Comme Ca- West Hollywood, CA http://www.commecarestaurant.com/los-angeles/

According to the Bays Bible (aka The New York Times), Comme Ca by Chef David Myers in West Hollywood has the perfect burger.  I am not supposed to question the bible but I don’t know if the search is over.  My burger partner in crime (the beautiful Denise Cox-Bays) and I are huge fans of French cuisine and we were both rooting for the Comme Ca Burger. Let’s just say I am still on the quest of the Holy Grail or in Abby’s world the quest for The Perfect Burger.

                It was a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon that only Los Angeles can offer.  Along with the beautiful weather came something else that Los Angeles offers: TRAFFIC!!! We had reservations at noon but due to traffic neither of us got there till 12:30.  Also Comme Ca is a tad hard to find.  Having moved here just under a year ago now, I thought it might be a bit easier to find.  I was wrong.  After going on Melrose Place (wrong road) and driving by the restaurant probably three times, I asked a very helpful parking attendant where the restaurant was.  I don’t think I was the first and defiantly will not be the last to ask where Comme Ca is. Finally, I pulled my lovely Nissan Sentra into the valet of Comme Ca.  We walked up the ramp and entered what I can only describe as a sleek Parisian bistro.   

                Comme Ca has the homey, airy and sleek French feel that can only be described as wonderful.  It is hard to explain but I would say go for the décor alone.   Denise and I sat in a cozy banquet near the window.  We were extremely excited to try the infamous burger and just as excited to have Soupe À L’Oignon Gratinée (French onion soup).  Denise and I each ordered the soup and the burger.  I of course ordered mine medium well with no cheese.  We were in heaven thinking about what was about to come out and go into our bellies.

                The Soupe À L’Oignon Gratinée came out first.  It was sweet, cheesy and wonderful.  Maybe that was our mistake for ordering the soup…because after scarfing down the soup, we were full.  I have to say I am a huge onion soup fan.  It is one of the only soups that I care for (besides a great lobster bisque and Stonehouse’s Clam Chowder in Gilford, CT).  I do have to admit that if there is one thing that I miss about my marriage it is that my ex used to make me Soupe À L’Oignon Gratinée whenever I wanted. But soup will not save a marriage! But I digress, the soup was AMAZING!!!! Go to Comme Ca for the soup alone!!!

                After the soup, the waiter brought out what could only be described as the most beautiful burger I have ever seen.   The bun was a beautiful golden brown with a sheen that I felt like I could see my face in. Of course the burger came with pomme frites (French fries) in a beautiful silver cup.  I asked for extra aioli on the side so I could dip my fries in it.  It was heaven.  On top of the meat was what I could only describe as a high-end coleslaw with lettuce, onion and aioli mixed together.  Denise and I dug into the burger.  We both had high hopes…but they fell flat. Yes it was the most beautiful burger I have ever seen - the taste was good but not great.  I just didn’t feel like it was a party in my mouth. It didn’t leave me speechless.  But I wonder, was I just too full from the soup? No, because we totally ordered cream brulee after wards so that wasn’t it.  The burger had good flavor but I am sorry New York Times, it was not the best burger.   I would say the The Comme Ca burger was Comme Ci, Comme Ca (aka So-So).  The first burger that has not made it to the semi-finals.   But I will defiantly go back for the soup and maybe next time I will try the Moules et Frites!

Score: 5.99

Father's Office: Culver City http://www.fathersoffice.com/

Even before I had moved to the City of Angels, I had heard about this mysterious place called Father’s Office. Everyone told me “you have to try this burger. It is going to blow your mind.”  I was told many times that Father’s Office has the best burger in Los Angeles, if not the world.  I decided I had to try it out for myself. I will warn you though; the same people who told me about this amazing burger also scared me a little.  They all warned me that you are not allowed to ask for condiments (especially ketchup!), the wait staff isn’t very friendly and there are no substitutions. It is even on their website!!! So for me that meant gasp I, Abigail Bays, would have to eat a cheeseburger!!!!!!!

I was, needless to say, just as excited for this burger as I was nervous for it.   On a crisp Saturday night, armed with my burger partners in crime (Carter and Denise Bays), we ventured to Father’s Office in Culver City.  Right when we walked in I was a tad thrown off. It is very much a bar that serves food. (Which I love).  You have to order at the bar, they give you a number and then someone will deliver you your food.  We all saddled up to the bar and I took a deep breath bracing myself for a sassy bartender.  He was actually extremely nice. We ordered our burgers (I didn’t dare ask for no cheese). I ordered mine medium well, Denise ordered hers well done and Carter went for medium rare.  Of course we order regular and sweet potato fries. Then we went on a search for a table.

Father’s Office is a first come first sit, so we had to creep and hover around people to try and find a table.  Luck was on our side that night and we found a table outside.  Our fries came out first and they were wonderful. I usually don’t care for sweet potato fries but with the aioli, it was amazing.

            The burgers arrived and I felt like there should be fanfare.  My mouth was watering (and still is when I think about it) and I couldn’t wait for him to put it on the table.  It is placed in front of me and I was taken aback.  It is not a usual burger because it is not on a traditional hamburger bun.  I would only describe it as an amazing French baguette, crusty on the outside but also soft. You didn’t feel like you were going to chip your tooth biting in. The Office Burger has caramelized onions, applewood bacon compote, gruyere, matag blue cheese and arugula.   My only complainant off the bat was there was a heck of a lot of arugula so I took it off  before I even tried a bite.  But my friends, that is my only complaint about that burger.  It was heaven, heaven heaven!!!! The amazing combination of the onions, bacon and dare I say the cheeses made me want to do the Happy Abby Dance right there.  The onions are sweet and with the gruyere almost had a French onion flavor.  Carter and Denise felt the same way. Our table was extremely silent. I, Abby Bays, was speechless!!! AMAZING!!!  The only time I spoke during the eating process was when I saw Evan Handler who played Harry Goldenblatt aka Charlotte’s Harry in Sex and the City.  That just put me over the edge!

            Of course I only ate half and brought it home for the other taste tester, my roomie and bestie, Shannon.  She loved it! It is way way way way  too early to say that this the best burger in Los Angeles, but Father’s Office is hands down in the semi finals.  I look forward to returning there to see if it can stand up to the others.  Ok everyone…I finally understand about Father’s Office.

Score: 8.99 

GO Burger: Sunset and Vine http://www.goburger.com/

So I am not going to lie, when my good friend and food guru, Patrick Kang, told me that GO Burger was coming to Los Angeles I could not wait to go.  Owned by BLT Restaurants I was already a fan of BLT Market in New York City. Plus, their menu had me salivating. 

I went on a Thursday night with my amazing brother and sister-in-law (have to give the fam a shout-out) and I was actually shocked because there was no wait for a table and we got there around 6:30sh.  The drive from Century City to Hollywood was longer than the wait for a table, thank goodness.  It’s right on the corner of Sunset and Vine.  An extremely cool place, the décor has an upscale dinner feel but without the cheesiness.

When the menu came it wasn’t hard for me to choose what I wanted - the BLT Burger. Denise went for the classic with cheddar and avocado and Carter also went for the BLT.  We had to go for the Kobe Beef Pigs in a Blanket and the Duck Fat Fries as well. All the burgers come medium unless requested and of course Carter was the only one who went medium.  I went for medium well and Denise went for well.  As excited as I was about the burgers, the Kobe Beef Hot Dogs were something I was really looking forward to. 

If you have never tried a Kobe Beef Hot Dog, you have to try one. I was fortunate to have been married to a chef for a year (the only good thing that came out of the marriage was a coffee maker and my love of Kobe Beef Hot Dogs) and at one of their food shows they had Kobe Beef Hot Dogs.  They have to be one of the most incredible things in the world. They are so filling you only need to eat one. Anyone who knows me or has been to a party of mine in Cleveland knows that Kobe Beef Hot Dogs are always on the menu.  Since moving out to Los Angeles, I haven’t really been able to find them so I jumped on the chance to have them at GO Burger.  The Kobe Beef Pigs in a Blanket did not disappoint with the flaky pastry and the wonderful flavor of the hot dog.  It also had a touch of grain mustard on top. It was heaven in my mouth. Let’s just say the three of us had a little discussion on who was going to have the last one.  Denise won.

But I digress, this is not the search for the best Kobe Beef Hot Dog in Los Angeles you are reading this to find out about the burger…Well..The burgers came at a reasonable time which was nice.  By the time we were done eating our apps, the waiter brought out our burgers.  What was nice was that they had the toothpicks that said how the burger was done so for me it made me feel better that they weren’t going to mess it up.  We were all extremely excited oohing and ahhing over the burgers that were in front of us.  We took pictures of them but my damn crackberry didn’t save them so you will either have to go there or use your imagination.  The buns were a beautiful golden brown. It was a sesame seed bun and it almost seemed like it had an egg wash on it to make it shiny.  I don’t know if they make them in-house. I don’t believe so.  But I could be wrong.  There was a great portion between meat and bun ratio.  I am not a huge fan of lettuce and tomato on a burger because I feel like it takes away from the burger taste, so I removed it.  Denise and I cut our burgers in half; Carter dug right in.  After our first bites we were all going crazy.  The meat was extremely juicy and flavorful.  The bun was good - not great, but good.  I really enjoyed the Go Burger sauce that came on my burger.  I would say it would be like a higher-end In N’ Out Spread.  Who doesn’t love a spread!!?? The bacon on the burger was awesome.  I was a happy camper.  Carter liked his BLT burger.  He said it was a good burger, a little too bready and a little too greasy but it was taste explosion! He felt like it was the sort of burger that you could share with a friend. In this economy who doesn’t love to share? Sharing is caring.  Carter only ate half.  Denise’s opinion on her Classic was that usually when you order a burger well done it can be dry but with this burger it was not the case.  It was juicy and wonderful.  I only ate half as well and brought the other half home to my roomie and best friend, Shannon, and she loved it as well. So consensus is that Go Burger on Sunset and Vine has made it to the semi-finals of the Bays’ Best Burger in Los Angeles contest. Congrats Go Burger and I will see you (and eat you) in the Semi Finals!!! Go Burger's rating 7.5

PS I know some of you balked at the Duck Fat Fries but us Clevelanders know (thanks to Bar Cento and Greenhouse Tavern) that Duck Fat Fries have to be the most amazing treat in the world.  Go Burgers were great but I still love Chef Jonathon Sawyers Duck Fat Fries the best!!

Keep the Suggestions Coming

Thank you to everyone who has suggested burger joints in the Los Angeles area.  Before I went back east, I tried one of the burger joints and I will discuss it in my next post. After eating there, I realized that I will have to go back to the places that I deemed worthy as semi-finalists so that they can get a fair rating. Also to make my father Jim Bays happy,  I will write later about my love for the In-N-Out burger. But that is when I don't have anything else to write about. By the way, I am still taking volunteers for people who would like to join me in this burger journey. I already have a couple people but there is always room for more.  So below are the suggestions so far of Burger Joints that I will be trying.   If I have left any out please let me know.. because the search for Los Angeles best Burger has already begun.

• Tommy's
• http://originaltommys.com/
• 26th Beach Street
• http://www.26beach.com/
• Father's Office
• http://www.fathersoffice.com/
• Umani Burger
• http://www.umamiburger.com/
• Hole in the Wall
• http://www.holeinthewallburgerjoint.com/
• Apple Pan
• http://www.applepan.com/
• Bouchon Bistro
• http://www.bouchonbistro.com/
• 8 oz. Burger Bar
• http://www.8ozburgerbarlosangeles.com/#/
• Cassell's Hamburger
• http://www.yelp.com/biz/cassells-hamburgers-los-angeles
• The Shack
• http://www.shacksm.com/
• Marty's Hamburger Stand
• http://www.sporq.com/losangeles/martyshamburgerstand/10558wpicoblvd
• Hinanol
• http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/151478/venice_ca/hinano_cafe.html
• Astro Burger
• http://www.astroburger.com/
• Irv's Burger
• http://www.yelp.com/biz/irvs-burgers-west-hollywood
• Pie n' Burger
• http://www.pienburger.com/
• Bob's Big Boy
• http://www.bigboy.com/
• Dino's Chicken & Burger
• http://www.dinoschickenandburgers.com/
• Hamburger Mary's
• http://www.hamburgermarys.com/
• Burger Kitchen
• http://burgerkitchenla.com/
• Westside Tavern
• http://www.westsidetavernla.com/
• Capitol Burger
• http://www.yelp.com/biz/capitol-burgers-los-angeles
• The Foundry on Melrose
• http://www.thefoundryonmelrose.com/index.html
• CommeCa
• http://www.commecarestaurant.com/
• Lucky Devil's
• http://www.luckydevils-la.com/

So as you see I will be a busy burger eater...but I am ready for it!!!

Let the Quest Begin

So I have always loved a hamburger. Yes that is right a hamburger. Not a cheeseburger but a hamburger. I don't care for cheese on my burger.  I have known to send it back if it has cheese on it (which makes me extremely popular at restaurants).  I recently moved to Los Angeles and have been told by numerous people that LA has the best burgers in the country.  Mind you, I have had some great burgers in the past around the US (which we will discuss those at a later date) but now it is time to search for the perfect burger in LA.  So there are some criteria in the quest for the best burger:
1. It can't be a fast food joint: I love In N' Out burgers and to me it is the best fast food burger.  So the quest for that is done
2. It can't be a pick your own condiments burger: So, since I have moved here I have had The Counter! I also love that burger. But why wouldn't I?  I get to choose exactly what I like to have on the burger so if I don't like it then it is my own darn fault. I am on search for the perfect burger that has already been created not something that I create.
3. It will be on a 1-10 scale: I will be giving it a rating between 1 and 10.  1 being the most horrible burger in the world and 10 being the Holy Grail of burgers.  I will be extremely honest: I have a feeling there will only be one 10.  I feel like a Russian Gymnastic judge.
4. It will have to have the perfect combo:  Which means it might have amazing meat but the bun might not be the best. That will all be taken into consideration.
5. I will have another person with me who will also weigh in with their opinion.  Just because I might not like it doesn't mean it isn't good, so that is why I am going to always have someone else have a burger as well so there can be another opinion.
I would love to take suggestions on what you think is the best burger in LA. I will try them all until I find the best burger in LA!!!!
Let the Quest Begin....