Mini-Recon: LIBRARY ALEHOUSE

Santa Monica, CA


The Canuck and I continued our burger feast at Library Alehouse on Main. I wanted the tuna tartare as an entree, so I chose to have a slider appetizer with Niman Ranch beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, Tillamook cheddar and their Alehouse thousand island. The onion was diced, which I thought was odd, and I got the slice of tomato that has the little circle where the stem grows which I didn't approve of, however these are aesthetic issues, not taste issues. The slider was satisfying and I would order it again, especially with the amazing Apricot Wheat beer I was drinking from Lost Coast. I do appreciate when a restaurant shreds its lettuce, and the thousand island was a good addition.

The Canuck went all out and had the Blue N Bacon burger with Kobe, double bacon, stilton blue and caramelized onions. Fries too of course and they were natural cut with solid flavor, a perfect compliment to our beers.

The bacon was excellent, and the stilton and caramelized onions were a great flavor combination. That's a side of dijon, which almost had to fight the stilton for flavor power. Sadly, the Canuck ordered this burg medium and it came out well done. Now, I don't know how that chef was raised, but in my world, overcooking kobe beef is a big no-no. Regardless, the flavor was satisfying- better than the Umami Port and Stilton burger? No, but maybe it was just an off day for that chef. There are many other burgers on the menu and you can build your own, so I will come back and give the place another try.

Recon: STOUT

Hollywood, CA


My friend Dallas and I made a visit to Stout the other night and I was rather impressed.  Nestled into a converted mini mall, Stout took the corner space and knocked out the walls to expand the space and provide outdoor seating.  It was buzzing with energy and the palm trees were waving overhead.  The bar curves out in a crescent shape, and bar-height runner tables curve around it, providing more ‘bar’ for the space.  The seating fans out from there into a maze of tables.  Stout’s claim to fame is that they pair beers with each burger.

We were already a little buzzed from a hilarious comedy show with Natasha Leggero & Nick Thune, but opted for some beers while we waited to be seated.  I chose a wheat beer, the Blanche de Bruxelles and it was delicious!  My love for wheat beers – and subsequent exclusion of all other beers- is growing daily.  Dallas had a Sierra Nevada Tumbler Brown Ale.  Once we were seated I took a quick look at the menu and knew I had to have the Stout burger: blue cheese, emi gruyere, rosemary bacon, caramelized onion and horseradish cream.  No adjustments necessary.  Dallas chose the Shu burger: pepper jack cheese, light bell spread, grilled avocado and chipotle sauce.  Being my defiant self, I looked at the beer paired with my burg (an IPA or barley wine) and opted out.  Dallas’ burg came with the same suggestion, but he stuck with his Sierra as well. 

The burgers came out looking gorgeous.  Stacked tall, not too big.  Mine looked a little bloody, but wasn’t soggy at all.  I want to give them props for their buns.  They were dense which worked to our advantage in two ways.  1. They absorbed juices well and didn’t sog up.  2. With horseradish cream and pepper jack cheese/chipotle sauce, these burgs had serious kicks and the bun helped absorb the hot intensity.  That being said, the kick was fantastic.  I normally do not touch horseradish, but it complemented the flavors so well.  Even the blue cheese wasn’t over the top and it all really came together flavor-wise.  Meat was cooked medium and well seasoned.  Dallas’ Shu burger was no exception.  Definitely had a kick, but it worked.  The bacon was great, the cheese, the onion- I really loved it.  One of the best marriages of classic and gourmet styles I’ve seen yet.

We went with the seasoned fries, and there were several dip options so we asked our waitress which to choose.  She recommended the chipotle.  After sampling it, for me, it wasn’t the right choice.  Because the burgers have a nice spice to them, I needed the fries and their dip to be a calming presence- a flavor different from the burgers and the beers.  Thus, I asked for the lemon basil aioli and it was definitely the right choice.  Father’s Office has the best aioli, but this was perfect for the occasion.  The fries were crisp and delicious.  I saw sweet potato chips at another table, so I put those on my list for next time.  One serving of fries could easily feed three people. 

It's got a finished industrial feel to it.  Copper around the bar, wood paneling and concrete elsewhere.  There's a fantastic beer bottle chandelier too.  Their beer menu is extensive and service was ok, not great.  If you’re in Hollywood, hit this place up.  I can’t wait to go back and try another burger!

Recon: FATHER'S OFFICE

Culver City, CA

A bite without caramelized onions was a bite devoid of flavor.

I have been to both Father’s Office locations several times over the past few years, but I hadn’t had their burger in quite a while and a lot of people asked me about Father’s Office when they heard about my Burger Recon Mission.  So when my cousin Lala (nickname, don’t judge) called me to meet her there for a post work de-stress session, I said absolutely.

We snagged a table after waiting (like hungry sharks) a few minutes for someone to leave and began pouring over the beer list.  She settled on the Saint Bernardus Triple and I went with the Alagash White. The setup of Father’s Office Culver City is a little odd.  You basically stand in line at either of the two computer registers along the bar and place your order there (for both food and drink.) The Bartender pours your drink immediately, and you get a number for the food.  I ordered the Father’s Office Burger (the only one there is) and Lala ordered the garlic parsley fries and a cheese plate.

The fries are delicious! They’re served with a garlic lemon aioli and they’re skinny, golden and crisp.  I would order them anytime I’m there- perfect for eating with beer.  They come out in a mini frying basket and aren’t greasy.  The aioli- I would smear it on anything- is well seasoned and matches the fries nicely.  Lala’s cheese plate came out fast and she really enjoyed the spread with her Saint Bernardus.  I wasn’t thrilled with the Alagash White by itself, but with the fries the flavors were better.

When my burger came out it was served on a French roll with arugula, caramelized onion, bacon, gruyere, and blue cheese.  It was already soggy on the bottom with juice from the burger, which made me wonder if my burger was just that juicy, or if it may have been sitting a wee bit too long.  When you bite into it you taste the onions- and they are delicious- but they overpowered everything else. It definitely got messy and slipped apart a bit.

If you took a bite that didn’t happen to have caramelized onions, there wasn’t much flavor there.  It’s almost as if the meat hadn’t been seasoned and the bacon didn’t exist- which by the way, I never actually saw the bacon.  Maybe it was buried under the cheese, but I couldn’t find its texture either.  I’m confused about why they’re serving a round burger on an oblong French roll.  Gruyere and Blue cheese are usually pretty strongly flavored cheeses, but they seemed to get lost in there. Maybe they just weren’t on their game that night, or maybe the quality of their ingredients is slipping- either way, the beer and fries easily outshined the burger. The aioli outshined the burger. (Maybe the aioli should go on the burger… just sayin’)  We went back for more drinks, and I opted for the Alaskan White, which I liked much more than the Alagash; it was more refreshing.  Lala went for the Dolcetta wine by Palmina. 

The bar was crowded and a nice buzz of friendly conversation and music filled the background.  Everyone there was young, with groups of coworkers, friends and awkward first dates.  Prices for beer and wine are consistent with similar venues.  Ironically, the beer I liked best –Alaskan White- was the cheapest drink we had all night at only $6.  The burger is $12.50, no substitutions/additions or anything of the sort, which is overpriced for what I received.  It’s also hard to judge what to tip because the bus boys were polite, attentive and fast, but the bar isn’t since you really just stand in line and wait your turn.  I realize that on a Friday or Saturday night, when it’s more drinks and less food, the service is probably better, but I wasn’t impressed.  

Bottom line:  I would order the burger again if I was there and hungry, BUT if someone said to me, “Let’s go get a burger tonight!” Father’s Office wouldn’t make my short list.