bun was very good and the fries were exceptionally crisp (the way I like them). The garlic aoli dip for the fries was good, but it's no Oinkster aoli. The texture was a little rubbery, in fact. Next time I want a local, quick-fix high quality burger, I'll go with the Smash. The gentleman sitting next me had it and it smelled a lot better than mine did.

Another fancy burger people go nuts over that I just had to try was Father's Office. I went to the Culver City post nearly two months ago so forgive my memory. Again, another fancy-ass burger loaded with so much you can't taste it all. And this place will not let you substitute or remove. I can understand the no substitution bit, but the fact that they won't remove anything at your request is going a bit overboard. Another excellent brioche bun and perfectly crisp fries with tasty aoli. On this burger I do remember there was blue cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, and possibly mushrooms. There could be something else, but like I said, you couldn't taste it. I swear I never tasted the bacon.

They are gourmet burgers to be sure, but just not my thing.

The Oinkster

This is why The Oinkster has been so busy for two months that more than once, I've parked, got to the door to see the line straggle past it, and left. I love this place, but I am unwilling to stand in such a line.



What I can't believe is that they show everything except the burger! Come on, it's the best burger in L.A.! I also love the pulled pork, the rotisserie chicken, the fried plantains, and the beet salad. The fries are a must, too, of course. And they aren't kidding about the garlic aoli. I could put that on everything.

The house-made ketchup, on the other hand, I find disgusting. It tastes like apples and cinnamon, and I don't mix sweet with savory. Actually, eating my burger regularly at The Oinkster weened me off ketchup. You should have seen how much I used to put on burgers (actually I would cut them into quarters and dip them in ketchup) and fries. But decide for yourself. I know plenty of other people like it.

gastrobus

I think I mentioned that I'm obsessed with the food trucks (see where some of them are Tuesday-Saturday here). In the beginning I thought, oh I'll just try all the ones I can and I'll be satisfied. Why would I need to stalk them and repeatedly visit the same ones over and over again? How naive, really, because of course I'm a creature of habit. It's not as if I go around trying a different burger every week, rarely repeating the same place. No, of course, you're likely to find me at The Oinkster once a week for a burger. Sometimes that doesn't happen, especially since I've been researching in Beverly Hills, and it's a long drive between them. But I am dying to try The Patty Wagon. Anyway, I digress...

My favorite truck is The Gastrobus. Its concept may not be as kitchy as some, but the consistently high quality of the food is more than enough for me. Plus, it is yellow and looks like a school bus. That makes it very easy to spot on a busy street, actually. You can look at the basic menu on the website, but watch the tweets for specials for the day (usually lasting the week). That's where they really showcase the seasonal organic produce they source from the Los Feliz Farmers Market, where they serve brunch every Sunday. I haven't done that yet, but I will soon enough.

I'm always impressed with the flavors and combinations. Today was no exception. I had the new tuna melt with dill, caramelized onions, and swiss with a side of fried shamrocks (flash-fried broccoli) with the most incredible mustard vinaigrette I've ever tasted. Actually, it is their sauces or dips that stand out the most for me. The lime aoli with the roasted cauliflower I had a couple weeks ago made my day--and spurred me to roast my own cauliflower, but not attempt the aoli. The garlic aoli on the pulled pork is also something to write home about. As is the chumichurri on the tender steak sandwich (my plan for today until they unveiled the tuna melt). I was also inspired to buy beets, roast the roots and sautee the greens, after they served sauteed beet greens. And I have to say, that was the best broccoli I've ever had. Who knows, maybe I'll buy a crown this weekend. And by the way, their sweet potato fries are crisp and served with a tasty honey mustard dip. I'd get them, but their vegetable options beckon to me (both for creativity and healthfulness). Oh, I almost forgot about the sweet potato hash I had last week. A fragrant mix of seasonings, caramelized onions, and spice yogurt. Absolutely incredible.

You should stalk them too.

chocolate in the air

I love it. Every time I've entered my apartment today, I'm greeted with a strong fragrance of chocolate with a hint of earl grey. It sticks around while I sit here, too. Yum.

All because I'm in the process of making a chocolate earl grey sorbet from this recipe. I used organic raw agave instead of sugar. Trader Joe's supplied the cocoa powder (it doesn't say Dutch process, but it has its own spiel about its rich, uniqueness) and a tiny portion of the enormous Dark Chocolate Pound Plus Bar (instead of bittersweet chocolate). It's chilling in the fridge, to be frozen in the ice cream maker later today. The whisk tells me it tastes incredible. I think it's going to be even better frozen.

I know I've promised to blog more, and I will. I have a huge backlog of stuff I've been cooking (with photos). I know, me cooking, who would have thought?!