Convention Grill was always one of those places that we’d go to on a rather irregular basis, the sort of restaurant that everyone liked, but just never thought of when it came time to decide what to have for dinner. It’s a little out of the way if you live on the south side of town like we did, but not so far that we couldn’t bear the ten minute drive (hey, don’t laugh, Minnesotans live a very leisurely lifestyle). And while I haven’t been there many times, I most certainly have not been there in many many years. In fact, I’d venture to say it’s been almost 10 years since I was last there, maybe more (but hey, the place has been around since 1934).

Let’s get down to brass tacks, so to speak: there is one word I would use to describe this burger, and it is “good.” It’s not mind-blowing, you won’t walk out of here with the sudden urge to sneak back in the door and order another for carry-out. But it really is a solid display of hamburger, juicy, cooked to order, and satisfying. I have to admit I’m always disappointed when a burger has better toppings than meat, and this is one of those burgers. But oddly enough, while the bacon and cheddar really blew me away, I really wasn’t that upset by the mediocre beef patty (hey, at least they cooked it how I like it!). In fact, my favorite part of the whole burger was the bun, a fresh and squishy unseeded white bun, ever-so-slightly toasted, and a perfect sponge to save all of that beefy flavor.

Aside: Convention Grill also introduced me to the idea of eating sour cream on french fries, something that I rarely do, except when I’m at this place.

Nostalgia aside, the Convention Grill is still a great spot to grab a burger in the Twin Cities. With all the new-school joints opening up in uptown, downtown, and St. Paul, there’s something really special about hitting a classic restaurant and enjoying the same delicious sandwich that I’ve been eating for years, especially when it’s been ten years since the last one.

You know, I’ve had a bacon burger (lots of ‘em).  I’ve had a peanut butter burger (Bukowski’s in Boston).  But I’ve never had a peanut butter bacon burger.  Thanks to the Shake Shack, now I can.

OK, actually I’m probably just going to make one myself, but you should at least have a little feast for your eyes.

The Peanut Butter And Bacon Burger: Putting A Heart Attack On A Plate Into Your Hand – The Awl.

{photo from iphone}

My review: This is the best a Whopper can taste. Charbroiled and very similar to the Whopper, and I mean that in the best way.

The view from outside:

{photo from yelp – it was not sunny today}

@pomerantz, @alias_amanda, @hooverd what do you rate Centinela Cafe?

It’s been a long while since I’ve posted here. I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but I’ve been eating fewer burgers lately. Never fear, I have not strayed. It’s just that I’ve been cooking some more, and spending much more time at work than I’d like. I digress.

A while back I hit up Pie N Burger, the Pasadena landmark that can’t help but draw comparison to another LA favorite, the Apple Pan. It’s impossible to not see the similarities: the old school counter, the decor that hasn’t been updated since 1930-something, the burger + pie combination, and the tuna sandwiches (which I haven’t yet tried). Suffice it to say, it’s a good burger – the place has been here for a while, and it’s a testament to the quality and comfort of the restaurant.

I have to do it, I’m calling favorites. I prefer the Apple Pan for the food (something about that relish). But for plain old comfort and accessibility, Pie N Burger is a winner. It just feels like home, somehow.

Many thanks to Tom (who paid, even though I lost the bet fair and square), and Mikael for joining me.

My coworker, Bich Ngoc Cao, just sent me this little piece of heaven, straight from my hometown of Minneapolis. This comes from Burger Jones, a sightly posh kind of new restaurant that I’m now dying to try. Love it.

I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I loved it. It made me reconsider the food I eat every day. It made me second guess the path to destruction that seemed like such a good idea for the American farmer (I grew up in farmland). And it made me consider the difference in taste between naturally grown food and the corn-fed stuff that we typically eat every day. I’ll be the first to tell you that grass-fed beef tastes a hell of a lot better than corn-fed.

O! Burger is the exception.

There simply was nothing exciting, flavorful, or otherwise extraordinary about this burger. The beef patty was miniscule – absolutely reprehensible given the hefty price tag. I’m willing to pay $10.99 for a burger and fries, but it better be good. The napa cabbage, tomatoes, sweet pickles, chipotle ketchup and ranch were pretty good….. but I ordered a burger, not a salad.

OK, I understand the appeal of natural foods goes waaaay beyond just flavor. It’s an environmental issue, a political issue, etc. But for me, it’s simply inexcusable if it doesn’t taste good. Sorry O! Burger, but you better up the ante. Your organic sandwiches just don’t cut it.

If there’s one thing you notice right away when you move to Los Angeles, it’s the jacked-up prices on everything from diapers to milk to rent. Everything here is just a little more expensive (unless, of course, you live in New York City). And food is no exception.

Perhaps this inequity in pricing is why In-N-Out is so beloved. After all, you can get a real decent meal there for right around 6 bucks. Carl’s Jr. has even made a point of the price of their 6 Dollar Burgers – which, I might add, are not worth the extra dough. But after you’ve gotten out of the fast food tier, you’re essentially talking about 10 to 20 dollar burgers, depending on the nature of the location you choose to dine. BoHo’s 15 dollar burger, or 25 Degrees’ 12 dollar burger are just a couple of examples of the upper tier, though some fine dining restaurants may charge well above 20.

And that’s why it is so damn refreshing to get a really killer burger for just 10 bucks at The Golden State. From the outside, you’d probably never even know this was a restaurant. I’ve driven by it a couple hundred times going to/from work, but not until I dined across the street at Animal did I even notice it. Sure enough, scrunched in between a couple of art galleries lies a beacon of hope in the mid-priced LA burger scene. And I’m happy to report, it is good.

There aren’t a whole lot of frills here, just one burger on the menu, served with applewood smoked bacon, arugula, a slab of Fiscalini Farms cheddar cheese, and the most delicious homemade aioli I’ve had in a very very long time. And it’s served with one of their sides, of which I chose the incredible sweet potato fries.

The burger was perfectly cooked to my order, rare, and came neatly presented on a clean square plate with my fries. Biting down, you’d never know you weren’t at one of the higher end burger joints – in fact, the bun is remarkably similar to the one at 25 Degrees that I’ve been known to rave about. The arugula on the burger gives a perfect bitter balance to this treat, and the substitution of aioli for ketchup makes it sweet without having the vinegary zing. I really couldn’t ask for much of a better burger, and certainly not at that price point.

And it’s with mixed feelings that I report that the sweet potato fries here are some of the best I’ve ever eaten. I say mixed feelings only because I really love the burger, and wish that I could speak about it with such superlatives.

Topping off this mix is a great selection of beers and ice creams, which can be combined into one some of the most interesting combinations of floats imaginable. Fellow Hambur.grlr Stephanie (aka hambur.grl) tried the brown bread gelato with Old Rasputin beer. The combination of bitter and sweet worked well, but leaned heavy on the hops side. Another friend used salted caramel gelato instead, and I loved it.

I really can’t say enough great things about The Golden State. I’m so happy to have found a killer spot near my house, and at a price that this recession-hater can love.

The Golden State
Website: http://thegoldenstatecafe.com
426 N Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.782.8331

As I pointed out in my previous post, I was ecstatic to hear that the Jucy Lucy (aka Juicy Lucy, depending on where you are) had made its way west to the beautiful state of California. Well it just so happens, they serve the Juicy Lucy elsewhere too, and on a recent outing to Barney’s Beanery in Burbank, I stumbled upon that cheesy delight. I couldn’t not order it.

Well, Barney’s isn’t really known for having great burgers, or great food at all for that matter. Their gigantic menu is deceiving, since it really is just a huge list of every combination possible with their various ingredients. And nearly everything on the menu is fried, battered, or otherwise covered in grease (not that I’m complaining).

Sadly, the Juicy Lucy was no exception. It wasn’t necessarily bad, it just wasn’t good. The American cheese inside is, of course, the whole point of the Juicy Lucy, but it really just tasted artificial. They did manage to cook my burger rare, which I’m always pleased with, but the rest of the sandwich was just your average food-service buns and unripe sliced tomatoes.

I can’t say Barney’s is a great burger by any means, but that isn’t really the point of this place. It’s just a sports bar with a bunch of beers on tap, and HD screens everywhere. On the other hand, it did make for some of the best burger photos I’ve taken in a while.

Turns out the burger is so popular, that Mira’le Grill in Los Angeles has designed a few stuffed burgers themselves in homage to the originals.  LAist tells me they’re pretty tasty, but I’ll have to try one out for myself.

Via Cafe Introduces Minnesotan-Inspired Cheese Stuffed Burgers – LAist.