Father's Office
For dineLA.com
Despite what the New York Times printed in 2009, there’s no such thing as a “perfect” hamburger. Styles are just too disparate and don’t equate. However, certain burgers have been known to leave a lasting impression. Here are my eight LA favorites ...
No gastropub would be complete without a signature burger, and chef-owner Ben Ford ensured his Culver City “filling station” has one. His straightforward burger is 50% chuck, 50% sirloin and all Angus. The char-grilled, pepper-dusted patty is served on a hearty onion-topped BREADBAR roll that holds up to the juicy meat. The minimalist’s dream is plated with dewy butter lettuce, marinated tomatoes and a disc of raw onion. If that’s not enough up top, add Maytag blue and caramelized onions or cheddar and bacon. The burger comes with a choice of fries or onion rings. Bermuda onion rings reign supreme, sheathed in a whisper-thin batter that’s spiked with Ford's Pale Ale.
The Father’s Office Burger is undoubtedly the cornerstone of chef-owner Sang Yoon’s menu, combining dry aged beef, Gruyere, pungent Maytag blue cheese and arugula on a standard issue baguette. The topping is a mixture of sweet caramelized onions and applewood bacon compote that becomes one. Yoon allows you to choose the temperature of the meat, but that’s his only concession. Staffers will not remove or add a single component from the burger, under any circumstances. In response, some customers have been known to bring contraband ketchup.
Chef-owner Eric Greenspan is so confident in his Patio Season Burger that, last summer, he pinned a challenge to the Father’s Office front doors, a la Martin Luther. He has reason to be confident, using 80/20 meat-to-fat ratio, sourcing prized trimmings from butcher Harvey Guss. He then adds duck fat until the blend achieves silky Kobe like consistency. The burger arrives open-faced, with a charred patty and Cheddar on the left and a thatch of tangy cornichons, tomato confit and spicy arugula on the other, all designed to counterbalance the rosy, oozing meat. His “bun” is a quartet of interconnected Hawaiian rolls that are soft on one side and grilled on the other. The burger comes with three red onion rings and a trio of condiments: mayo, caramelized onions and apple-bacon-onion chutney.
Jason Bernstein and James Starr’s pro-Cali café has become renowned for their beef burger, but their Colorado lamb burger is even better. The elusive Greek-flavored creation is available Thursday night after 6:30 PM. There are only 12-14 burgers per week, depending on the amount of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday trimmings that butchers Jim and Dan collect at Huntington Meats. The butchers grind the lamb fresh on Thursday. Oregano and mint-flecked patties are grilled and layered with melted Gruyere, roasted red peppers, arugula, yogurt, dill sauce and curry ketchup. The burger’s served on a rich Rockenwagner brioche bun and plated with a tangy Greek salad loaded with Kalamata olives, feta, cucumbers and capers.
Bill Elwell started his Van Nuys burger stand in 1965, amidst a stretch of Oxnard Street that’s currently teeming with auto body shops. Wife Hiroko Wilcox now helps him run his high volume weekday-only burger destination, but he still flips every patty. On the register, Elwell makes it clear that “You can’t have it your way. This is not Burger King!!” Thus, no ketchup. Each pre-formed patty is char-grilled on a sizzling flat-top. The burger’s then nestled into a grilled bun with mayo, fresh tomato and lettuce. Inspired regulars add grilled onions, crispy bacon strips and American cheese slices. On the side, your only option is ridged potato chips. Sit at the L-shaped counter to watch the master at work, or luxuriate with your burger on the back patio.
This globally inspired Little Tokyo restaurant features a number of breakout dishes, but perhaps the most satisfying is the burger. Chef Josef Centeno’s father was a butcher, and son retained the recipe, which includes sirloin, petit tender and short rib, with a beef suet binder and a little fatback for good measure. The juicy orb is topped with buttery Carmody cheese, aioli, lettuce and sliced red onion. The house-made bun is a poppy seed-studded variation on brioche that can withstand the meat’s oozing juices. Accompaniments include smoked paprika aioli, green peppercorn mustard, and textbook Kennebec fries that are cooked in peanut oil and sprinkled with dill.
Executive Chef Evan Funke constructs a new seasonally inspired menu every month, but one dish that he can never exclude is the exemplary burger. His custom blend of Niman Ranch beef is griddled until charred, locking in meat’s prodigious jus. The patty is topped with a slice of sharp Cheddar, sweet, spreadable onion fondue, tangy bread and butter pickles, spicy wild arugula and creamy herb remoulade that conjures images of the Bayou. To round out the plate, you’ll find hand-cut, skin-on French fries, plus dishes of aioli and ketchup for dipping or slathering.
David Myers’ West Hollywood brasserie features a burger with a substantial plancha-seared Angus patty that’s rosy centered, sports a great sear and can hold its own with the very best steakhouse classics. Former chef Michael David contributed mightily to the vaunted burger, which features crunchy mayo-tossed iceberg lettuce, onions and cascading Cheddar, all loaded into a toasted, house-made brioche bun. The ultra-rich burger comes with a cone of crispy frites and a dish of tangy aioli that’s ideal for dipping, or if you’re relentless, for the burger.- Bill & Hiroko’s, 14742 Oxnard St, Van Nuys, 818.785.4086
- Comme Ca, 8479 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, 323.782.1104, www.commecarestaurant.com
- Father’s Office, 3229 Helms Ave, Los Angeles, 310.736.2224; and 1018 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, 310.736.2224, www.fathersoffice.com
- Ford’s Filling Station, 9531 Culver Blvd, Culver City, 310.202.1470, www.fordsfillingstation.net
- The Foundry on Melrose, 7463 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, 313.651.0915, www.thefoundryonmelrose.com
- The Golden State, 426 North Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, 323.782.8331, www.thegoldenstatecafe.com
- Lazy Ox Canteen, 241 South San Pedro St, Little Tokyo, 213 626 5299, www.lazyoxcanteen.com
- Rustic Canyon, 1119 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, 310.393.7050, www.rusticcanyonwinebar.com
