The Foundry

So here we are at last. The Foundry is #1 on the list. Chef Eric Greenspan has created a great place to go for good food and a great time. He walks around, greets the customers and makes everyone feel welcome. Our waitress Stacy was also fantastic. She was playful and all about our burger adventure asking us where we thought the best burgers are and gave us the run down on the burger there.

 
Speaking of the burger at the Foundry, I have eaten it once before. The first time I had this burger it knocked my socks off. The burger comes open with melted cheddar cheese coating the patty and arugula, baby cucumbers and sun-dried tomatoes. On the side are three dishes used to top your burger. The first is a homemade aioli. The second is caramelized onions. The last is the bacon pineapple relish. All of these components, while they seem odd and different, work together well on the burger. The real show stopper here is the lightly toasted Hawaiian bread used for the rolls. The roll is sweet and soft and works as a texture against the onions, relish, cucumbers and meat. 


I have eaten at three places mentioned, including the top two, on the original list. So far I agree with the LAist. The Foundry burger is so unique and well put together; I feel it deserves its own category. There are many more places to go. We are always looking for suggestions as well and your thoughts on your favorite burger. Go eat and report back!

The Counter

I found out about The Counter about two years ago. Since then, it seems as though it has multiplied constantly. They now have over 20 locations throughout the US and overseas. The great thing (and possibly worst thing) about The Counter is that you can build your own burger. You get to choose your patty, bun, cheese and toppings. You can even get it without a bun if you so desire.

On this occasion I got a 1/3 pound beef patty with Danish blue cheese, pickles, grilled onions, lettuce blend and roasted garlic aioli on a hamburger bun. As with every other burger I have written about so far, the patty was perfectly cooked with right amount of pink in the middle. I believe this is the first time I have ordered the blue cheese on my burger. The blue cheese is very strong but tasty. Overall I have never been disappointed with the food at the counter. I do highly recommend the horseradish mayo; simply divine. It should be used on everything. It comes with the crispy onion strings, which is how I discovered it. So go, order it and enjoy!

Bar Food

The original purpose of this blog was to document our adventure through the best burgers in LA list. But as I have come to realize, there are many good burgers that didn't even make the honorable mention of the list. One such example is at Bar Food on Wilshire. I was there recently for happy hour before a softball game. I usually stop off prior to a game for food and a beer as I play more relaxed afterward. I found Bar Food a few months ago. It is a great place with high-end bar food and a great selection of beers including a few that they make themselves.

The burger does not compare to Father's Office as it is not as gourmet. As far as regular burgers go this one is pretty good. The burger comes on a typical sesame seed bun with cheddar cheese and what they call bacon jam. A good sign was when I cut the burger in half to get a good look at the layers, and the patty oozed juices. I like my burgers medium and this one was perfectly pink throughout. The cheese was melted and a little bit gooey. I did not get a lot of the bacon flavor out of the "jam", but it was tasty. As far as burgers go this is certainly not the greatest. But for a happy hour burger and for only $6 ($9 normally) this is a great deal and certainly goes well with the great beer selection.

Father’s Office

When thinking about gourmet burgers in Los Angeles, most Angelinos would immediately think of Father's Office. There are two locations, the original being in Santa Monica with a second one in Culver City. Our visit for the purposes if this adventure we visited the Culver City location. Neither location is open for lunch, which is a shame because there is no better lunch than a good burger and fries. The burger at Father's Office is only made one way, their way. No substitutions available. It comes with caramelized onions, bacon, a blend of blue and gruyere cheese, topped with arugula. It is just about perfection on a bun. Perfectly cooked meat smothered in caramelized onions and melted cheese.


 

I had very high expectations as this was always touted as the best burger in LA. Truth be told, I came away feeling a little disappointed. While the patty was good and the arugula was the perfect complement, I had a hard time tasting the gruyere and blue cheeses over the caramelized onions. As a lover of blue cheese, I wish the flavor came through more. I am hoping this was an off night and maybe a second visit would prove to alleviate some of the disappointment. I have also heard the Santa Monica location serves the better burger but is also more crowded. Next time we will fight the crowds to see if there is a difference.

Welcome to our Adventure!

Welcome to our Adventure in Burgerland!

As you may or may not know, Los Angeles is home of many of the finest hamburgers ever created. Earlier this year, my friend Sean discovered the website LAist.com published their list of the best burgers in LA. Upon sharing this list with our other friend Neil and myself, the three of us decided to set off on an adventure of the ground beef (and possibly turkey or other protein) variety. Our adventure will take us through the list by LAist (link found here) and wherever else we find an upscale burger on the menu!