It’s a Win-Win if You Eat This Burger in Glendale

 For the Win

1200 South Brand Blvd. #3

Glendale, CA 91204

It was family time again up in Burbank. This time, the occasion was a college graduation party for Amanda, Katie's cousin's daughter. She graduated from USC with a degree in Music Industry and a minor in Sports Management. She's bright, focussed, and a lovely girl, and I'm not just saying this to suck up because there might be some complimentary concert/sports tickets in my future. 

As is our custom when spending the night in Burbank, we always try to sneak in a place to eat on our way up and back home. For the Win has been on my list of places to try forever, so it was not even a question that we'd be visiting here on this trip to try their very much-hyped smash burger. I have yet to read a smash burger best-of list that does not mention their burgers at all. I was pretty excited. 

For the Win was born out of the pandemic. Papilles Bistro was an award-winning bistro, but when lockdown orders came down, the owners pivoted from French food to smash burgers and chicken sandwiches. After many months of tinkering, they created a smash burger with crispy edges but still juicy in the middle, an excellent sauce to compliment the beef and cheese, and the perfect soft potato bun to hold everything together. The chicken sandwich was also a labor of love, and it took a lot of time to get it right. 

Their customers must love their burgers and chicken sandwiches because they have nine locations operating, along with two cloud kitchens in Echo Park and West LA. Unfortunately, they have no OC locations, but the closest one is in Whittier. Their menu is simple to navigate. They offer single, double, or triple burgers, with or without cheese and chicken sandwiches. Sides include fries, sweet potato fries, brussels sprouts, and loaded fries, which are topped with grilled onions, cheese, and fry sauce. Shakes are also available in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors. Their online menu differs from the menu in-store, as you can not order a chicken sandwich online, and the shakes are available online but not on their current menu at this location. Confusing. 

We arrived at For the Win's Glendale spot just after 1pm on a Saturday. They are located in a small shopping plaza, with only 15 or so parking spots, so it might be challenging to find parking during peak meal times here. There's little in the way of a dining room here, too. They had two small tables outside and a tiny counter space inside, fitting four patrons snuggly. Even with a steady stream of people coming through the door, it only took us ten minutes to receive our food. Here's how everything turned out for us. 

For the Win is mainly known for their burgers, so of course, I'm going to start off with their Fried Chicken Sandwich ($12). This sandwich was dressed simply with pickles and mayo on a pillowy soft potato bun. I'm usually partial to chicken sandwiches made of a single piece instead of pieces, as they are generally easier to eat, but this one stayed together well. The chicken was juicy, but I wished for a little more crunch to their breading, which was nicely seasoned. They could have had a heavier hand when the mayo was applied. It's a good chicken sandwich, but it's not crave-worthy.  

What is crave-worthy are the burgers at For the Win. From my first bite, I was enthralled with this burger. I knew I would be eating at our upcoming family party in the coming hours, and it took all my willpower not to order another burger right away. I ordered the Double Cheeseburger ($12.50 plus $1.95) for bacon). The burgers here come with pickles, fry sauce, and grilled onions. Tomato, lettuce, bacon, and jalapenos are an upcharge of fifty cents to $1.95. The double patty option hit my sweet spot, as it had an outstanding balance of meat, cheese, bacon, and bun. The potato bun is soft and pliable and keeps its structural integrity for the short time it took me to inhale this burger. The beef patty had crispy edges, and the center was juicy in the center, which is not always the case when ordering smash burgers. The cheese was gooey, and even though I'm not the world's biggest fan of pickles on burgers, they worked here to add a little tang to each bite. My one knock on this burger was that it needed some extra sauce, but I'll order more the next time I'm here. This burger is definitely worth the trip. 

For some odd reason, I was not feeling like fries, so we went with Brussels Sprouts ($6) as our side item. This was a very generous serving size, but I quickly got bored with these. They were fried crisp and seasoned with a little too much salt. I would have liked a sweet sauce to help break up the salt and natural bitterness of the sprouts. Not my favorite side, but for people who want a slightly healthier option than fries, this might be more to your liking. 

Okay, I did have some minor misses with the sprouts and the chicken sandwich, but that burger is definitely in the running for one of the best smash burgers I have had to date. It was so good that since we visited, I'm trying to find reasons to come back up to have that burger again. This location of For the Win is not the most convenient to eat at, as there's limited seating, and it's more conducive to takeout orders, but these smash burgers are worth the hassle. I'm looking forward to the day that they enter the OC market. I'll be the first in line. 

Out of five streetcars (because this restaurant is on Brand Boulevard, named after Leslie Brand, a city leader in the early 1900s who was instrumental in getting streetcars to Glendale), five being best and zero being worst, For the Win gets four streetcars. 

For more information about For the Win, head to their website by clicking here: https://forthewinla.com/#

Blow the Whistle, We’re at Penalties Sports Bar and Grill

 Penalties Sports Bar and Grill

469 Magnolia Avenue, Suite #101 

Corona, CA 92879

There are many things I love about Katie. Everything about her is lovely, but when we first started dating, one of the things I liked the most about her was that she had a big family. She is one of four kids in her immediate family, but what struck me was how close all her cousins, uncles, and aunts were.  Coming from a family of four with only one uncle and a couple of cousins, it was a little overwhelming initially, but I loved every minute of it. 

I met Katie's cousin Alyson at one of my first big family parties. She was awesome, and we have seen each other a few times through the years. As people usually do, we follow each other on social media, which helps us stay in touch and keep up to date with what's happening in our lives. As luck would have it, I was on vacation for the week and planned on meeting my good friend Ozker for lunch in his hometown of Corona. Alyson works at a sports bar nearby, so meeting at Penalties Sports Bar and Grill was natural. 

Penalties opened in April 2023 and has quickly become one of Corona's favorite places to watch sports. As we walked in the door, it was easy to see why. Wherever you sit, lift your head, and you'll have access to at least four TVs within your eyeline. Whether you choose to post up at the bar, a high-top table, or a booth, you won't miss any of the action on the field. When we visited at noon, many people were watching soccer and Dodger baseball. After an introduction between Alyson and Ozker and ordering drinks, it was time to get down to business and eat. 

The Penalties menu will not surprise anyone who has eaten in a sports bar before. Wings, nachos, and mozzarella sticks are prominent on their appetizer menu, while the compact entree portion features a burger, a couple of sandwiches, tacos, and two salad options. No entree is more than $20, and starters are modestly priced at $15 or less. Let's see if the food would be a touchdown or a fumble out of bounds. 

Ozker is a big fan of chicken wings and considers himself a connoisseur of all things chicken. Naturally, we started out with the Penalties Kickin Wings ($18). A boneless version is available, but bone-in is the way to go, according to Ozker. These came ten to an order, and we chose the traditional buffalo sauce to coat these rather large drums and flats. They also offer BBQ or a mango habanero, which I will try next time. These wings were fried well, had a perfect crunch, and the meat inside was tender and juicy. It's one of the better wings I have had in some time. The buffalo sauce could have had more heat, but it was worth getting these. Solid ranch, too. 

After the wings, our entrees were out next. First up was Ozker's choice, the Philly Fans Cheesesteak ($16). He eats like a three-year-old sometimes, as he ordered this without onions and peppers, and it came out by mistake with them. I quickly snapped a picture before Alyson took it away to remake him another one. This cheesesteak is made with grilled ribeye, provolone cheese, onions, and peppers on a hoagie roll. Ozker liked this once it returned to the table sans onions and peppers. From across the table, it looked like it had a good amount of beef, and the bun was soft, holding the sandwich's contents well. 

I asked Alyson what her favorite item on the menu was, and she claimed the Penalties Burger ($18) was the way to go, but with her favorite modifications. She always adds avocado and grilled onions, a $3 upcharge for the avocado. They use a short rib/ brisket mix for their patties, then pile on the sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and burger sauce. A delicious, straightforward burger. The beef was juicy, and the avocado and cheese added a nice creaminess to each bite. Unfortunately, they don't offer bacon, which would have made this an even better burger.  

This was a great meetup with Alyson and, of course, Ozker. We stayed for two drinks each, and then it was back home for me. Penalties is the kind of sports bar most people wish would be in their neighborhood. I wish it was closer to where I lived. It is a chill spot to catch a game and have some excellent bar food. I would like them to expand their menu, add a hot dog, patty melt, or more sandwiches. Even though Alyson was the only one working when we were here, she handled things like a pro and seemed to have a good relationship with many of her customers, many of whom I imagine to be regulars. I'm thrilled that Katie and her big family brought us to Penalties Sports Bar and Grill.  

Out of five whistles (because the sure sign that a penalty is being called is to listen for a referee's whistle), five being best to zero being worst, Penalties Sports Bar and Grill gets 3 whistles. 

Penalties Sports Bar and Grill does not have a website, but you can find out information about them on their Yelp page by clicking here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/penalties-sports-bar-and-grill-corona

Turning the Balboa Fun Zone Into the Burger Zone

 Irv's Burgers

600 East Bay Avenue

Newport Beach, CA 92661

I love burgers, but finding delicious ones is getting harder and harder. Yes, I could go to a steak house, and I'm sure they will have a good burger, but who wants to get all dressed up for a burger. About ten years ago, I could throw a rock in any direction and hit a restaurant that serves a great burger. We had Slater's 50/50, Burger Parlor, Crow Burger Kitchen, G Burger, Mick's Karma Bar, and Vaka Burger, all serving great burgers, but they have all shuttered. They probably were all replaced with a hot chicken restaurant, or at least it feels that way. 

So when I hear about a new burger place opening up, it piques my interest. When I heard that the new burger place had been around for 78 years, I immediately moved it up in my restaurant queue. What got me moving even faster is that the new burger restaurant is located at one of my favorite places in all of OC, the Balboa Fun Zone. A spot that instantly transforms me into an eight-year-old kid playing skeeball in the arcades, riding the Ferris wheel that I swear used to be taller, and eating as many Balboa Bars as humanly possible. 

Irv's Burgers is the new burger spot in Balboa. They opened their first OC outpost in March of this year. They opened in 1946 as Queen's Burgers alongside Route 66 in West Hollywood. In 1970, a man named Irv bought the place and changed its name. He sold the business to the Hong family in 2005, and they operated it until they had some troubles in 2018 and were forced to close. Food entrepreneur Lawrence Longo entered the picture four years later and, after a rebrand, breathed new life into Irv's. They now have seven locations, including ours at the Balboa Fun Zone. 

I visited Irv's before the busy tourist season in Newport. Although they had been open only a month, they already had a steady stream of customers. They are a mere few feet from the Balboa Ferry and the Ferris Wheel I mentioned before. This used to be a pizza place, but I had never been there, always preferring the Ruby's at the end of the pier or the Orange Julius that used to be on the corner of Balboa Boulevard. The seating at Irv's is limited to six swiveling barstools, and I did not see any seating outside on my visit. Plan ahead and bring a blanket and eat on the sand or in the nearby park. 

The menu at Irv's fits right in with the Fun Zone vibe. They offer burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fries, milkshakes, and floats. Burgers go from anywhere between $4.50 to $11, hot dogs are $5 to $8 for a chili cheese dog, and the most expensive thing on their menu is the pastrami sandwich, which will set you back $15. Combo meals are available. This location also serves breakfast sandwiches and burritos until 11am. I was here, of course, to try their burgers, so let's see how my first visit to Irv's went. 

I was lucky enough to snag one of the six sets at the bar, with a window looking out towards the busy boardwalk. It was excellent for people-watching, but once my food tray arrived, I only had eyes for what was on it. Let's start with the burger. When a burger proclaims itself the best, I need to order it, so I got the Best Burger on the Menu ($10.95) on my maiden voyage to Irv's. This double burger comes with American cheese, grilled onions, and Irv's sauce, all on a toasted sesame seed bun. Who needs lettuce and tomato on a burger? Not me. This is no salad bar. I enjoyed this burger but will tweak it on my next visit. The outer edge of the patties had a slight crispness to them, like a smash burger, but to a lesser degree. The patties inside were juicy and more hefty than you get with a smash burger. The gooey cheese provided a nice blanket around each patty. I will ask for extra Irv's sauce next time, as I can not even describe it because they put so little on this burger. I assume it's like a thousand island sauce, but I'll have to make a return visit to confirm that. The bun was loaded with sesame seeds and was nicely toasted. Delicious burger, check. ✅

Hot dogs must be a tough sell. Every time I find an excellent hot dog restaurant, it closes. I guess there are not too many hot dog fans out there. Maybe trying this Chili Cheese Dog ($8) from Irv's might change their minds. Irv's uses Hebrew National all-beef hot dogs and then covers it with chili and shredded cheddar cheese. I loved the meatiness of the hot dog, the flavorful chili, and the fact that they use grated cheddar cheese instead of a cheese sauce. The bun was unique here, reminding me of what they use when making lobster rolls. It was toasted and did a great job keeping everything inside the bun. Delicious chili dog. Check. ✅ 

Since I had gotten chili on my hot dog, I decided against getting the chili fries and just went with Plain Fries ($4). These fries came out of the fryer very hot and were salted nicely. They were a good fast food fry, but nothing that would elevate them more than that. French Fries. 🆗

I left Irv's very satisfied with my food. I included the ala carte menu prices for the things I had here, but I did get the burger, fries, and a drink as a combo meal, which cost me $16.45. The burger and chili dog from Irv's are superb and among OC's best ones. I look forward to revisiting again soon to try their patty melt, pastrami sandwich, and chili cheese fries. Even though this was a counter-service restaurant, I must mention the guy working the register and handing out food on this particular day. I believe his name was Rico, and he was awesome. He not only kept the line moving and delivered the food as soon as it was ready, but he also memorized everyone's name and, on their way out, asked them how their food was. Very impressive, significantly since the lunch rush was ramping up, and they were getting busier by the minute. Hopefully, the arrival of Irv's Burgers will catalyze a new burger renaissance in OC. 

Out of five lost lids (because 1946 is not only the year that Irv's opened for business, but it's also the year that Tupperware was invented, and many people have lost the lids of these plastic containers over those decades), five being best to zero being worst, Irv's Burgers gets 3.5 lost lids. 

For more information about Irv's Burgers, head to their website by clicking here: https://irvsburgers.com/

Swinging by Hammer Burger

 Hammer Burger

313 North Bush St. 

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Smash burgers are the hottest trend in the culinary world right now. They have been all over social media in the last few years. The trend started five years ago and has gotten even bigger lately. You know it has gotten out of control when national fast food spots, like Jack In the Box and Sonic, have smash burgers on their menu. Jack in the Box had to remove them from their menu for a month because they were such a hit that they had a meat shortage. It's almost like traditional burgers have become obsolete. 

My favorite OC smash burger comes from Hammer Burger. I have written about Hammer Burger once before, back in 2020. It was pandemic time, and they were serving burgers at a pop-up in front of their house in Orange. I ordered my burger a week ahead of time and went to pick it up in a small cul-de-sac. It smelled so good I had to pull over and eat it before I got home. Yes, I have no willpower. The burger was great, and I was one of the converts to smash burgers. I even visited them once more when they had a food truck a few years later. 

Over a year ago, Hammer Burger opened its first restaurant in downtown Santa Ana. It is situated near the corner of Bush and 4th Streets, across from the 4th Street Market Food Hall. Parking can be tricky in this area, but the city is making it much better for the businesses here by allowing free parking in the parking structures Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and two hours of free parking the rest of the time. A new parking structure is also being built right next to Hammer Burger, which will hopefully help parking problems become a thing of the past. 

The menu here has expanded from the early days of cooking in their driveway. Hammer Burger now offers different burgers, two chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, sides, loaded fries, and even two salads. They use high-quality beef for their burgers, their buns are Martin's Potato Rolls, and they make all of their sauces in-house, along with their pickles. I was here for their OC Restaurant Week special, a Truffle Burger and Truffle Fries for $19. Let's see if my hot streak with restaurant week places could continue with my fifth restaurant visit in five days. 

When this Truffle Burger was brought to my table, it kind of took my breath away. It looked almost too pretty to eat, but once I got a whiff of it, I knew I had to do my due diligence and dig in. This burger came with two truffle salted patties, red wine-infused cheese, mushroom, and garlic confit, and truffle aioli on a garlic-toasted brioche bun. Yeah, it's definitely not your everyday burger experience. Predictably, the dominant flavor profile was garlic and truffle. Even though truffles can be overwhelming, this was a reasonably balanced burger. The mushroom and the garlic aioli burst through at specific points, and the beef patty came through slightly. Another significant achievement of this burger was the bun, which did not slide around too much and made it easy to eat. 

Maybe my taste buds were shot out by the many things going on with the burger, but the Truffle Fries lacked any real truffle flavor. I think they just salted the fries with truffle salt. Their self-service sauce bar came to the rescue, though. The jalapeno ranch, chipotle, and garlic sauce were the best of the bunch. They all woke these fries up and elevated them in the flavor department. I'll get the loaded fries the next time I'm here. 

I had come all the way from South OC, so I did not want to try just one thing at Hammer Burger. I also tried the Chili Cheese Dog ($9). I'm thrilled I did. This chili dog is one of the best I have had in quite a while. The hot dog had a nice snap, and the chili was some of the meatiest I have encountered on a hot dog in my fifteen years of writing this blog. It also had great flavor and consistency to it. I did have two complaints about this, though, which, if rectified, would have put this chili cheese dog in a class by itself. The cheese needed to be melted, and the bun toasted to give it a little crunch. Still, it's in the upper echelon of chili cheese dogs in OC. 

I had no doubt that Hammer Burger would be just as good whether they are doing pop-ups, in a food truck, or at their own restaurant. Since this visit, I have been trying to find reasons to return to Downtown Santa Ana to try more of their menu. The Spicy Dog, Chili Cheese Burger, and the Spicy Flatty Melt, a patty melt version of their spicy burger, have all caught my eye. I'm also continuously checking out their Instagram page, as they routinely have special burgers available, and their burgers of the month are quite something to behold. The service was adequate, and my meal was served promptly. Even at the odd meal time of half past 3 in the afternoon, they had a steady stream of people eating there. It's proof that this might be the best smash burger in all of OC. It's the best I have had so far. 

Out of five bottles of sunscreen (because the hammerhead shark is one of the few animals that can get a tan because it spends so much time in shallow waters), five being best to zero being worst, Hammer Burger gets 3.5 bottles of sunscreen. 

For more information about Hammer Burger, head to their website by clicking here: https://hammerburger.com/

Squeezing in a Trip to Citrus Fresh Grill for Restaurant Week

 

Citrus Fresh Grill

50 Enterprise 

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

It was day two of OC Restaurant week, and since Mondays are traditionally one of the tougher days at my real job, I did not want to venture too far from home after what I thought would be a rough workday. So, my criteria for picking a spot was based on geography and a place I had never been to before. That's how I ended up at Citrus Fresh Grill. 

Citrus Fresh Grill, not to be confused with Citrus City Grille in Orange, is tucked inside the Renaissance Club Sports Resort in Aliso Viejo. It's part hotel, with 169 rooms on-site, and part fitness club, with amenities like pickleball, a swimming pool, yoga, and other fitness classes, and a gym full of equipment I'd need to learn how to use. I'm sure you are not shocked, but I'm no gym rat. I was probably the only one here whose sole purpose was to eat. 

Compared to the other restaurants participating in Restaurant Week, Citrus Fresh Grill had plenty of menu options available for diners. They had a $15 breakfast, $15 lunch, and a $15, $20, and $25 dinner to pick from. I arrived just after 3pm and found convenient parking in their structure, just steps away from the hotel entrance. The restaurant is right in the middle of their lobby. I opted to sit on their patio, which was populated by just me during my entire visit. 

From what I could glean online about Citrus Fresh Grill, it opened in 2009 and primarily served healthy food with nothing over 485 calories. I'm unsure when that changed, but their lunch menu now features buffalo wings, fish and chips, and pasta dishes, which are uncommon at gym restaurants. Maybe they made their menu less restrictive to attract guests staying at the hotel instead of the people pumping iron. 

The $15 restaurant week menu at Citrus Fresh Grill offered three options: fish tacos, flatbread, or a burger. I predictably chose the ClubSport Burger ($17, not during restaurant week) as my after-work meal. The ClubSport burger came with two strips of bacon, red onion, a charming Vermont cheddar cheese, arugula, tomato, and a smoked pepper cream sauce. The burger patty was underseasoned, but the smokiness of the bacon, the gooey melted cheese, and the pepper cream sauce made up for that. The pepper cream sauce was more like a burger sauce, as I did not detect too much pepper used in it. I liked that they added enough of it to my burger. Most burger spots are afraid to overdo it with condiments, but I want a heavier hand where condiments are concerned. The bun was toasted and did its job of keeping everything together. A satisfying and juicy burger. 

This also came with some Beer Battered Fries, which were fried to perfection. They had a nice crunchy outer layer and a pillowy soft inside. I enjoyed that they were not uniformly cut, so you got some that were crunchier than others. These fries went well with the ranch and ketchup provided. 

Considering that most fast-food combo meals these days cost almost $15, this Restaurant Week meal from Citrus Fresh Grill was a good deal. The burger and fries are better than anything you can get at your local fast-food spot and well worth a visit if you are in the area. My server was friendly and cordial and kept tabs on me during my brief visit. It has got to be tough for hotel restaurants to attract locals inside to try their food. Hopefully, by Citrus Fresh Grill participating in Restaurant Week, maybe they got some locals to try them. 

Out of five dumbbells (not because that was my nickname in high school, but because I'm sure many people use them at the gym here), five being best to zero being worst, Citrus Fresh Grill gets 3 dumbbells. 

For more information about Citrus Fresh Grill, head to their website by clicking here: https://clubsports.com/citrus-fresh-grill-and-market-restaurant/

Hot Diggety Dog, We Are in Philadelphia!

 Good Dog Bar

224 South 15th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19102

Family vacation time in Philadelphia! My good friend Erven and his wonderful family were vacationing in the City of Brotherly Love to sightsee, attend a soccer and baseball game, and see what Philly has to offer in food. That's where I came in. I scoured Yelp, TV Food Maps, and obsessively read every best-of-restaurant list I could get my hands on from when we were invited to join the family on this four-day adventure to Philadelphia. 

I was apprehensive at first. This would be my first family vacation with teenagers in quite some time. It was more pressure than usual for me to pick restaurants I thought these youngsters might like. Then I realized I knew these kids. They are open to trying things and can find something on any restaurant menu they would like. I put together three restaurant pages and was sure it would be impossible to hit them all, but it would be fun trying. 

We took a red-eye from LAX and arrived in Philadelphia at noon. Tired but determined to make every minute count, we dropped off our bags at our hotel and headed out to explore the city we would call home for the next four days. We did a double-decker bus tour, visited the Liberty Bell, and explored some of the neighborhoods of this historic town. By the time it was 4pm, we were all famished and tired, so I whipped out my restaurant list and realized we were within a mile of one of the restaurants I had wanted to try. So we all trudged to Good Dog Bar near Rittenhouse Square. 

Good Dog made my list because they were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, have a 4-star rating on Yelp with over 1,400 reviews, and are consistently ranked as having one of the best burgers in all of Philadelphia. At the helm of this place are Heather Gleason and Dave Garry, dog enthusiasts who opened it in 2003 and married a few months later.  

This 100-year-old building is three stories high, with bars and tables on both the first and second stories, a game room featuring a pool table, and a Ms. Pac-Man arcade game on the third floor. Every wall is adorned with black and white framed pictures of dogs. Our party of eight was here between lunch and dinner, and they were kind enough to set up a table for us on the second floor, which they opened just for us. 

The menu here is divided into soups and salads, small and big bites, two burgers, and a quintet of sandwiches. A big draw at Good Dog is their daily specials, which usually include a daily empanada, flatbread, steak offering, and other assorted items. Price points for their menu items hover around the $20 mark, with only steak entrees going for more. We were hungry, so we ordered as quickly as seven people could make their selections. Let's see if Good Dog Bar was a good selection for the first meal of our vacation. 

Since we were so hungry, some starters were in order. We began with two orders of the Esquites Empanadas ($14). These come three to an order, and the empanadas are rotated daily. The esquites empanadas were predictably filled with corn and were dusted with cotija cheese. They were a little bland on their own, but they were saved by a delicious sauce with just a hint of spice. The outer shells of the empanadas were crafted well, and I would have liked a different version of their empanadas, like the Philly cheesesteak that they offer often or any other one that featured meat. 

The Buffalo Wings ($17) were a bigger hit. They came dressed in slightly spicy buffalo sauce, celery sticks, and perfect ranch dressing. The wings were fried well and featured plenty of meat on them. The consistency of the ranch was nicely achieved, as it clung to the chicken when dipped. 

Not every day, you see a Banh Mi Sandwich ($14) on a menu in a bar. The long roll was filled with daikon, pickled carrots, a little sambal for some spice, cilantro, jalapenos, miso mayo, and pork belly. Katie liked this well enough but has had better banh mi sandwiches. She felt the pork belly was overcooked and nowhere close to tender. She enjoyed the rest of the sandwich, especially the way the condiments went well with the veggies. The fries were nicely done and were plentiful. 

Erven is all about seafood and gave these Steamed Clams ($17) a whirl. These were listed on their daily specials menu. They were served in a classic white wine and garlic sauce and came with a sliced loaf of crusty bread. The clams were on the smaller side, but I liked the one that I had. The sauce was well done with lots of garlic present. I imagined sopping up the sauce with the bread would be great. 

Here's a quick shot of the Kid's Cheese Pizza ($10). For a kids-sized pizza, the size of this was more than generous, and as you'll see as you scroll down, it's no smaller than the flatbread pizza coming up. I enjoyed how this looked from across the table, with its slightly crisped dots of cheese topping this pie. I heard no complaints from Addison about this, but she's pretty mild-mannered, except when dealing with her three brothers. 

When Guy Fieri was here, he tried this Good Dog Burger ($16), so I followed suit. This half-pound ground sirloin patty was stuffed with Roquefort cheese and topped with caramelized onions on a Challah bun. This burger was delicious, and was made even better when I asked for some mayo to add to the burger. It was cooked nicely medium rare, which made this one of the most tender burgers I have had. The Roquefort cheese added just the right amount of tanginess to each bite, and the onions added a nice sweetness. A very balanced burger. The hand-cut fries were like In-N-Out fries from back home but were seasoned and not over-fried to resemble the old Durkee's Fried Onions used only to top green bean casseroles during the holidays. These fries were way better than In-N-Out's version.  

Not content with just the steamed clams, Erven also got this Flatbread Pizza ($17). We were on vacation, so live it up, big guy. Flatbread pizza is usually rectangular when we are home, but not here at Good Dog. Like the empanadas, the flatbread changes daily and appears on the daily specials menu. The flatbread featured mushrooms, garlic, and onions on the day we visited. It has the same cheese and red sauce as the kid's pizza. I don't remember Erven giving me much info about how much he liked this pizza, but he finished it, so that's a good sign. 

Good Dog Bar was a great way to start our eating adventure in Philadelphia. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food, and this place proves that this city is not just about Cheesesteaks. This restaurant serves what I'd call elevated bar food. Even better than the food was the service that we experienced. They were so lovely setting up our private room when we walked in and catering to our every whim. These are some really great people who run this place. Dave and Heather should be really proud of the staff they have put together. It was fantastic to see my research paid off with a great selection right off the bat. Let's hope the rest of the restaurant choices are just as good. 

Out of five fire hydrants (because where you have good dogs, you will also find dogs marking their territory on fire hydrants), five being best to zero being worst, Good Dog Bar gets 3.5 fire hydrants. 

For  more information about Good Dog Bar, head to their website by clicking here: https://gooddogbar.com/

Burger Time at Cassell's in Downtown LA - CLOSED

 Cassell's

421 West 8th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90014

It was another wild Saturday night up in Burbank with Katie's family. Since we knew it would be a late night, we were lucky enough to snag a hotel room, so we didn't have to drive back to OC at a late hour. It also gave us a chance to wake up fresh for the long trip back to OC. Not wanting to let this opportunity go to waste, it was also a chance for me to cross another LA restaurant off of my restaurant wishlist. I knew just the place, the fabled Cassell's. 

Cassell's made my list because it's pretty legendary. It's been around since 1948, with only a brief closure of two years between 2012 and 2014. Al Cassell opened his lunch counter at the corner of 6th and Berendo, serving up what many people called the best burger in LA at the time. He ground his beef daily, used quality ingredients, and made as much from scratch as possible, including his mayo, potato salad, and pies. After 40-plus years in business, Al sold, and his place stayed open for a while but ultimately closed. 

Enter Chef Partner Christian Page and Jingbo Lou, an architect who had recently bought and begun renovating the Normandie Hotel, a mere five blocks from the original Cassell's. Lou felt this hamburger concept would be perfect for the ground floor of his hotel project. Chef Page had worked at Short Order at the Original Farmer's Market. Page and Lou felt protective of Cassell's concept because they bought all the old recipes, retained the signage, and even kept the old meat grinder from the original location. 

People must really enjoy the revamped Cassell's. They have four-star ratings on Yelp and added another location, the one we visited, in Downtown LA near the corner of Olive and 8th. It's a bi-level restaurant with a fifties vibe going for it but without the over-the-top kitsch of a Ruby's or Johnny Rockets. The menu is expanded with burgers, melts, sandwiches, sides, desserts, and even breakfast offered. Even though he was mistaken, our good friend Ed found his way to meet us and went first to the Hotel Normandie location. So, let's see if Cassell's is still one of the best burgers in LA. 

Katie is definitely a breakfast person, which is funny because she's asleep almost all the hours when breakfast is served. She's lucky that Cassell's serves breakfast all day, so she could try this Breakfast Burger ($16.50 plus $2.50 for bacon). This unique burger had two crispy hashbrown patties substituted for the bun, with a fried egg, some avocado, and cheddar cheese blanketing the hamburger patty. I'm still determining how most people eat this, but Katie mashed it up and ate it with a fork. It would be too messy to be eaten with your hands. Nevertheless, she enjoyed this and thought it would be greasier than it actually was. 

Part one of my meal at Cassell's was this Patty Melt and Fries ($17 plus $3.25 for the fries). As you can see from the picture above, this was the best-looking patty melt I've had. It was cooked perfectly to a nice medium rare, and the outer layer of the patty had some nice caramelization going on with it. The Swiss cheese was nice and melty, and the caramelized onions added sweetness. The toasted rye bread was sturdy and had a great crunch to it. A classic patty melt and one of the best I've had in a long while. The fries were good but needed more seasoning to make them more enjoyable. 

I also ordered this 1/3 Pound Cheeseburger and Macaroni Salad ($15.50 plus $3.25 for the Mac Salad) for research purposes. The burger was like a smash burger, with its crispy outer crust and more substantial middle area. The lettuce, tomato, and onion, along with the condiments, are served on the side. I really enjoyed the way the cheddar cheese melted over the patty. I suspect it was Tillamook cheese, but I could be mistaken. This burger came with a very well-made Thousand Island dressing, but I should have experimented with the other seven sauces they offer. Again, it was a very clean and tasty burger, but the bun-to-meat ratio was a little off. The bun overwhelmed in most bites. The macaroni salad was good, with a thick mayo-based dressing covering the macaroni and some diced red peppers and olives. I should have gotten the potato salad, which seems more popular online. 

As you can tell from the above, Ed is much more health-conscious than Katie and I are. He went with the Chicken Sando ($13.25) and a Market Salad ($10). At Cassell's, they use Naked Truth organic chicken breast and add cheddar cheese, plenty of lettuce, tomato, and ranch to complete the sandwich. Ed's not one to express his views on food, but he enjoyed his sandwich. His salad contained mixed greens, celery, cherry tomatoes, onion, and ranch dressing. A basic but fresh salad. 

I had read somewhere that Cassell's had some pretty good pie baked daily on the premises, so we all split a slice of Apple Pie Ala Mode ($9.50). They used the traditional granny smith apples mixed with cinnamon sugar and a caramel streusel sprinkled on top. The pie was good, but I liked the one from Pie 'N Burger better. This one was way better than the one we had at The Apple Pan a few years ago. They also get bonus points for serving Fosselman's ice cream.   

The folks behind Cassell's revival have done things right. I got the sense that they have taken great care in preserving the heritage of what Al Cassell had built. The quality of the food and the way they make things from scratch while expanding their menu to cater to the tastes of the modern consumer is reason enough to visit. I'm sure a good number of you are looking at their prices and thinking they are way too high, as I was walking out of here $72 poorer. Still, this is a great place to get one of the best patty melts in LA and a nice treat when you just got paid. 

Out of five speeding tickets (because 1948 was not only the year that Cassell's opened, but also when Porsche was founded, and I'm sure drivers of those sportscars have gotten their share of speeding tickets), five being best to zero being worst, Cassell's gets 3.5 speeding tickets. 

For more information about Cassell's, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.cassellshamburgers.com/

Doing More Than Win-Dow Shopping in Venice - CLOSED

 The Win-Dow

1827 Ocean Front Walk

Venice, CA 90291

Before I met and married Katie, I had never really been an LA guy. Instead, I was content to go about my regular routine in OC. Sure, I had made a couple of trips to LA; visiting Universal Studios, going to Pasadena for the Doo-Dah Parade, watching our friend run the LA Marathon, and then going to Philippe's for a French dip sandwich. But that was really about it. 

When I told her I had never been to the Valley, Katie was flummoxed. It almost rocked her to the core that I had never been there. She was even more shocked when I rattled off that I had never been to Santa Monica, Malibu, Westwood, or Griffith Park. We have since crossed most of these off this list, and it was time for another initial visit to an LA tourist spot, my first trip to Venice Beach. 

We were on vacation this week and decided to take advantage of the light midday traffic and try some burgers in Venice Beach. I had an excellent burger at Great White for lunch. As we walked the famous Venice Boardwalk, I spied The Win-Dow, which has gotten glowing reviews from the good folks over at Eater LA, with a well-researched article by Farley Elliot, which you can read here. I've also seen this spot featured on local TV, and even though I was not precisely hungry when we walked by, I felt obliged to stop and try it out because who knows when I will get back up this way again. 

The Win-Dow debuted in 2019, serving burgers from a window at American Beauty from 11-5pm on weekdays and 8am to 5 on weekends. They have since expanded to two other locations, one in Silverlake and the one we were visiting on this day, on the Venice Boardwalk. The Win-Dow is part of the same restaurant group as Superba, The Tasting Kitchen, and American Beauty, all of which have gotten glowing reviews in their own right. 

The menu at this beach location is very simple and straightforward. There are three burgers: a fried chicken sandwich, a grain bowl, a kale salad, and fries. They also have shakes and dipped cones for dessert. Nothing on their menu is over $7.95, even cheaper than Carl's Jr. Even though we had just eaten, I was excited about my first Win-Dow experience. Let's check it out. 

My plan was that I was just going to have a single bite of whatever I got here and save the rest for later. However, after my first taste of the Double Cheeseburger ($6.50), I knew things would not go as planned. Nevertheless, I could not stop myself from eating the whole thing. The Angus patties were grilled on the flattop, allowing a bit of crispiness to surround the outer edge of the burger. This contrasted with the melted American cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and house sauce. The soft and pliable potato bun was structurally sound enough to keep everything together nicely. Everything on this burger worked in perfect harmony to create an excellent sensory experience. I had wished I got one more to go, but I wasn't sure it would have lasted the hour's drive home. 

The second of my two sandwiches was the Fried Chicken Sandwich ($6.25). This was on the same bun as the burger and featured a very well-made fried chicken, coleslaw, and a small amount of what I assumed to be mayo. The chicken had crunchy breading with tender chicken inside. It's just what you want with a chicken sandwich. This just needed more mayo and coleslaw added to it to make it stand out more. It's not awful, but you should bring your own jar of Best Foods mayonnaise if you order this sandwich.  

I was impressed with The Win-Dow. Not only is their food reasonably priced, but their stuff is also high quality. It makes you think that national fast food places are serving subpar food to us at inflated prices. For them, it's all about making money, unlike The Win-Dow, which is about making their customers happy by serving them a delicious burger at a more affordable price. We experienced good service this afternoon and got our food promptly. I'm glad I could cross the famous Venice Boardwalk off my list, but even more happy that I got to experience the burger at The Win-Dow. 

Out of five dumbbells (because this restaurant is close to Muscle Beach, the famous spot where many renowned bodybuilders get their start lifting dumbbells), five being best to zero being worst, The Win-Dow gets 3.5 dumbbells. 

For more information about The Win-Dow, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.thewin-dow.la/

Swimming With the Sharks at Great White in Venice

 Great White

1604 Pacific Avenue

Venice, CA  90291

I get my restaurant tips from many sources. It used to be that I'd read other people's blogs, but there aren't that many people blogging these days, except for yours truly. So that means I usually get my tips from Instagram, local press, and magazines. However,  most of my restaurant suggestions come from my readers and people I encounter daily. Almost everyone has an opinion on where the best food is, and they are not shy to give me their recommendations, which is awesome and welcomed. 

So who got me off my comfy couch to drive 62 miles north for lunch? It was none other than Phil Rosenthal. If you have not watched Somebody Feed Phil, which airs on Netflix, put it on your list of things to watch. His joy in eating and life is infectious. I usually binge the whole season within the first week of its release. It's that good, and the places he visits are definitely some I'd like to try one day. 

Anyways, Phil tweeted a picture of a burger he had, and it looked so good that I decided I had to try it. Both Katie and I had taken a vacation day, and it was the perfect time to visit Great White in Venice Beach. I had never been to Venice before, and with the light midday traffic, we made it up from South OC in under an hour. Parking was no problem this warm early June afternoon as we walked the few blocks to Great White. 

Great White is self-described as an all-day, casual cafe focusing on coastal Californian, fresh, and seasonal cuisine. This Venice location opened five years ago, followed by a Larchmont spot just under a year ago. The two Australian owners have created a light and breezy resort vibe in their dining room. Wicker basket light fixtures, white painted walls, and arched entryways are the dining area's focal point, attracting a young, hip, and good-looking clientele. 

The menu at Great White has a little bit of something for everyone. They serve breakfast from 8 to 3pm, lunch begins at 11, and the five main entrees are available after 3pm. The lunch menu is broken into six sections; salads, bowls, sandwiches, share plates, pizzas, and desserts. Most items on their lunch menu are around the $20 price point, which is reasonable these days. Let's see if the 50 minutes drive for lunch was worth it. 

Up first for us was some Avocado Dip ($14). The smashed avocado was combined with diced red onion, a sprig of cilantro, and some Aleppo pepper, which is moderately spicy, but added a tinge of cumin flavor to this dip. I liked the originality of this guacamole. It was fresh, and the Aleppo pepper made it a bit unique. This was served with some taro chips, which I would usually turn my nose to, but these provided a lightness that let the guacamole shine through a bit more. An excellent and light start to our visit to Great White.  

Chicken sandwiches are all the rage right now, and Great White has a very good one. Their Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($18 plus $2 for the sweet potato fries substitution) is not of the spicy Nashville variety. Instead, it's a straightforward version with cabbage slaw, pickles, and a secret sauce added to the nicely crisped breading coating the moist chicken. This was a very clean-tasting chicken sandwich, which was fried well and lacked the greasiness one associates with other inferior chicken sandwiches. The brioche bun held together nicely, but I would have asked for a little more of the secret sauce if this was my meal. Sweet potato fries are not really my thing, but Katie found these to be enjoyable. 

Here's why we came up to Venice, the Tremendous Burger ($18) I saw Phil Rosenthal having on Twitter. It was just as good-looking as what I remembered in that photo. The glossy bun with the wonderfully melted American cheese covering the two smashed burger patties is finished with some shredded lettuce, secret sauce, and caramelized fennel. This burger was worth the drive. It reminded me of a higher-quality In-N-Out burger, made with better ingredients and seasoned way better than anything that has come out of the kitchen at the aforementioned overrated fast food favorite. Due to all the cheese, it was a little messy to eat but worth getting dirty for. The fries were crisp, salted, and made even better when I asked for a Side of Garlic Aioli (.50). 

With just this one lunchtime visit, it's apparent that Great White is not only a beautifully designed restaurant, but they have some delicious food here too. If we lived closer, I could see us eating our way through their rather extensive menu often. I've heard good things about their breakfast burritos; the fish tacos, pasta dishes, and pizzas look worth trying. We experienced friendly service on this visit, as our server was pleasant but did not make a habit of sticking around our table too long. I'm sure he will never read this, but thanks, Phil, for posting the picture of your burger. I can't wait to see where you are going to eat next. 

Out of five beauty school dropouts (because the movie Grease was filmed at nearby Venice High School, and Beauty School Dropout is one of the songs in that movie), five being best to zero being worst. Great White gets 3.5 beauty school dropouts. 

For more information about Great White, head to their website by clicking here: https://greatwhite.cafe/