THE MISFIT

Santa Monica, CA

Most of us west-siders have been to The Misfit for drinks, but you might not know that they make an awesome burger. The Canuck and I popped in to the usually-crowded Misfit for lunch on Saturday and were seated in the belly of the the restaurant, opposite the bar. The decor inside reminds me of an old-school American clubhouse. Dimly lit with dark wood and leather, the bar extends high into the second story, giving the illusion of a library wall. Since it was noon, I ordered a Bloody Mary, but the Canuck went all in and ordered the Clocktower Manhattan. [What can I say? We were in a post-holiday season funk and needed some pick-me-ups.] We started with the "shoestring" fries and of course added the Maytag bleu cheese- it's the only way to go. Since we've both had the burger twice before, we branched out. The Ahi Tuna Burger for me and the Fried Chicken Sandwich for him.  

I do have a special place in my heart for the bleu cheese fries, they're skinny and crispy, which is how I like it. However, the bleu cheese crumbles don't melt enough and its hard to get bleu cheese in every bite. Might I suggest melting it slightly, perhaps a 60 second oven blitz, or instead of serving with a honey mustard, serve with a light bleu cheese dip? I will eat my fries with a fork if it means bleu cheese in every bite, but I'd prefer to use my fingers.  

Let's start with the Ahi, because this subject requires discussion, extending beyond the Misfit's menu:

I understand that most places that offer an Ahi Burger are mimicking a beef burger as best they can, but ground Ahi is mushy, lacks texture, and its such a light clean fish, it adopts whatever flavor you add to it, which means SEASON THE GODAMN THING. Ironically, everything else on the burger has a lot of flavor to offer. They're usually topped with  avocado, daikon sprouts, lemon or wasabi aioli, teriyaki, tomato, lettuce etc- tasty ingredients! But the fish itself isn't bringing anything to the bun, if ya know what I mean.

The Misfit's ahi burger tasted fresh, clean and healthy, but it wouldn't hurt to season the tuna, and add a spicy mayo or wasabi. The other real issue is that Ahi has almost no fat, but fat is a key ingredient in burgers, besides being a flavor builder, it holds the patty together. This is why ahi burgers tend to fall apart after the first bite. Needless to say I ate the entire thing with a fork and knife. And while the Misfit beef burger is great on the sliced, grilled bread, the ahi burger needs a different kind of bookend. Something softer, that won't squish the patty when you bite it.  

Let's move on to the fried chicken sandwich. We saw one come out of the kitchen before we ordered it, and it was stacked tall with goodies. It starts with pickles and apple slices, then the fried chicken breast - very crispy but not particularly moist - then the fennel-apple slaw, and a spicy mayo. The spicy mayo was a winner here, and the breading on the chicken had a ton of heated flavor. BUT overall, the sandwich lost out to: (drumroll please) R+D Kitchen's chicken sandwich. Don't get me wrong, the Misfit's fried chicken sandwich was a solid entry in the competition. It is by no means a bad sandwich, it just wasn't as good, and it wasn't unique enough to negate the obvious comparison.

I have a lot of respect for The Misfit, there are so many tasty items on their menu: the lobster nik niks, the mac n' cheese, the beef burger... and the salted chocolate chip cookies are unbelievable, but they still have some work to do!

RECON: PLAN CHECK

West LA

Last weekend the Canadian and I went to Plan Check, and it was so awesome, that we went back this weekend with the 2 people who told us about it in the first place, Pete and Victoria. (Special shout-out!) As you can read on Plan Check's website, the name comes from their proximity to the Building and Safety Department in Little Osaka.  Head Chef Ernesto Uchimura, previously an executive chef at Umami, has outdone himself, so I'm going to dive straight in. 

For cocktails, I had the Ronin which I loved, the Canadian had the Bento Box and Victoria opted for an Old Fashion with their housemade moonshine.  I'd recommend sticking with their specialty cocktails. They also have a beer and wine menu, with several good options.

Appetizers are so-so; the goat cheese was delish, the duck breast ham was a disappointment. The best starter is actually a side dish: the Stuffed Mushroom. And, I hate mushrooms, so that's really saying something. The boys loved the spicy cucumber with sriracha.

Now lets talk about the stars of the show, all served on toasted buns, and nearly impossible to pick up. The Chef's Favorite has bacon two ways, cheese two ways and a fried egg. It's gooey, crunchy and full of flavor. I could not pick it up to save my life. This burger is for breakfast lovers. 

The Pastrami Nosh is amazing. A huge chunk of pastrami, tossed on a flat top and crisped up, then spiced with a kimchi mustard, served with the bun inside out and a fried egg on top, its a beautiful interpretation of the traditional deli sandwich. 

Then there's the Bleuprint, with a strong, but not overpowering, bleu cheese and salty "pig candy" aka thick cut bacon, and the flavors mix perfectly. Chef Uchimura uses a unique blend of slightly untraditional ingredients to develop the traditional flavor some patrons will be seeking.

The last burger we had was the PCB, or Plan Check Burger. This was a creamier burger, the americanized dashi cheese and schmaltz onions create a rich, smooth flavor, and it gives you a chance to try the much-talked-about ketchup leather.

We had both sweet potato fries and regular, equally delicious, but the kimchi ketchup didn't really do it for us, I recommend asking for the salt & pepper mayo when you order the fries.  

And their famous dessert, the cruller donuts, taste like they waved a magic wand and turned churros into donuts. Served with cream and fresh fruit, its worth eating, even though you're already stuffed! I apologize for the lack of photo, I may have had too many Ronins...

So fellow burger lovers, go to Plan Check and taste the latest stash of gourmet burgs LA has to offer.

Mini-Recon: CAFE BLEU

San Diego, CA

For mother's day brunch we went to Cafe Bleu in Mission Hills.  I ordered a croque madam which is basically ham and cheese with a sunny side up egg, and it was delicious and very unhealthy.  My father and step mom chose the Bleu Burger.  

This juicy burg is made with kobe beef, Point Reyes Bleu Cheese, pickled onions and fresh tomatos.  The cheese made the burger.  Bleu cheese is obviously a strong cheese so anytime you put it on something it will stand out, and the pickled onions tempered it slightly, but it was still strong and fantastic.  They even brought out their bleu cheese dressing for our fries. Yum!

Recon: UMAMI La Brea

Los Angeles, CA


Last week a friend of mine had a show at the Comedy Union, and I jumped at the opportunity to hit up the Umami on La Brea- because each menu is a little different, and every time I have a different burg. The Canuck and I were in a rush though, and told our server we had half an hour, was it doable?  And great success, more than doable.  

The Canuck ordered the Triple Pork Burger which consists of pork, chorizo, and applewood smoked bacon all ground together in the patty, with manchego cheese, pimento aioli, lettuce and tomato. I opted for the Port & Stilton burg which has bleu cheese and port-caramelized onions, and nothing else. I was about to ask for skinny fries when the server told me they had truffle fries with a truffle cheese on top, I said stop, you had me at the word truffle. Now I'd like to point out that there is a truffle burger on the menu, but for some mysterious reason I hadn't ordered it, and with the truffle fries it would have been overload anyway.  

Food came out quick as requested, and it was heavenly. Some of you weaklings might be saying, 'port, bleu cheese and truffles? too rich!' but no, my friends, it was fantastic and the saltiness of the truffles complimented the sweet port onions. I really enjoyed the simplicity of this burger. (Above) The Canuck's burger tasted like a spoonful of hearty chili, I kid you not. [Note to self: use pimento peppers next time you make chili.] It was the oddest thing to take a bite of burg, but then be chewing straight chili. (Below) We both liked my burg a little better so we cut them in half and shared, because we're nice people like that. What I also love about Umami is that the buns are just a little sweet, which counteracts the savory elements of the burg. Bleu cheese wasn't overwhelming, the meat is high quality- soft and filled with juicy flavor, but sog factor is still an issue. The bottom bun soaks up all the burger juice, which in theory is tasty, but a little gooey. Oh, and the branded bun was a nice, new touch.

The truffle fries with truffle cheese can only be described as rich, buttery goodness.  (Served with Umami ketchup)

As far as setting goes, I liked their operation. Valet was only $2.50, and a hostess greeted us as we stepped out of the car. She sat us on the back patio which had heat lamps and lights strung above us. It was a little crowded out there, but I imagine the crowd only builds the energy on a busy night.


Every time I visit Umami, I like it a little more. Damn, I'm starving... I really need to stop writing reviews at 9am....