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: UMAMI Fred Segal

Santa Monica, CA


My dad popped into town last week, the day Obama arrived, so not the best planning our parts, but Santa Monica was magically unaffected.  We went to Umami at Fred Segal.  It was time for the Truffle Burger.  As you know I have been to Umami several times and always ordered a different burger, but the Truffle Burg has been on the list for a while.  We opted to start with the Tempura Onion Rings and the Roasted Garlic Aioli.  They were solid, but nothing outta the park.  Umami ketchup has actually grown on me, it has a more savory taste than Heinz, which is too sweet for my taste.

The truffle burg is served with a truffle cheese and a truffle glaze.  All Umami burgs are cooked medium-rare unless you request otherwise.  Its very simple, and very rich.  It tastes delicious, but by the end I was a little overwhelmed, because it's so rich. You really have to be prepared for it, but if you like truffles, you're golden.

My dad opted for the Manly Burger, which consists of beer-cheddar cheese, smoked-salt onion strings and bacon lardons. There are definitely unique flavors in this burger, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.  My dad was convinced that the taste of 'umami' would be similar to miso, but in the end he he decided, "It's a unique flavor that you just can't quite define." I am in agreement!

I went back just a week later with the Canuck and ordered the Port and Stilton burger, which has the onions caramelized in port and Stilton cheese, I think it's my favorite.  The Canuck chose the SoCal Burger with butter lettuce, slow-roasted tomato, house spread, house-made american cheese, and caramelized onions.  We also got the skinny fries. Of the fries, I think the truffle fries, that they only serve on 'special' are my favorite.  Next time I'll see if they can make the Greenbird burg, but with meat... not turkey... 

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....

Recon: R & D

Santa Monica, CA


The Canuck and I popped into R&D for a quick bite to eat, and while I opted for breakfast, the Canuck went for broke with the R&D burger and a large glass of Stella.  He was nice enough to cut me a little wedge so I could get in on the action.  What I love about the R&D burger is that its all classic ingredients- nothing out of the ordinary- but the quality of ingredients is so high that it elevates the burg, giving it a clean, refreshing flavor.  I also appreciate that they shred the lettuce. The one thing both the Canuck and I didn't love was the sog factor.  The burg was cooked medium, but there wasn't any char to hold in the juice, and no topping layers between meat and bun to prevent the bun from soaking up all the juice.  

Comes with a side of fries, and by side they mean giant serving.  I was ok with their fries- a little soft for my taste, but I like that they left the peel on the potato, kept them salty and cut them skinny. Could have been crispier, and if we order them again I will ask for them to be well done.  The Canuck prefers thick cut fries, and in addition to being a Canuck he is also Dutch, and considers himself something of a fry expert, so he was a little disappointed. (But this didn't stop him from eating them...)

R&D has a great menu and bar.  The cocktail and wine lists are fantastic.  I recommend the 13th Street cocktail which has basil and crushed grapes with vodka.  They also have amazing guacamole, which I will once again attribute to the high quality ingredients.  Its usually very crowded starting around 4 on the weekends so go early, or plan on drinking at the bar while you wait for a table.  R&D is on the more expensive side for drinks and a burger so check the menu, or go for a special occasion.  Delish...