Wayfare Tavern in SF: Great Burger By Celeb Chef Tyler Florence

I've always been a big fan of Tyler Florence's recipes and cookbooks but had never tried his restaurants so it was a treat trying Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco. It delivered. Since his horseradish burger is one of my faves to make at home when I'm not going to Houston's, I figured I'd try the burger. It was solid, as were the fries. Don't let his fame deter you from trying his very good food. I myself am allergic to celeb chefs but he defies the stereotype.

The brioche bun was perfectly soft and fresh while dense enough to hold the hearty patty, which was cooked a solid medium rare with a nice meaty flavor and just the right consistency. I thought the brie would be too overpowering for the patty but it was on the mild side and nicely melted. The caramelized red onions were sweet and I asked for the bacon on the side as I find bacon to be a distraction in good burgers. Don't get me wrong. I love a nice, crispy bacon as much as the next person but when it comes to burgers, you gotta leave the patty alone. You can also add a fried egg on top but as much as love a fried egg on anything, I resisted to stay true to my rather purist tendencies when it comes to a burger.

I also liked the pickles that tasted home-made for their low sodium content. They were refreshing without being like the overly pickled, sadly shriveled, super salty and vinegary commercial pickles.

Let's talk fries. They were crispy and not over-salted. Approved!


We also shared a nice fig and pork belly salad with some greens as a starter. I realize the choice of pork belly as a starter for a full-on, meaty burger may not have been the wisest one and I did regret it momentarily but thankfully the salad ended up not being as heavy and the figs were super sweet -- a great complement to the salty pork belly chunks.


Another bonus was the complimentary brioche bread served before our meal arrived. It was fluffy and I chowed it down slathered in creamy butter even though I had a whole bun waiting for me. I didn't mind the carb overload because it seemed light and not too dense. Oh, and I walked it off.

I'd definitely like to return in the evening and try its extensive wine and beer selection.

Fusion Burgers in Highland Park: Wanted to Like it But No

I know I've been on a panning binge with all the restaurants recently but keeping the faith that I have a good find waiting for me very soon.

I heard about Fusion Burgers from a friend so had to try it, although she had a turkey burger that I wouldn't be caught dead having. So our burger club went but was sorely disappointed.

I wanted to like it. It seemed like a family-owned business and very down to earth neighborhood joint kind of place. Had the classic burger with lettuce, not-so-classic sun dried tomato, onion, cheddar cheese and thousand island dressing. But the first burger came out overcooked. Then the second burger was cooked right but the patty was not great quality meat.

The bun wasn't bad although a bit on the dense side. But it was warm and fresh. The sun dried tomatoes didn't work at all. The other components made for a good combination. But please, chuck the sun dried tomatoes. There's nothing classic about it.

The fries that we got on the side were nothing special -- not too crispy but at least hot when they came out. They were no Pastis fries a la NY bistro that I still daydream about.

We also had a starter beet salad that was interesting, with arugula, candid sliced almonds and some kind of creamy ricotta-like cheese. It was refreshing and a nice variation on the standard vanilla green salad. The dressing was light and the almonds gave it a nice crunch. The beets weren't all that sweet or flavorful but we just wanted something healthier to balance out the burger.

I recently had a refresher with my fave Houston's burger so maybe I was even harsher than usual with this one. But the fact is it's an average to below average burger. Super nice service but I wouldn't return. Sorry.

Mohawk Bend in Echo Park: Great Beer Selection and Ambiance, Soso Food

I loved that Mohawk Bend gastropub is a converted theater. Even the sign outside was left as a marquee. The decor inside was great too. Great selection of microbrews. The problem? The food.

I didn't like the Buffalo style cauliflower but that may be because I don't love buffalo wings. Not my favorite. We also had the chop salad that included corn, broccoli, avocado, romaine, red bell pepper, potato and tomatoes drizzled with roasted red pepper dressing. The vegetables were cooked crisp and the salad was good but it wasn't anything special.






Then we had the namesake burger that came with arugula, pancetta, grated Parmesan cheese, red onion, pickled chili, roasted red pepper and spread on the bun was some rosemary-garlic aioli. I added cheese at extra cost, which is outrageous. And fries were extra too. Inconceivable. We had asked for medium rare and it was a bit overcooked but I didn't want to send it back because I was hungry.



Let's dissect this burger. The bun was fine -- not too dense and soft and fresh enough. The patty was on thin side for a $14 burger. The quality of the meat wasn't stellar. Definitely above average but trailing that of Houston's (of course), Rustic Canyon, Lazy Ox Canteen and Bowery. The patty also wasn't ground evenly so some of the chunks were chewy, which on a positive note could give a sense of it being ground on-site and not at some huge factory that churns out its patties from a metal dispenser machine. But it wasn't a good feeling chewing a bit piece of fatty piece that hadn't been ground properly. The works were fine but as a purist, I contend that there was too much going on. Too many flavors and textures can work against itself. The accompanying cole slaw was bland. Pickle was inedible.

The fries were just fries you'd expect at some dive bar, not a foodie gastropub that takes its food seriously. Disappointed again. I liked that they were piping hot when they arrived and weren't over salted though. Brownie points for that.
  
Don't get me started on the Margherita pizza. The dough was worse than Domino's (although it's been a while since I've had that) -- thick, overly doughy and tough. Nothing like the airy, fluffy and light pizza crust it should be. The beauty of the true Neapolitan pizza or any pizza I've had in Italy, for that matter, is that they're light, super thin and very easy on the cheese and sauce. Execution on this one was bad.

The garlicky kale salad that came chili and jicama strips was refreshing but as they say, it is hard to mess up a kale salad. Man, that sounded mean. I don't have any hard feelings for this place, by the way. I was just disappointed because I had high hopes and I was so taken by the decor upon entering.

Service was great though and very attentive.

We had the beer flight and those are always a treat. I had one that tasted very unusual -- like maple syrup but more savory -- but of course I forgot the name.

Unfortunately, the finale was disappointing too. The berry shortcake was nothing like I imagined. I wanted a berry shortcake a la Sweet Lady Jane, fresh berries sandwiched between super moist cake and the fluffiest cream. I think I need a refresher at SLJ soon to detox from this dry and overly sweet version.

I'll likely return for the beer selection and stick to minimally prepared foods. Still, thanks EW for introducing me to this neighborhood joint!

Faux Pas Bistro: Are Smashed Home Fries a Faux Pas in a Bistro? That's The Least of Their Problems.

I really wanted to like this place. The location is great, the ambiance and open-air setup take me right back to bistros in Paris or New York and service was excellent. But alas, the food just didn't deliver. To be fair, the place just recently opened so line cooks are still "in training," we were told. But it held so much promise.

I mean, look at that incredibly photogenic burger with smashed fries, which, by the way, seem to be the fries du jour. But more on that later. Let's talk about this beautiful burger. No sooner had I bit into it did I discover the patty tasted good but it wasn't cooked right. Not enough redness. It was overcooked the first time and then the second time around as well. We didn't want to be too harsh so didn't ask for yet another round but...I won't belabor the point.

So the patty itself was flavorful enough with decent texture but again, it was somewhat ruined by overcooking. I also had issues with the works -- shredded iceberg lettuce, really? One, it was a royal pain to eat and didn't add much to the mix. Two, iceberg? Who does that for a $12 burger? Could hardly taste the roasted garlic aioli or the cheddar cheese. The sesame brioche bun was ok but it could have been less dense. Yes, I have issues with dense buns. And I just wanted to write that.

The "fries" were more like smashed home fries, which our server had warned us about but I had read the posts about these beforehand so it wasn't a surprise. I thought it was well executed -- even better than at Short Order at the Grove. It's true I not-so-secretly longed for double-fried-in-duck-fat-kind of super crispy "frites" you get at bistros (think Schillers' Liquor Bar in New York) but I still appreciated these for their uber crispiness. And the fact they weren't over salted, a topic I have been known to rant about.

Let's balance the bad with the good. Look at adorable the bread "basket" arrived at our table with a side of tomato spread. The tiny breads were nice and warm although they weren't stellar, they were good, especially with the spread.

I must now judge the Margarita pizza, or Pizzette Marguerite. Not sure it's the correct use of the word, pizzette, at least according to a rudimentary search I did to figure out the difference with a pizza. It's apparently plural for pizzetta, a small pizza in Italian but maybe it means something else in French.

Anyhow, it had none of the airy lightness I recall from the OG pizza in Napoli. The dough was too thick and doughy. There was far too much cheese that made it even heavier. The balance of dough, cheese and tomato sauce was all off. Sliced fresh basil on top was the only decent thing about it and that's not saying much. So we took it back...They were thankfully very gracious about not charging us for something we weren't going to want more of.

So gracious were the host, server and sous-chef that they gave us a pineapple tart with chantilly cream on the side on the house. Again, I didn't love it but it was very generous and nice of them to make sure we left happy. The tart was too sweet and dense but I liked the pineapple brulee that I cracked with the tip of my spoon.

My final rant about the place is the green salad, which was absolutely nothing special. Ok, it's just a starter salad but some tossed greens and two pieces of tomatoes doesn't make a salad. Disappointing for a fancy bistro that presumably takes its food seriously. Why not try to wow us with a seasonal salad like the incredible carrot salad I had recently at Son of a Gun? Bo-ring.

I'll probably be banned from this restaurant as they'll know it was me. I'm not sure I'll be returning though because while service was really attentive and I appreciate them going out of their way to accommodate us, they really need to work on the quality of the food and execution. Like I said, I really do want them to succeed. Honest to God.

But for pizza, must confess that I'd much rather go to Olio a few blocks away. And for burgers, well, you know my faves (Houston's in case you don't!).

Rant of the Week: What's the Deal with the Uber Dense Buns at High-end Burger Shops? Short Order -- I'm Talking About You

I get that buns can be dense in places that don't purport to be the end-all, be-all burger joints. But any self-respecting, self-proclaimed "burger joint" that calls itself Short Order should take care to ensure the buns are NOT dense and in perfect harmony with the patty and the works.


As I've said over and over again to the point of sounding like a broken record, the perfect burger is the sum of all its great parts. The patty was cooked medium rare but it wasn't particularly flavorful.

Burgeries take note: do not overdo any part of the bun, whether the upper or lower half. This was especially disturbing for a place owned by none other than the queen of breads, Nancy Silverton, of La Brea Bakery and Pizzeria Mozza fame. Not to mention the wait.

Yes, the bottom line is, Houston's burgers are the best, including their buns.

Full review coming soon...

Steingarten LA: Lackluster Burger & Sausage, Barely Redeemed by Beer List

I always go to where a supposedly good burger resides so made my way to Steingarten LA in West LA. I was sorely disappointed. Not only was "The Works" burger overcooked twice (I gave up after the first time taking it back) but it wasn't even that good. In fact, the patty was flavorful enough but the sum of its parts, including the bun, toppings, etc, just didn't cut it. It's not even an average burger, I'm afraid.


The bun was far too dense and while I liked that it was toasted, that didn't help the fact that it was still too dense. I didn't feel like a lot of thought had gone into the toppings, which included tomatoes, cheddar cheese, lettuce, raw onions and Thousand Island dressing.

We tried the Bratwurst because the owner was raving about them. Disappointing. It didn't even come close to the ones I had on the streets of Germany years ago. Then he played up the dipping sauces that he makes in-house, including a very good garlic and herb-based green sauce, that was hands-down my favorite. I think that was the one good thing about the place and smothering that sauce on the burger helped a little bit (but ultimately didn't save it).

The beet salad was too heavily sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, defeating the purpose of salad. I liked having an extensive beer list but I could get that at Biergarten, Village Idiot, Congregation Ale House in Long Beach, heck even in My Father's Office that I don't frequent much.

Sorry but I'm not returning to this joint. There are simply too many far better options out there for the same price, or even less.

Salt's Cure: Overrated and Overpriced -- Needs to Use Less of Its Namesake

Salt's Cure is one of those places I had always driven by and been meaning to check out. I finally did and I must say, I was disappointed. Amazingly, I'm somehow willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, saying it must be more of a breakfast or brunch place. After all, I've seen the long lines forming on weekends (although that doesn't necessarily mean it's good -- think Blue Jam Cafe).

Sadly, I wasn't impressed with any of the food except the burger. It wasn't the best one I've ever had, but it was the most interesting and tastiest thing we had. The burger patty was good -- the meat was fresh and I could tell freshly ground -- but there were some fatty parts that I could have done without (you know, when you chew on it and it's so fatty you can't so you have to somehow get it out of your mouth). The cured ham on top of the patty was ok but I don't think it added a whole lot of value in terms of flavor and texture. The house-made poppyseed bun was an interesting touch but ultimately too dense for its own good. The fries looked promising but were a bit greasy and soggy -- just not as crispy as they could be.

We got the potted pork that message boards raved about but it was clearly overrated as it had an unpleasant porky smell and tasted like smelly tuna salad with too much mayo in it. It had the same texture but what was particularly egregious was that it was far too salty. The accompanying (also house-baked) bread was toasted and hard (but not warm) like biscuits. The also house-made pickles were ok but nothing special.

I was excited to try the house-made (ok, they pretty much make everything in-house) carpaccio -- called raw dry aged beef on the menu -- with leeks, parsley and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Downer: the carpaccio was too salty on top of not being sliced razor thin as they should be and the texture was too chewy, like it hadn't been cured for long enough. It tasted like fake carpaccio. I've had far better carpaccio at other fine dining establishments.

Don't even get me started on the salad. It sounded promising enough: avocado, grapefruit and red onion salad with greens. I'm guessing the place grows the greens too? Well, for a $12 starter salad, I expect it to look a bit more sophisticated looking than this mush of overdressed greens with other ingredients thrown in. If the ghastly-looking thing tasted half-way decent, I wouldn't mind at all. But the lettuce was literally drowning in an overpowering citrusy dressing and as if to stay consistent with the rest of the meal, was also too salty. The dressing was so overpowering that I could barely taste the grapefruit, red onion or avocado. Not good.

I was pinning my hopes on the dessert but alas, it was too sweet. It was raisin bread pudding with caramel. I'm a bread pudding lover but a picky one so didn't find the texture to be substantial enough. It was a bit too mushy. I know caramel is supposed to be sweet but not this sweet! So I only had a bite or two.

Maybe I'll return for brunch but why go here when I could go to the solid Square One?

Who Makes a Good, Messy Burger and Mean Potato Chips? Biergarten Does.

UPDATE: I returned several times after my first visit and I must say, I've been consistently impressed with the food. Except for the short rib poutine whose meat wasn't up to par one time, the German Fried Rice, the Korean Burger, Short Rib Poutine and Fig Salad were all excellent. Check out the images and captions below.

I had my reservations about Biergarten because it initially reminded me of those grungy beer "hofs" in Korea's college towns where the Hites and OBs are watered down, food is a greasy mess and everything comes with an unappetizing green cabbage salad with a big old squirt of mayo or thousand island dressing. But I was pleasantly surprised.

I had read good reviews on Biergarten so decided to give it a try. That it allegedly had a good burger certainly nudged me further.

The first thing we got, freshly fried ultra thin potato chips, was pretty solid. They came with a ranch dressing-like dip that was not entirely necessary. The chips were salted just right and crispy to perfection.

Let's talk burger. I had the regular burger with bacon, lettuce and tomato. The first one was overcooked so I took it back. The second one was a lot better -- cooked medium rare. The flavor of the patty was good. While I rarely met a bacon strip I didn't like, I thought the layers and layers of super thick bacon were a bit much. I liked that they weren't too fatty but 3-4 layers of bacon took away from my enjoying the patty. Then I have a major beef about the bun. The first bun was good but the second bun was cold, dense and at complete odds with the decent patty. It was almost an afterthought that someone remembered to take the buns out of a fridge. The bun needs work. Brioche buns are the way to go.

Another surprise was the roasted chicken, which is usually pre-cooked and therefore dry. But this one was juicy and roasted just enough so the skin was browned and crispy. I didn't care much for the accompanying cabbage salad with some mayo squirted over it (yes, it reminded me of my hof experiences). I should say that I don't just hold negative feelings about my hof experiences in Korea. It's part of the nostalgia one feels when walking around college towns like Shinchon. But the food and drinks weren't really what I remember them for. I remember the gigantic 500cc glasses we did one-shots with and the French fries being the only remotely edible thing on the menu.

Biergarten is a vast improvement from those joints. I'm not crazy about the sports-bar-wannabe ambiance but I will head over there if Korea plays at the next World Cup (I'm not a big fan of women's soccer, sorry).

The beer selection was impressive and I was offered an IPA flight when I couldn't decide which IPA to get with my burger. In typical Korean fashion, when asked what were the differences among the various IPAs, the server pointed to one and said, "this one is the most popular everyone orders." Come ON. If you purport to be a true gastropub or microbrewery or whatever the moniker for good food and beer is, you need to train your staff so they know and are as passionate about beer as you. Otherwise, you lose credibility.

I probably will return to try some other dishes and beers but this place needs work in terms of having servers familiarize themselves with the menu and beer, and the ambiance is not as quaint as one would like, perhaps due to the larger size of the space than, say, Village Idiot.

German Fried Rice: Rice stir-fried with some serious German sausages and veggies, all topped with a super decadent gravy that bordered on curry (did we order curry rice?) and a runny fried egg. This one didn't last very long on our table.

Short Rib Poutine: Need I say more? This was insane the first time we had it -- perfect fries sprinkled with some blue cheese (or really stinky aged brie of some kind) and smothered with short rib gravy on top. OMG! I'm proud to say my dinner companion and I one time managed to finish this off. But the second time around, unfortunately, the short rib wasn't as good. It was smelly and I didn't have a lot of it (just the fries). Great concept. It reminded me of the barbecued pork poutine from Animal, another great institution.

The Chosun One: I liked the stir-fried kimchi and spicy aoili, as well as the pickled daikon radish (I've actually used this radish pairing for my braised oxtail sliders for a Bowl outing once to pretty delicious effect if I may say so myself). I didn't love the spam (I know. Spam is big in Korea. But I couldn't get myself to have the burger with it). Otherwise, a pretty decent if not overcooked burger -- maybe at the level of the Village Idiot.

Fig Salad: Refreshing and lightly dressed, with thin slices of persimmons at the bottom of the plate and a mix of arugula and frisee, sprinkled with walnuts, figs and Parmesan shavings. Highly recommended, especially effective as a way to balance out the high fat and cholesterol content of the other menu items.

Burger Kitchen Revisisted: No Go -- We Miss You Pat LaFrieda!

Remember when I was so stoked that the famous purveyors of meat in New York, Pat LaFrieda, which supplies to big wigs like Minetta Tavern and such, would now be available right here in LA by way of Burger Kitchen?

Well, I didn't bother linking the name of this joint in the last paragraph because I returned recently only to learn that it no longer served Pat LaFrieda burgers. This when I went there fully expecting to shell out $26 (yes, $26) for one of the best burgers in LA? I got a cheeseburger that claimed to have been made from a local butcher that's just as good. Alas -- not even close. I'm guessing the burger didn't sell as well and it was making it hard to turn a profit for the joint but what a monumental loss.

I'm sorry but this place needs to up its burger game, especially in the wake of yummy burger joints galore popping up every week. Come back, Patty!

A-Frame: Mediocre Picnic Fare With a Twist -- Kimchi Sour Cream, Anyone?

A-frame was disappointing. Perhaps that shouldn't surprise me since I was never a big fan of the Kogi truck food. But the premise of picnic-style food to share was so appealing that I had to check it out.

The Furikake kettle corn didn't have much flavor, and bordered on bland. Different, yes -- unless you're from Hawaii and had it while growing up like someone I know, but not particularly well-executed. I long for the real deal. Like I wrote in my Lazy Ox review, Furikake , the Japanese mix of sesame seeds, seaweed, etc used to sprinkle over rice, is catching on in the fine dining scene. It's everywhere.


Then there was the double cheeseburger. You all know by now that I burger, therefore I am. Granted, I had been warned it'd be two layers of thin meat patties, unlike the chunky, juicy and bloody burgers I like from Houston's and Lazy Ox. This one came with tomato confit, pickled red onions, butter lettuce, hot sauce sharp cheddar and sesame mayo on a brioche bun. While it was a notch up In-n-Out, it was most definitely no Houston's. Ok. I don't think it seeks to outdo the Houston's of the world. But still, if you're going to have a burger on the menu and you're such a pioneering chef, do something more special and keep it bloody, please!

The patties were so anemic that you could barely taste the meat. The bun was good enough and it was messy to eat in a good way. But I won't be ordering it again, if I return, that is, which is uncertain at this point.


The fries were a mix of purple Okinawan sweet potato, yam, and Korean sweet potato with kimchi sour cream as a dip. They were good but nothing to write home about. Ok, the kimchi sour cream was an interesting touch. It could be spicier for sure. I felt like he diluted it a bit for the mainstream audience, which is unfortunate.

Purple sweet potatoes are always a joy to eat. Portions were on the small side so my dinner companion and I only had like three each and we cleaned up the plate.

For dessert, we wanted to be wowed. We ordered what sounded like the most unusual thing on the menu -- black pepper Szechuan ice cream and salted chocolate cookie.

Another disappointment. I like that Roy Choi tinkered with different ideas but I must say they didn't work.

I wasn't a huge fan of Chego either but at least I liked what he did with the pork belly pieces. They were like lacquered pieces of jewels sitting atop the rice with other goodies. The atmosphere was ok and communal tables gave a, well, community feel.

Oh, but I must vent about the poor service we got. It wasn't our server who was the problem. We were eating and a larger party suddenly showed up, saying they would take over the entire communal table we were sitting on the edge. I think it's so tacky for the hostess to pull that crap because it was clearly a way to pressure us to leave. That's SO not cool. That alone made me not want to return. Thank God the food was mediocre.

Lazy Ox Canteen Redeemed On Second Visit: Excellent Burger and Small Plates

The first time I went to Lazy Ox Canteen, I wasn't in the least impressed. It was a while ago, shortly after it opened last year. I had the burger and it was pasty and not at all well executed. I wrote the place off as mediocre and not worth returning.

Then I heard all the raves about its burger at LA Weekly's 30 Burger in 30 Days series, which I didn't much agree with but noticed nonetheless. Then recently, I needed a place for a large party (8) that's relatively central and easy to find. With its extensive small plates menu, "the Ox," as it is apparently dubbed by its fans, seemed just the place. And the right occasion to give it a second chance since I'd be trying a variety of dishes.


It didn't disappoint. I'm not one to be swayed by any reviews, but I must say the burger was indeed very good, no comparison to the mediocre version I had at my last visit. The patty was not at all pasty -- it had a delicious meaty flavor with some smokiness from the charred edges. I had it cooked medium (as opposed to medium rare) as I was sharing but it didn't distract from my enjoyment. It came with butter lettuce, red onions and Cantal cheese, which I later learned was a hard cheese from France. The combination worked very well.

The other revelation was the yellow tail crudo. Sure, I've had sashimi pieces of hamachi before, but the way they were combined with green papaya strips, mint, scallions and a piece of grapefruit (that looks like a tomato in this photo) was pretty phenomenal. The kicker were the rice puff balls that added a crunchy texture and nuttiness to the flavor, as well as this Japanese herb mix (I think the waitress said it was furikake, which seems to be taking off these days as chefs' favorite condiment -- A-Frame's Roy Choi of Kogi truck fame uses it to make popcorn like many Hawaiians have for years and I'm going next week so stay tuned!) that includes variations of seaweed, sesame seeds, salt, dried or ground fish, sugar, among other things. It added a very distinct and refreshing dimension to what should become a staple summer dish for me.

My next favorite dish was the brussels sprouts. I've always loved roasted brussels sprouts, and one of my favorite recipes is David Chang's in GQ where he adds bacon bits and sriracha sauce (can't beat that). But these came with not one but two strong contenders -- chorizo bits and parmesan (or pecorino?) cheese melted on top. Pile on the sodium, baby. And the caramelization. Probably too much to just eat all by yourself. That's why we ordered other healthier dishes to balance out this one, like grilled cabbage with piquillo peppers and almonds (which looked beautiful but was just ok) and grilled asparagus with manchego cheese, romesco sauce and peppers, which was also just ok (asparagus were a tad overcooked too).

The grilled lettuce was on the bland side, even with the addition of smoky piquillo peppers, which I usually love.

A dish worth mentioning is the fried fish with some spicy aioli on the side and the cauliflower with pine nuts, mint and chile. The cauliflower was roasted and while it wasn't much to look at, the nuttiness plus refreshing mint did enhance the flavors. The chile didn't do much to spike it, though, as I could hardly taste it.

Other dishes we had included spaghetti squash cooked with a dollop of butter and a garlicky French parsley sauce called persillade.

It was a bit too buttery even for a butter-lover like me. Maybe they should try an olive oil version that's less heavy.

One of the first dishes I had after I sat down was grilled shishito peppers. They retained their gorgeous green hue with some charred sides and topped with some bright pickled red onions that made them look so picture perfect. They tasted ok, but then again, they were a bit spicy so not sure how many I could have back to back.

The desserts were nothing to write home about, so I won't. They were overly sweet, dense and overall unremarkable.

The service was ok but a bit harried and spotty. It got extremely loud and a bit chaotic but for a large group, not a bad place. If you're in for an intimate dinner, thi s isn't the place for you.

Parking is street parking free after 8pm and if you're like me and hate to pay for parking at the risk of parking at a shadier area, there's plenty of parking south of Third Street where it starts to get a bit less safe but hey, it's free after 6pm!

I'd love to return to try some other dishes like the grilled branzino, ribeye steak or iberico ham, although it probably won't come close to my favorite jamon iberico de bellota at the Bazaar.

Congregration Ale House in LBC: Great Beer Selection and Juicy Burger

As many of you know, I love burgers. So when I perused the menu at this beer heaven, Congregation Ale House in Long Beach, it was a no-brainer. It was called a grilled rib-eye and cheddar burger. I confess my expectations weren't super high, only because I've been disappointed at other pubs many times before (York comes to mind. Village Idiot may be an exception).



This burger was very good. The patty was cooked medium rare just the way I like it -- slightly bloody but charred on the edges from the grilling. The works, including roasted tomatoes, grilled onions, arugula mixed greens and rosemary garlic mayo (although couldn't taste the garlic much), all blended together well. The bun was a ciabatta-type bread, which was not bad but I guess I just prefer a brioche bun with my burger.

The fries, both potatoes and sweet potato fries, were crispy, a bit on the oily side, but ok. I didn't love the dips they came with but maybe I should just try other ones as it offers a wide variety.

Speaking of variety, the beer selection is awesome. I, of course, had an IPA with my burger and the name escapes me. But part of the fun is trying new kinds of beer. The world is your oyster. Our group tried everything from a chocolate-flavored stout (sounds better than it tastes) and some pale ales that were very refreshing, to a "beer sangria" that mixed different kinds of beer to interesting results.

It got a bit hectic and crowded on a Friday night but worth a visit if you're a beer (and burger) person.

La Boheme: Persimmon Salad Delights, Other Dishes Fizzle

La Boheme's decor was very goth, with exquisitely elaborate chandeliers (which weren't goth but reminded me of the set for a vampire movie) and different kinds of seating available -- everything from a cool booth to a round table or an intimate table on the top floor overlooking the entire dining room.

The food? I wasn't blown away but I did notice the interesting touches here and there of the chef's Japanese American background -- the persimmon salad was excellent. It came with arugula, prosciutto and deliciously creamy burrata. It had everything, salty from the cured ham, slightly sweet and tart from the fruit, creamy from the cheese and of course, the crunchy texture from the greens and fruit that brought it all together.


After the first course is when the story starts to go awry. We got the burger and the four-cheese mac-n-cheese. The mac-n-cheese came first. Good Lord. It was a blob of overcooked elbow macaroni mixed in with what looked and tasted like Cheez Whiz, no kidding. I couldn't believe that any self-respecting chef would allow something this atrocious out of the kitchen. Crime #1: pasta should not be overcooked. Crime #2: it had no breadcrumbs. Most importantly, crime #3: it didn't have any flavor whatsoever. I asked the server what the four cheeses were and she could only name three and never told us the fourth -- they were cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan and ?

The only reason we decided not to take it back was because we thought we could probably repurpose it at home with some hot sauce or something.

Anyhow, the burger was just an inch above average. The bun bread was so unremarkable -- dense, not sturdy enough and not much flavor. A brioche bun would have been a lot better.

The patty was not bad. The grind was coarse and the flavor of the meat was decent thanks to the slight char on the outside. It was cooked medium rare but because it was on the thinner side so biting into a juicy, bloody patty wasn't to be.

The works didn't work for me. The bacon was too strongly flavored although I must fully disclose that I'm not a bacon in my burger kind of person. The cheddar cheese was fine enough but what's with the lettuce dripping, no drowning in this so-called horseradish mayo that's pretty flavorless and is just soaking my burger? The mayo definitely needs to go. The caramelized onions were ok but I prefer my onions raw (yes, like my fave at Houston's).

On the upside, the fries were pretty good. They were shoe-string fries that came out piping hot and crispy. They had some sort of spicy Cajun-like seasoning on them, which I didn't like much but got over it thanks to the good execution of the fries.

The coolest thing I saw was this device above called a "dumbwaiter," which transported our drinks from the kitchen to our second floor table. We had the old world and new world red wine flights, with everything from a super Tuscan to a Syrah, those two being my favorites in the respective flights. To our surprise, we liked the new world flight better but it's always fun sampling.

Maybe I'll venture out here again for its happy hour, but only because it's close to my 'hood. Keep up the great salads. The mac-n-cheese (and burger, for that matter) department needs a lot of work, for sure. Service was well-intentioned but spotty and a tad frazzled.