Food

Pill for The Morning After Burger?

by ABlock | 21 Jul 2011 | 0 Comments

Like raisins and chocolate, peanut butter and jelly or Morrissey and Johnny Marr, burgers and beer go together like… well, burgers and beer. They’re so sympatico that when these kissing cousins aren’t served together, something always feels strangely amiss. Stout Burgers & Beer knows, and capitalizes on, that classic pairing.

God bless any eatery on the Cahuenga corridor that isn’t totally heinous, trendy and overpriced. Located in the same strip mall as Big Wang’s, Stout is trendy. Its burgers, however, cost only $10, definitely on the lower end of the gastropub price range. More importantly, they’re good enough to brave Hollywood’s nearly intolerable traffic and exorbitant parking rates.

Meat & Bun: It’s brioche, all the way, providing a solid framework for the thick, hearty burger. Burgers are cooked medium, by default. Make sure to specify, if you prefer them medium-rare. The lightly seasoned meat tastes flavorful and fresh but doesn’t have much of a char on it. The bun squished down but didn’t fall apart through the consumption process

Toppings: These are all chef-concocted burgers (i.e. you can remove toppings but can’t add them), the best of which is, hands-down, the eponymous Stout Burger. Stout does Father’s Office one better, serving their burger with blue cheese and gruyere. Caramelized onions? Check. Thick-cut, rosemary-tinged bacon? Check. Horseradish sauce? Back up. It’s a perfectly fine horseradish sauce, but it’s sharp and relentless, drowning the other flavors. The burger is better off without it, which is why we prefer our horseradish on the side, as a dipping sauce for the fries.

Stray from the Stout Burger, and you may regret it. The Six Weeker, with its sweet caramelized onions and gooey fig jam, comes closer to dessert than any burger should. And the underlying arugula doesn’t do anything but add a discordant earthy note. Finally, The Morning After Burger with Rosemary Bacon, Aged Sharp Cheddar, Egg Over Easy and Chipotle Ketchup will make you ask…”Is there a pill I can take after I eat this!” Enjoy