December 18, 2012

Westside Tavern

10850 W. Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90064

West Los Angeles

Hola everyone! Feliz Navidad!! I'm back at it again! This week's post focuses on the juicy Cheeseburger from The Westside Tavern in the Westside Pavilion Mall. First, I would like to applaud the Westside Pavilion Mall and the Westside Tavern for having an upscale establishment. Although my friends and I waited a little longer than expected, the ambiance in the gastropub was delightful. People drinking wine, dim lighting, obscure wooden booths, and the smell of great food were the perks that made this fine establishment. With that said, the ambiance from the Westside Tavern transports you from a normal restaurant in the mall to a grandiose tavern found in Boston.

Now onto the Burger! 1) the Burger bun was a brioche, the same type as the Six Burger from my previous post. This brioche was not as light as the Six but had just about the same qualities. It was a good addition to the burger because it wasn't dominant. 2) Although it's the holidays and I've been in such a great mood, I can't lie to you guys about the Meat on the Cheeseburger. The meat was juicy but was quite average. Each bite was pleasant but it did not have enough to make me get out of my seat and dance, which I would do once I find the perfect burger. The meat was tender and juicy but a little too greasy for my liking. You might say I sound a bit harsh, but when you go and pay a good amount for a burger, you want that punch! 3) The sauce in the burger was basically a garlic aioli spread that was barely smeared on the brioche and as a result I couldn't really taste it . I was hoping I could have more but I don't like asking to add things to the burger once it is presented to me already. 4) The side I ordered were shoestring fries. They were lightly seasoned and tasted like typical fries you might get at Yardhouse or your typical neighborhood Mom and Pop stop. The good thing was, they were cooked it to perfection and was not soggy or too crispy!

Overall the Cheeseburger at the Westside Tavern is ok tasting but a bit average. It is another gourmet burger found on the westside of Los Angeles that is dressed up to seem very upscale but in the end it is very average. (theres nothing wrong with this by the way) My opinion is, if you are trying to get more for your buck, try to order something other than the burger when you go there. Merry Christmas everyone!

November 30, 2012

The Six Burger 

10668 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA, 90064

Hello everyone! My very first review of this blog belongs to the magnificent Six Burger, from The Six restaurant in Santa Monica. For the burger enthusiasts out there, the Six Burger is a great combination of ingredients that will make your mouth SCREAM! I place this burger on the Cusp of being part of the  Elite. You may be asking why??? Well here is what I observed.

 1) the bread was GREAT! The brioche was light, fluffy, and very tasty. It was not overpowering and was a perfect compliment to the burger. 2) the meat on the other hand was so so and not ELITE. I ordered the burger medium rare like i always do, and was pleasantly surprised on how good the meat was. After a couple of bites of the patty, I knew I was in for a treat. The problem was,  the meat did not have punch a Mike Tyson would have but rather stability of a Floyd Mayweather. The patty nonetheless was good and still made my mouth water and ask for more. With that said, it was more on the cusp and not a loser. 3) The maytag blue cheese and the thousand island was a great combination because it did not overpower the meat one bit. If anything, it enhanced the meat as well as the bread. 4. The fries were in the words of Tony the Tiger, "Grreeeeaaaaatttt". I ordered the sweet potato fries, while my friend ordered the garlic fries. The sweet potato fries were done well and with the assistance of some ranch were phenomenal. The garlic fries on the other hand, were a bit soggy and had way to much garlic in there. I would stay away from these if you're on a date and intend to get some action at the end of the night.

Overall this burger was very close to joining the ELITE but could not make the leap. I do recommend the place and the burger as well!!!!!!

November 30, 2012

In order to understand how I rate and review these burgers, you need to get to know me just a tad bit. For starters I am a health nut, who tries to eat healthy everyday from eating nonfat yogurts to mixed salads, but the one thing I thoroughly enjoy enough to break all my health rules is God's gift to mankind called the HAMburger. Since I enjoy various sports activities such as basketball and hiking, I tend to get hungry OFTEN and that means plowing down on many mouthwatering burgers I can sink my teeth into. So, as a result of the many and I mean MANY Burgers I've eaten during my young and probably not as healthy as I thought, life, I am starting this blog, so I can share my opinions on where and what are the Elite Burgers out there for the tasting.

In order to have an ELITE Burger in my eyes and become part of the Burg-oisie, the burger must have a high rating in 5 categories

1. Bread: the bread must be light and firm. The whole point of the bread is to make sure the Patty is the main stage. The bread is basically the background singers like the other Jacksons, while the Patty is like Michael.

2. Patty: the Burger patty and how it is cooked is by far the most important. Personally I like my beef patties prepared "Medium Rare", but it doesn't mean that if it is not prepared in that manner it won't taste good. Everyone has their own preferences, so I get it. But, good quality meat is not based on how it is cooked but more importantly on the balance of fat and meat the patty has. It is difficult to decipher what the ratio is when eating at a restaurant but through experience you can definitely taste how one burger patty can be less lean and more fatty.

3. Sauce/Condiments: A Sauce or Condiment in a burger is very critical to building an ELITE Burger. Some places have the usual ketchup and mayo in their burger but other places put their "secret" sauce that ranges from tangy, spicy, flavorful, or flavorless. With that said, a sauce can be the conduit that holds the bread and meat together. If the sauce packs a punch and impacts the burger in any way possible, the Burger has the possibility of becoming ELITE.

4. The Fixins (vegetables and side dishes): This category is not as important as the other three but plays a role in making the Burger a great experience. The focus squares mostly on the burger, but when the sides are great or bad the burger can either look like a bombshell or just another plain Jane. So what makes a good side dish? For starters I only order fries and if sweet potato is on the menu and I am bold that day, I try that. In order for the fries to be the perfect complimentary playdate to the ELITE Burger, the fries must be fried golden with a crispy bite to it. I do not tolerate soggy fries or extra crispy fries. Soggy fries are sometimes drenched in oil and extra crispy fries don't taste like potato at the end.  In addition, the seasoning on the fries must be light, so it doesn't over power any of the flavor I get from the Burger.

5. Presentation: Since the ability to See something is one of our senses, Presentation is another factor I rely on in determining if the burger is ELITE. Most restaurants present their burgers typically on one side and fries on the other, but since more Gourmet burger restaurants are springing up, high class presentation has given the burger and fries a new look. Some places just present the burger on the plate and fries in a container, while other places place the burger on top of a bed of fries. Overall if the presentation makes your eyes eat the burger before your mouth does, then it should be considered ELITE