Friday, May 24, 2013

May 24, 2013


The Golden State

426 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

After a month long hiatus.....I'm back at it once again to indulge you with my burger adventures. With the summer approaching, I think its time for everyone to get their grills ready because a summer without barbecuing hot dogs and burgers is just plain Un-American.  With that said, I  am pretty excited to write a review on the Golden State burger joint off of Fairfax just because it's been a favorite of mine for a while now. In the beginning I was a nonbeliever but as I ate every morsel of the burger and fries I truly felt an out of body experience that simply unlike any other. In addition the location on Fairfax is great for picking up some gear or walking into a random pop-up shop. 

Now onto the burger....

The burger I chose was "The Burger" which is the only burger I ever eat at this place. First of all the beef patty was simply amazing. The tenderness of the Harris Ranch beef (if you drive from socal to norcal you would know were Harris Ranch is) coupled with the way it was cooked (medium rare) was just mouthwatering. The gooey-ness of the cheddar with the hint of a bitter taste was the perfect compliment to the richness of the beef patty. In addition, the glazed applewood bacon, was not overbearing but had a smokey taste that gave the burger a dash of uniqueness on top of the powerful punch it already had. The only semblance of a vegetable was the arugla used as lettuce, which was not too bad considering the creamy garlic aioli smothered on both sides of the nicely toasted brioche was transcendent. Overall what makes this burger an experience is the culmination of every little tasteful detail added on top of one another in order to create one hell of a bite. I recommend the Golden State to be on top of the priorty list when your around the area.



Tuesday, April 2, 2013

April 2, 2013

Little Big Burger
Portland Oregon

122 NW 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209

Hello everyone! The Little Big Burger is a cozy fast food joint found in Portland Oregon near Powell Books. I would like to say it has the feel of an In n Out minus the doucheyness of some LA people and their insistence on getting extra spread. Like In n Out, the price of the burgers and fries were hands down right on the money. I say this based on the known fact that Portland has no sales tax, which is always a plus! Enough of the blabbing, on to the BURGER!!!

The Burger I tried was the Cheeseburger. The burger was not gigantic like some but the size of my fist.  Although it may have been small, it was mighty tasty. I was surprised the meat was well prepared because the Little Big Burger is a fast food restaurant. The patty was very small but the medium well preparedness was what gave this burger a thumbs up. The bun was your typical fast food bun; buttered and lightly toasted. The sides were average and consisted of some lettuce, onions, and american cheddar cheese. The only condiment present was ketchup, which I found a bit minimal. In addition to the burger, the truffle fries made this small meal a worthwhile treat. The fries were fried golden brown in truffle oil, giving each bite a unique taste. Overall if you're in Portland on vacation and want to grab a good snack that will last you for a couple of hours, go to Little Big Burger and order a cheeseburger with truffle fries. It isn't going to fill you up but why settle on chips as a snack when you can get a mini meal.

Monday, March 4, 2013

March 4, 2013


Slaters 50/50 

61 N Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91103

Hello everyone! I'm back at it again, trying the 50/50 burger at Slaters 50/50 in Pasadena. While preparing for my half marathon, I figured why not have a burger with my friends from SF. From the outset, Slaters is a busy dining experience. It's not a fancy gastropub but a typical eatery with an assortment of beers.

  The 50/50 burger, I must say is truly one of a kind. Although it is a really great idea for a bacon enthusiast, it was not amazing for this customer. Overall the burger did not come together like I thought it would. Although bacon is practically great with anything, on this outing, it was just mere filler. The texture of the burger was truly inventive but the taste was not. The burger consists of the slater patty which is 50 percent ground patty and 50 percent bacon with a sunny side up egg, avocado mash, pepper jack cheese and chipotle adobo mayo on a white brioche bun. 1) The bun was excellent! A real highlight of the burger. The brioche was sweet and fluffy with just enough butter. 2) The patty was not to my liking because the taste as well as the consistency felt more like a breakfast morning patty rather than a typical burger patty. The chunks of bacon was a pleasant surprise but the more I ate it, the more it overpowered the burger. 3.) The avocado tasted well and was very creamy but there was just so much of it that I could not enjoy the whole experience 4.) Although the burger comes with no fries, my friend Andrew and I were able to order the "Beer Cheese Fries", which consisted of thick fries smothered with chili, cheese, and jalapeño. The fries were good but did not tickle my flavor palette. The fries were average and nothing else, the beer chili did not stick out and the jalapeño did nothing to mix the flavors. 

In conclusion, the burger 50/50 burger is good on paper but did not meet the expectations I had for it. The patty is a good concept but when it comes to eating a quality burger, I don't need half of my patty consisting of bacon! I applaud the concept but from the burgers I have reviewed so far, I would have to say this is the worst. My friends and I gave it a 6 out of 10! I would recommend it for the bacon lovers because at the end of the day the burger is suited for you ppl! 


Thursday, January 24, 2013

January 24, 2013

Stout

1544 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Hollywood

Hey everybody! Happy 2013! Well after a month of hectic holiday events and helping my brother move to Philly, I am back at it again. This time I am reviewing the brick restaurant, Stout, off North Cahuenga. (if you are reading this and live in the Los Angeles Area, its close to Lure Nightclub aka the Do Over and Amoeba Music) Well..after a failed attempt to watch a movie at the Arc Light, my friends and I finally decided to try this place.

Stout is a gastropub with a little flare sprinkled with the formula of most gourmet burger places; the tavern like feel to it. The lights are dim, the wooden tables seem ancient, and the ambiance is more of a friendly environment. Nothing really stood out from this place other than the location, which is great because its in a perfect spot close to the heart of Hollywood.

Now to the burger! The burger I chose was called "The Morning After". The burger is named to illustrate the breakfast ingredients inside the burger such as Rose Mary Bacon, an Over Easy Egg, and Chipotle Ketchup. I would like to say the burger was a tad better than the other two burgers I reviewed. It's not considered ELITE but it is on the cusp! 1) The bun was a nice compliment to the burger patty because it was smaller than the patty itself. The bun was lightly buttered and had a crunch that was delightful 2) The meat on the burger was above average! I got Medium Rare, which should be everyones preference (not really) and found the meat just melted in my mouth every time I took a bite. The contrast between the meat from Stout compared to the other two was basically "how it was cooked". The meat from Stout was the perfect medium rare, meaning it melted in your mouth when you ate it but was not under cooked to the point were you wanted to gag. 4. The chipotle ketchup was not over powering and was a great compliment to the rest of the burger. The over easy egg wasn't really needed but an over easy egg should never be denied. 5. The shoestring fries were decent and average but just needed more seasoning. Other than that the Morning After was better than your average gourmet burger. The restaurant's exclusive location coupled with its burgers made just right makes Stout a fine establishment.