I'm a blogger, I'm a gobbler, it's Halloween night.  I write to share the pono burger.  I heard about it on the news last week and then Sasha, an employee of Bristol Farms, new, beautiful market, recommended it.  I was on my way back from Brick & Mortar Restaurant (of course, trying their burger), when I saw the aluminum siding building that only had the word, Burgers, on it.  I could smell it.  A parking spot was open, a sign from the burger Gods!  I went in to be pleasantly surprised.  After I entered the "Quansett"(hut) building, as informed by Brian, my wonderful server, with a down to earth presence, calming.  I ordered the "Classic", chuck, (grass-fed) onion marmalade, Hook's 1 year old cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, on a brioche bun.  The burger arrived with the meat peeking out at me.  Delicious first bite, hot, flavorful, fresh and fantastic.  I loved biting into the dill pickle slice. 
They use white oak to cook their meat and Marlin comes to Pono with tons of great experience, but most of all, heart and a true love for cooking for people. 
Tasting left overs the next day I was surprised to have the Brick & Mortar burger stand out.  I give Pono's a 9.

FIVE GUYS

This burger was recommended by the manager of Rejoice Juice on Pico.  I was walking around Westwood one afternoon when I saw Five Guys and went in to try their burger.  It comes with a double patty which I didn't like, I should have ordered their little cheeseburger. This meat had no sear on it.  The meat had no flavor to speak of.  The toppings were ok and ordinary. The fries were not good.   The bun, I can't even remember.  No love in this chain of burger land.

TRAILER PARK FOOD TRUCK

I ran into this truck by mistake, walking to the bank on Wilshire Blvd.  I stopped to check the truck out because I liked the name and the beige color of the truck.  I ordered a macaroni and cheese sandwich.  It was heavy, with thick bread, but nicely grilled.  The mac n cheese was okay, with large shells.  I ate half of it and had the other half the next day.  This sandwich really grew on me, it was different, but after getting used to, crave for it again.  Oddly enough, when I was helping out dogs and people from the Barrington Towers fire last Friday they were there, on Wilshire Blvd.  They didn't have a cup but I got one from the fruit vendor and then they filled it with water for me.  They were stressed under the situation of being barricaded on Wilshire, with the street closed down and full of people evacuated from their apartments.  See you guys soon, huh?

ME SO HUNGRY FOOD TRUCK

Today I looked for the Azteca truck to find Me So Hungry on Wilshire Blvd.  They were promoting their food truck by giving away burgers.  The line was very long, with a  half hour wait.  I saw their large sign that they had Ramen Burgers now, so I waited.  Gab, the director was filming and wanted to interview me taking "the first bite" but they were busy with someone else when I received my ramen burger.  At first look, it seemed small.  I smelled it, and it smelled good but not much of a meat patty.  I took a bite and liked the different texture but was trying to figure it out.  It didn't mesh together very well.  I would have liked it with a different sauce, maybe spicier, and arugula to balance out the ramen taste and to compliment the scallions.  Overall is was okay, but I missed the regular bun and lettuce, tomato, onion and condiments.  Sorry, but will try again. 

R&D KITCHEN

What took me so long to go here?  I think that I heard someone mention R&D Kitchen as a very good restaurant, so it went left on my list for a couple of months or so.  I recently became curious again since I starting reviewing and writing in my blog and it was so close to home. 
I had a craving to out for Italian food up to the Barrington Court or across the street to Enzo & Angela's.  Then miraculously I remembered that I wanted to try the spaghetti and meatballs at R&D.  Heck, I needed to drink my smoothie before I could possibly eat lunch at 1:00.  When I saw the restaurant right away with a parking space available, I knew that was a good sign.  I walked in to be warmly welcomed by Sydney.  What a doll!  She told me that it would be a 15 or 20 minute wait.  I was glad to finish my smoothie in the warm sunshine of the day.  She quickly came to get me when I had chatted up the father and son going in before me.  They like the sandwich special sometimes, but overall like everything, except something off with the spaghetti, maybe too large of a dish.  They commented on the slim selection but what they did was well done.
I was seated at a nice table, well lit, and after settling in noticed a burning candle next to the stainless pepper mill, which I always need to ask for in a restaurant.  Their was a lot of detail and care put into the table arrangement.  I opened the white linen napkin to find a beautiful knife, solid, with a great handle.  I forgot to look for the name on it.  I need new knifes, especially like this. 
My server, Elle, greeted me with a warm smile.  When asked of her recommendations she named a few items but when she mentioned the chicken sandwich, she face lit up.  I told her my thoughts of ordering the spaghetti but instead, ordering three side dishes.  I definitely am glad that I did.  Elle even asked me if I wanted it to all come out together or separately.  No one seems to ask that and I appreciated the extra touch of customer service, which kept occurring throughout this lunch experience.  Elle and another server brought such positive energy to the day, adding to the experience again.  Elle asked if I wanted ketchup or their spicy mayonnaise.  I vacillated a moment when she suggested both and asked if I would like to try their thousand island.  I ended up with all three.  Yepee!  I received a flat long narrow white dish holding five proud deviled eggs, perfect with the Halloween theme of evil, and then mixing it with an angel food cake.  Then came a stainless cup and paper inside holding beautiful golden fries, not too skinny. They were very good, well seasoned, and salt too.  The best fries, actually, that I've had anywhere else.  This was a huge compliment.  The first sauce I tried was the best, thousand island, which I don't really like.  It is a secret recipe of chives, parsley, red pepper, chipotle and mayo, as far as my detection could tell.
I now was in anticipation of seeing the chicken meatballs.  OMG, they came three meatballs, in a white oval dish.  They looked great but the first thing I thought was that there was too much tomatoes for my acid reflux to handle.  They were excellent, and then my thought was maybe I should have ordered the spaghetti to accompany them.  No, no these meatballs desired showing on their own and held up, hands down! 
Now I'm eating the French fries and keep going back to them.  The deviled eggs will have to wait their turn again.  They didn't capture me but the crunch of the small cubes of celery did.  Mustard was the first thing to come out after first bite.  Elle came by again to check on me and I asked about the restaurant's owner and long it had been there.  She said that it is a family owned business with George Bile, the proprietor, and his son David now managing the chain of restaurants. They opened in Nashville, Tennessee in 1976.   I was amazed that this was a chain restaurant, with so many elements to make a successful restaurant, especially consistency.  It is hard to control everything that could go wrong and make it work out.  When I complimented the deviled eggs for the crunchiness I was told that it is also a secret recipe from Grandmother Ding.  How cute is that!  Also the ground chicken meatballs consists of a secret cinnamon, pickle relish. 
I was now being asked if they could bring me a fresh cup of fries.  Are you kidding? Who does that?   I was reminded that they do that but not a lot of people know about it.    I graciously accepted and my water was refilled, right on time.  I laughed as I looked across from me to see a woman putting a black moustache on her face.  Their companion told me that their shrimp Louie is the best in town and referenced Musso and Frank's Grill in Hollywood, a legendary restaurant, know for their shrimp Louie and most certainly, their martinis with olives.  My neighbor went on to say the R&D Kitchen's food is all good, simple and they do it well. 
And yes, it get's better, Elle now offers me a desert.  I accepted and gave her an honest compliment of her genuineness, etc.  I saw a beautiful, golden crème brule in front of me now.  OMG again!  At first bite was the sound of the top cracking, lovely. 
Sydney told me as I was leaving that Bandera, next to my apartment, is their sister restaurant.  Hillstone Restaurant on2nd Street is also theirs.  I was in heaven with this whole experience and I was caught off guard, not expecting what I received.  This was the best experience I have had in most of my years, for many reasons.  With the staff, the atmosphere, the quality, taste and presentation of the meal, it ranks highest marks. 

AZTECA FOOD TRUCK

Dude, this burrito was the bomb.  It had good meat, with a very good flavor and lots of spicy heat.  I looked for them the next week but they weren't there.  I will follow them on twitter.  Wish I could write more after my next burrito.  It certainly was memorable. 

CEMITAS FOOD TRUCK

  This was one of the best tacos that I have had in town.  I happened to be across the street at the pet store on Pico & Sepulveda.  I was hungry and wanted something light since I would be having dinner in a few hours, which was in my previous blog.  I didn't expect anything but a truck taco but that isn't what I received at all!
The taco had a fresh tortilla, handmade.  The taste is what is supposed to stand out, and it did.  The carne asada was good, not fatty, or over cooked and with a great spice.  I think the family said they are from Michoacán.  Forgive me for spelling this wrong too.  I need to go back to try it again, I had this blog in draft mode too long, sorry.  Oh, yes, I did go back and tried the burrito, and the flavor was not of my taste.

North End Pizzaria

This pizza is really good!  I ate four slices of cheese pizza.  When I called to inquire about delivery Carlos kindly took the time to look at my request for their pizza that had artichoke in it with two other ingredients.  I decide on cheese pizza.  I felt confident with my friend Joe's recommendation that this pizza was killer and that as a "foodie", I would be happy.  I was so happy, I was in pizza heaven.
Since this time I am a regular and enjoy visiting Andrew in his restaurant.  He is proud of his Italian dressing, which is more delicious than mine.  Andrew has made a cozy with nook within this mini-mall which holds Western Bagel, Tasty Wok, and a wonderful bakery with you can buy small tiramisu and fruit tarts.  Yum!  And of course, "The Nook" neighborhood eating, which decently delicious.  I went there for my birthday and ate mussels.  Oh, it's located on Santa Monica Blvd. East of Barry Avenue.
I also enjoy the all meat pizza, and any others that you may like on the menu.  I haven't tried the salads yet, but look forward to.  Thanks for great pizza that I can have delivered or go enjoy in your café style restaurant. 

Burger Heaven! The Find!

Hey ya all, I'm back, looking for the best burger in town.  Even though I've almost turned vegetarian.  I have been juicing for the last year.  Your body starts to tell you what it doesn't want and then you have to figure out what it wants and adjust.  My love for burgers began eight years ago in South Los Angeles, Three Bears Barbeque and Bernard's Burgers.  Living in West Los Angeles it is hard to find a classic burger with onion, pickle, lettuce, tomato, cheese, ketchup and mustard.  I have eaten at several establishments that provide you with a decadent, high end burger, but not what I crave.  The meat needs to hold together with plenty of flavor, good toppings, a simple cheese and bun, just a lot of love.  Tradition seems to be a key element in the consistency of the classic burger found on my past journeys.   I can't wait for my next burger experience, I feel, as I write this. 
I tried The Golden State at 426 Fairfax, across the street from Cantor's Deli.  It is a little place.  I was told about The Golden State, it was on list, when I saw Guy Fiori debut it on the cooking show.  Guy loved the pulled pork with marinated jalapenos, which they only serve on Tuesday night I was later told. 
The burger came with a happy, shiny bun.  It was a brioche bun.  The meat was good but under-seasoned, my number one complaint of most burgers.  The arugula and aoli were good.  I missed red onion.  It was a solid burger for taste and with Tillamook cheese.  The cutest thing was when a little boy, (about 6 years old) with his sister and father stated, "I could eat this burger a hundred million times".  It was very good overall.
The fries were no great shakes but the service rocked!  I think I might have underestimated this burger and will go back again to see, or taste, may it be.  I give it a 7, maybe missing some love.   Stay tuned for my rating system.

NATIVE FOODS

What a delicious, nutritious meal.  I had the Bangkok Curry Bowl.  It was filled with kale, nicely cut, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and moist , brown rice. The top of the colorfully seductive  bowl was accompanied with nice, large, grilled strips of seared tofu.  The curry has a wonderful heat to it, of perfect measure. The curry consists of a lemongrass infused coconut milk curry.  It was flirting with a dash of cilantro.  I couldn't finish this bowl is was so large.  I met the manager, a nice, friendly and informative person.  Their tea was quite good, with a selection to choose from.  Now that I am practically vegan, unless I'm eating burgers or pork, I crave this type of dish.  Oh, this Native Foods is on Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica. 

WEST SIDE TAVERN

A good tip but off by marks.  This owner is committed to a good burger, 100% Angus Beef, cooked on a very hot grill to get that nice sear. The cut is 80/20.   My server, Danny was delightful, as all the other crew.  Young, helpful, down to earth people, how refreshing. Danny reminded me of Marina del Rey's Barnes & Noble bookstore after I mentioned that almost all of the bookstores are gone today. I sat at a table that had a nice view of Pico Blvd.  It felt open and spacious, and warm inside.  They decorated the restaurant with dark wood and low lighting.  I loved the old-fashioned cheesecloth or is it burlap, napkin.
This restaurant was recommended to me by a patron of the new Bristol Farms Market on Wilshire, which I love!  When I talk up burgers people pipe in and give me their recommendations, I love that.  That tells me that others are as passionate about their burgers as I am. 
The first thing that I noticed was the nice smoky, savory smell.  It had a beautiful bun, I think one of my favorites.  The thing about reviewing so many burgers is that you might need to return for another tasting in order to critique the most recent burger. So it is important to be very descriptive in my writing.  This burger is adorned with garlic aioli, carmelized onions, arugula and Tillamook cheese.   At first bite you have a nice combination of ingredients, which caught my attention.   Although, it could have been more seasoned with pepper.  Of course I miss the raw onion but they didn't overpower the burger with carmelized onion.  The sweetness of the onion could have taken away from the burger, but it didn't, bravo.  Again, I was told that the owners pride themselves in finding the best tasting meat and participated in many tastings before their came to their end product.   My criticism  would be to work on it's taste and texture to perfect it. 
The fries were skinny, airy and surprisingly with a good flavor.  I don't know if it was by accident or not but the small cup container that held the fries was a perfect shape and size to keep the fries hot.  I think that keeping the food hot is very important.  The ketchup was ok, but ordinary and they could entertain the idea of checking out Plan Check's, which is superb.  Anyway, these French fries are addictive to me and I can't say that about any others except at the Mediterran restaurant on Pico by Santa Monica High School.  I think they put old bay seasoning or something on them that make them delicious.  And their water has cucumber in it, love that!
I told Danny that I liked an amber beer and he recommended the Beach House.  It couldn't disappoint, I would buy it in the market, it was that good.  This restaurant gets a 9, with young, cute, nice waiters with great service.  Another reason that they received a 9 is because the music was great.  I am sated and wait for my return visit.  Will I have a burger or try the tuna?  For sure I will order fries. 

BRICK AND MORTAR

On Main Street in Santa Monica lies a quaint, tucked in kinda place.  I liked it, especially the friendly staff.  I was invited in to the bar for a drink to start but I declined and sat on a small enclosed patio.  The chairs were primo, with tufted, cushiony seats.  Oh yes, the burger.  Well, to start it is cooked on a grill and with a lot of pride by the owner and his chiefs.  The cut is 80/20.
 The brioche bun wore a top of a large jalapeno with a green tie knot stick to match it's color.  A very clever touch.  The bun was good, but a little dry, falling apart a little.  The meat lacked seasoning, I thought, until later when I ate the remainder.   The flavor sunk through and it was delicious, memorable and that's what I am looking for in a burger.  The onion marmalade helped to enhance this taste, but it seemed to get lost in the brioche bun.  Perhaps it shrunk due to my ordering it medium done instead of my usual medium-rare doneness.  The burger did get a little lost in the bun, not filling it out.  At first I liked the chopped lettuce, which I prefer over arugula, which a lot of people are doing now.  By the time I was finishing the burger the lettuce appeared limp and wet and taking away from the overall gastronomical experience.  The cheese could have been pumped up a noch, adding to the integrity of this burger as well.  I found the fries, skinny, but too puffy with air instead of taste.  The truffle shavings were pretty and different for me, although I prefer a good ketchup.  Since I relinquished the urge to order a beer, instead I was tempted by the side of mac n'cheese.  It was good, creamy and with bread crumbs atop.  Everything comes with a top here, huh?  There was a wonderful heat to it which gave it a kick, but I was told by Frankie that there was no spice in it.  Perhaps my taste buds were lingering over the jalapeno bites.  When I ate it the next day it was still spicy and much more delicious after putting it under the broiler to give it a nice crust top.  Comfort food! Umm, umm, good.  Thank you Frankie for seducing me into coming back for a dessert, on you, soon!  Just don't let me go back to Buffalo Bill's coz I might not fit in their jeans after dessert.  I give this restaurant and burger an 8!