Eastside Food Bites

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Burger Week: The Oinkster’s Northeast (Western) Bacon Cheeseburger

Jun 06 2012

When I was a little kid, I perceived Carl’s Jr. to be fancy. It’s because my mom used to say Carl’s Jr. was too expensive, opting for cheaper fast food chains, like say, Naugles or, more likely, hamburgers cooked at home. So when I finally got to try it, as a guest of one of my more spoiled friends, I was pretty amazed at what I’d been missing.

At my friend’s urging, I ordered the Western Bacon Cheeseburger (her mom made us order juniors) and couldn’t believe there were actually onion rings inside a burger. That blew my mind while barbecue sauce danced on and dazzled my 8-year-old palate.

Now, I can eat a Western Bacon Cheeseburger any time I want, but I never ever do. For one, it probably wouldn’t be as good as I remember, and two, I generally shy away from fast food meat. That’s why I squealed when I heard The Oinkster was doing a tribute to this burger for Burger Week—if anyone could do this concept justice it’s The Oinkster.

I was not disappointed. Their rendition, the Northeast Bacon Cheeseburger, was outrageously good. The best part was the panko-encrusted onion rings, which were crispy and flavorful. The applewood bacon and tangy house-made barbecue sauce added a smokiness that the original could only dream of. All this was anchored by that thick Oinkster patty and the American cheese that clung to it.

Childhood validated.

-Valentina

P.S. There’s still more Burger Week to enjoy—check out the schedule on my previous post. I’ll definitely be lining up for the Big Max on Sunday.

Eagle Rock: Oinkster’s Burger Week Starts Today!

Jun 04 2012

UPDATE: Check out Burgergasm’s review of the Red Castle.

It’s finally here! Burger Week, “A Tribute to Classic American Burgers,” is on at The Oinkster. This year they’re parodying White Castle sliders, Big Mac, Sourdough Jack, the Double Double and more. I can’t wait!

Last year, I only got to try the Umami Burger, but this year, I won’t be held back. I think I’ll start Wednesday with the Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

Pictures to come. Here’s the schedule-oh, and if you eat them all you get a Joy Division-esque Burger Week t-shirt. If you can’t make that commitment, you can at least get a super cute button.

-Valentina

Highland Park: Fusion Burgers Fills the Super-Delicious Burgers and Fries Niche

May 24 2012

I know that two York Boulevard posts in a row is excessive. However, after trying Fusion Burgers, I couldn’t contain myself. It’s that good, and it fills a once-glaring void in the Highland Park food scene: a full-service, gourmet burger and fries joint.

Fusion Burgers sits unassumingly in a strip mall right across the street from Maximiliano, in the space that most recently housed Tacos El Michuacano. When I first noticed it, there was just a small tarp announcing the name of the new restaurant and some white paint covering that of the previous one. Intrigued, I did some research and found out the owners are Miguel Munoz Sr. and Jr., a father-and-son team who once worked in the kitchen at Umami Burger’s Santa Monica location.

That make sense because the menu is pretty similar to Umami. Some have even claimed that it’s a rip off. It might be, but for what Fusion Burgers lacks in originality, it makes up for in flavor, complete lack of pretension, and location, location, location. I’ve never been a huge fan of Umami, but I’ll probably be a regular at Fusion Burgers.

The interior lacks hyper-fashionable decor of many of the new restaurants popping up on York. The walls of the small space are pretty bare and very orange, and the only real design flair is a parrot mural left by the previous owners. The focus, instead, seems to be on the actual menu, which consists of 13 different burgers, a few salads, Mexican sodas and even ice cream sandwiches.

Chinatown/Elysian Park: Breakfast & Lunch at Nick’s Cafe

Jan 25 2012

Though reasonably healthy and fit, my brother and I have fat kids inside us, and they are partners in crime. I’ve evidence this phenomenon before on this blog, during a certain chili dog outing that took us all the way to West Hollywood. This time, our carnal food desires lured us to Nick’s Cafe, an LA institution and cop hangout since 1948. And, oh, was there gluttony.

Pure and unadulterated.

Glassell Park: The Revolution Burger, a Non-Opressive Habit

Oct 12 2011

I remember when international healthy food crusader Jamie Oliver introduced his Revolution Burger at Patra’s Charbroiled Burgers in Glassell Park earlier this year. Its grass-fed beef and wheat bun caused a bit of a brouhaha in the food world, angering some people in a “where-does-this-Brit-get-off-telling-us-Americans-how-to-eat-a-burger” kind of way.

Just check out the comments on a Serious Eats post on the subject if you don’t believe me. Faced with the prospect of Oliver’s burger makeover, one commenter remarked, “Burgers = unhealthy and American. There’s somethings [sic] sacred about that to me. If it’s not those two things, it ain’t really a burger.”

Luckily, my sense of patriotism is not so inflamed by foreigners tinkering with American dietary staples, and I’m not so set on the burger-as-belly-bomb edict. As a result, the Revolution Burger has actually become part of my repertoire, and I appreciate it as a healthier option when fast food is in order but I still want a little, you know…nutrition.

Eastside Goes to WeHo: Chilllllli Dogggggsss from Coney Dog

Sep 26 2011

“Chiliiiiiiiiiii dogggggggggsssssss wooooooo”.

That’s the text I got from my brother the morning of our planned trip to Coney Dog, the new “Detroit Style” chili dog mecca on the Sunset Strip. Being long-time chili dog devotees, we were excited to say the least. So excited that we were willing to venture into the vicinity of the Viper Room, so you know this was serious.

Coney Dog takes its cue from the traditional Coney Island, a popular type of restaurant in Michigan. Coney Islands are ubiquitous in Michigan, in the same way that char-broiled joints are to LA. They’re usually owned by Greek families, and in addition to Coney Islands (chili dogs with mustard and onions) you’ll find gyros, Greek salads, burgers and, of course, Faygo soda on their menus.

The Oinkster’s Burger Week: An Umami Burger Isn’t a Tommy Burger

Jun 15 2011

I don’t even really like Umami Burger, if you want to know the truth. I’ve been twice and, while the first time was alright, the second was a soggy mess that left me seriously questioning Umami-mania. I’d been expecting fireworks, but all I got the beefy equivalent to a bum sparkler.

Nonetheless, I still found myself in Eagle Rock last Friday night, queueing up for The Oinkster’s take on the signature Umami Burger. It was a misguided attempt to make up for having missed the pretend Tommy Burger they’d served earlier in their Burger Week. You see, I’ve loved Tommy Burgers since I was a kid, when my dad would take us to the original location on Beverly. But that’s when I was brave-these days, the drippy chili-cheese burgers scare me, which is why I was clamoring for the safer-seeming Oinkster version.

Sadly, it was not to be.

LA’s Best Kept Burger Secret is at Silver Lake’s Cafe Stella

Dec 10 2010

If there’s one thing to be proud of as an Angeleno, it’s our burger heritage. Let the New Yorkers and Chicagoans ridicule our pizza. We can take it because neither can touch the prevalence of good burgers in LA. Not even close. You can get a fine burger fix in almost any pocket of our fair city. Heck, maybe the whole county—even Norwalk, the none-too-culinary suburb where I grew up, has at least three decent charbroil places that I can think of.

We’re blessed with burgers.

Eastside Goes to Ann Arbor: Burgers with Attitude from Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger

Dec 02 2010

Once Autumn hits, I begin to crave Ann Arbor, Michigan. My mind automatically drifts to its quiet, tree-lined streets, brick facades and wide-open spaces. I even start to yearn for the feel of its cold, sharp winds on my Los Angeles-bred skin.

My husband Josh grew up in the über-liberal college town (often referred to as the Berkeley of the Midwest), so I’ve spent almost of decade of Thanksgivings—and a few days most summers—there. I’ve been at least a dozen times, which is why I was pretty shocked when I learned about Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger on the Ann Arbor edition of Man vs. Food.

Of all places.

“Over 2,147,483,648 burger combinations? What! Why have you never taken me there?!” I gasped, turning to Josh with what most certainly was a fevered look of betrayal.

He’d been good enough to introduce me to Zingerman’s, the deli to end all delis; perfect falafel at Jerusalem Garden; and late nights at the townie/political radical hangout that is the Fleetwood Diner. But Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burgers? Never! Instead I have to find out about it on a food show…like some common tourist.

He just laughed and promised to oblige me this Thanksgiving.

Food for Thought: Favorite Foodie Posts of the Week

Sep 10 2010

Truffle Burger from Umami Burger in Los Feliz

Here’s what I read and liked this week:

The Teenage Gluster writes from Puebla, Mexico and makes me want a Cemita in the worst way.

Peanut Butter cookies, anyone? The Gastronomer shows us how to make some à la Bouchon.

Street Gourmet LA illustrates the talent of Baja California’s best chefs in 39 dishes.

Table Conversation tells us where to get the best shrimp taco, outside of Mazatlan. I was there for this taco, so I can vouch for the veracity of this claim.