The Foundry on Melrose

After researching LA’s best burgers online, one of the lists rated the burger at The Foundry on Melrose as the best in town. This rating is just from one list, but I needed to start somewhere. So after having an amazing burger at Umami, which was about number three on that same list, I figured number one wouldn’t disappoint. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, which I was very disappointed about, but I still wanted to write something about this burger.

We started out with some homemade tater-tots. These came served in a miniature cocotte with two dipping sauces, bleu cheese fondue and violet mustard.  The tots were basically mashed potatoes lightly coated and deep-fried.  Nothing surprising about these homemade tots, but it did the trick. The mustard wasn’t as tangy as I thought it would be and cut through the oil nicely. I thought that the bleu cheese fondue could have had a little more bleu flavor, but it was creamy and a great contrast for the mustard.

Three people at our table ordered the burger, and the presentation was something to smile at. Because I forgot my camera, I created a layout of the plate so you can get an idea of what the presentation was like.

First, I’ll describe the visual.  The burger was served on four connected Hawaiian rolls, creating the shape of a square.  To one side of the burger, there were three small condiment dishes, each with a little spoon. Starting from the top, we have caramelized onions, followed by apple bacon tarragon chutney, and then ending with some homemade mayonnaise. To the other side of the burger, there were handmade fried onion rings. For the burger itself, we’ll start with the meat. After talking to the waiter a little bit, he informed us the meat was mixed with a little foie gras. On the burger itself, you had arugula, small sweet and sour pickles cut lengthwise, roasted tomatoes, and melted sharp cheddar.

The presentation was nice (kind of fun, actually), but it was little overwhelming if you didn’t know what you were working with.  The burger had an amazing taste to it. How couldn’t it really? Foie gras, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, and I could go on and on. The one thing our table agreed on was that the burger had a lot of sweetness coming in all kinds of direction. The apple bacon chutney, Hawaiian bun, roasted tomatoes, and the mayonnaise and onions certainly don’t scream savory.  The surprising sweetness didn’t ruin it for me, but it would take more research on my part to title this best burger in LA.

Pink's Hot Dogs

My buddy said I needed to try Pinks, the famous hotdog joint that’s located on the on outskirts of West Hollywood.  So, we go. My friend and I get the “Hollywood Walk of Fame Dog” and my wife gets the “Lord of the Rings Dog.”  After standing in the line that hundreds of “stars” have stood and still stand in, we get our dogs. Unfortunately, my fame dog had unripe tomatoes on top of bland coleslaw, and my wife’s dog had onion rings smothered in generic BBQ sauce. Needless to say, we weren’t blown away with culinary experience that Pinks provided us, but at least we left full, if that matters.

Don’t get me wrong; I get the idea of the place. It's been around for years, tons of stars have eaten there, there are tons of eye-popping generic toppings, and it's a seemingly good idea for a spot to hit after a few drinks. If I had to do it again I would most likely keep it simple and stick with mustard and relish.

Umami Burger

I just happened to be going LA when I decided I wanted to write this blog.  I did a little research on some of the best burgers, then headed west.  Of course I had a couple dozen places that I was told I needed to try, but even a burger eating fool like me needed to draw the line.

Umami burger was my first stop. Umami is Japanese for “delicious taste”  it sometimes is referred to as "fifth taste."  My buddy and I walked in expecting a crowd, but our 11:22am timing could not have been better. The restaurant had a great modern feel to it, and the location was quite small. The menu had some great creations, but I knew I had to order the Umami Burger, their signature burger.

The waitress “told” us that our burgers would be cooked medium-rare, so I didn’t argue. Ten minutes later, our burgers were in front of us. At first glance, I liked what I saw: simple presentation, beautiful bun, juicy looking burger, and a Parmigiano crisp sticking out from underneath.  No, I did not order the triple-cooked, hand-cut fries (smacking myself now).  I simply got a side of the roasted garlic aioli while my buddy ordered a side of the jalapeño ranch, both tasting as you’d expect.

Before going to town on the burger, I took a closer look at what was considered to be "the burger I will crave."  Under the Portuguese branded bun was the following: caramelized onions, oven-roasted tomatoes, a shiitake mushroom, Parmigiano crisp, and their house made ketchup. The meat is ground and formed in-house, and judging by the amount of juice, I would say their meat-to-fat ratio is right on. While I’m sure they use a certain process and type of meat, I didn't much care about the method because to me, it had the perfect amount of meat and fat.  The Umami burger was a beautiful thing, but I would have to say my favorite part was the way it was served. It wasn't served with half of the bun pathetically lying there as if to say, “Take off what you will.” It came to the table finished, telling you, "It should be done this way."

The look of this burger reflected the way it tasted. The meat was perfectly seasoned, and the flawless toasted bun only added to it. The essence of this burger was easily in the Umami toppings. As I noted before, these weren't just your generic toppings; there was a thought process behind this burger. You didn’t taste each element individually; the flavors melded perfectly, not one dominating the other.

Minneapolis, MN

As for now, my wife and I reside here.

It’s a nice city, we don’t see ourselves here for the rest of our lives, but for now, it’s good.  It’s really not necessary for me to go into much about the city, so let's get to it.