Lucy's 51 -- Toluca Lake, CA

10149 Riverside Drive 
Toluca Lake, CA 91602

818-763-5200

Lucy's 51 posted a $10 for two cheeseburgers deal on Groupon, and Toluca Lake was on the way to the zoo. That was a double bonus for Happy Meal and myself. We found free parking on the street. We parked in front of The Counter, which was funny, because The Counter consistently served up over-priced, joyless burgers. I should have noted this as an omen. Upon walking into Lucy's 51,  I was immediately surprised that they had posted a Groupon to lure diners in to have a burger. Lucy's 51 was a dimly lit lounge. So it goes. Happy Meal and I found a table and ordered a couple of cheeseburgers ($10.95). The wait was about 10 minutes.

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: The 8-ounce patty tasted was 100% Angus beef, and it was 100% Chuck. The burger patties were chewy/rubbery enough to suggest that they had arrived pre-formed and in a frozen state. While the burger was moderately beefy, it brought only one other flavor to the party. That flavor was char. The kitchen did get a nice flavor of backyard cookout char. The fat content was approaching 25%. As a result, the burger at Lucy's 51 was on the oily side. The burgers were cooked to Well-Done by default. Looking back, this was a blessing, since some of the excess fat had been rendered off.

The Seasoning: The exterior of burger was dusted with an appropriate amount of savory seasoning blend.

The Sear: The Sear on the burger at Lucy's 51 was merely OK. The burger patty was cooked on a gas-fired grill. It was turned 4 times to get some hash marks on the surface. The edges of the patty picked up some nice char and a little crispness.

The Preparation: The burgers were cooked hard to Well-Done. The moderately thick burger patties puffed up a little in the center due to the intense heat of the grill. This left the edges charred and the centers oily.

The Cheese: The default cheese was a thin slice of a bland, Tillamook Cheddar. The Cheddar was unmelted, oily, rubbery, and completely uninteresting. The cheese brought nothing to the dish but additional fat.

The Bun: The bun was fresh. It was a seeded, moderately sweet, standard, burger bun. The freshness of the bun did serve to partially compensate for the dry chewiness of the burger patty at Lucy's 51. The bun was untoasted, and this made sense due to the texture of the beef.

The Meat to Bun Ratio: This was fine.

The Toppings: The Romaine lettuce was fresh and crisp. The tomato slices were surprisingly ripe and flavorful.

The Fries: The fries at Lucy's 51 were thick-cut, steak fries. The fries were cooked in fresh oil, and they were nicely crisped. The thick fries were on the bland side, as they were seasoned with parsley rather than salt. There was no salt shaker at the table.

The Value: $15, the $10 Groupon and a $5 tip, was a little more than I was happy with considering the meager quality of the meal and the dingy lounge setting. The non-Groupon price would have approached $30, and that would have been excessively spendy in consideration of the quality of the food.

Overall, I was confused why Lucy's 51 promoted themselves with such a weak menu item. I was relieved that the establishment was on the way to my destination, and that I hadn't wasted a trip going out of my way for something so pedestrian.

Burger Review : Lucy's 51 served up a completely average and somewhat over-priced burger....PASS.

Rating...3 Bites (Rounded up from 2.5)

Short Order -- Los Angeles, CA

6333 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-761-7970
website

I had just finished up a Tabata Protocol workout on the Santa Monica stairs, and suddenly a burger made a lot of sense. Short Order had recently opened up at The Farmers Market. Parking was a breeze, and Short Order validated, so the first two hours were free. I ordered a  $13 Nancy's Backyard Burger, since it was the one made from 28-day dry-aged beef. My wait was just under 6 minutes.

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: The beef in Nancy's Backyard Burger was the star of the show. It was sourced from Magruder Ranch in Mendicino County. The beef came pre-ground from the supplier. The cuts in the blend were a mystery to both the kitchen and wait staff. It tasted strongly of Sirloin. The flavor was beefy. There was a mild and smooth taste of aged funk. The steaky mineral notes were there. Beyond the beefy goodness, there was a nice woody flavor from the wood-fired grill in the kitchen. The staff claimed that the patty weighed in at 7 ounces, but I thought that 6 was closer to reality. The fat content was just above 20%. The burger patty was juicy and satisfying. The bite was tender.

The Seasoning: The exterior of the patty at Short Order was lightly dusted with a salt and pepper blend. The seasoning was correct for the undressed version of the burger, but it was no match for the toppings in the fully dressed version.

The Sear: The Sear on my burger at Short Order was listless at best. The thin, flat patty could have done with a lot more heat to deliver a proper sear while maintaining a Med-Rare cooking temperature.

The Preparation: I was told that the burgers were formed to order. The kitchen staff numbered 6 at the time of my visit, so this was plausible. The beef arrived pre-ground at medium coarse. The burger patty was gently formed, and the beef was not over-manipulated. The burger was faithfully delivered at the Med-Rare cooking temperature request.

The Cheese: Nancy's Backyard Burger was served with Comté, an unpasteurized, French, cow's cheese. The cheese was where the burger took a turn for the worse. The Comté had a waxy flavor, which was closer to Swiss than Gruyere. It served to mask the perfect seasonings on the beef patty, and it imparted a wholly unwelcome chewiness to the dish. The insipid cheese did nothing in terms of complementing the beef.

The Bun: The owner of Short Order, Nancy Silverton, also started La Brea Bakery, which was where the mild, brioche bun was sourced from. The bun was fresh, yeasty, and moist. The bun halves were toasted on both sides, but the bun still lacked any crunch. This, coupled with the lacking sear and the chewy cheese, led to a cheeseburger, which was dull in terms of texture. The bun was heavily oiled, and this started the dish down the path toward becoming a legitimate gut bomb.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was perfect for the undressed version of the burger. The bun failed miserably when it contended with the host of wet toppings, which accompanied the burger.

The Toppings: Bad to worse. Undressed the burger at Short Order was quite good as long as one peeled away the chewy cheese. Fully dressed, Nancy's Backyard Burger was sloppy and obnoxiously oily.

• Bacon--The smokey, thick-cut bacon was fine, but it was chewy rather than crisp. This made it both greasy and nearly impossible to bite through cleanly.
• Avocado--The burger came with a overly tart, whipped avocado topping. I was assured that this was freshly made in the kitchen. If it was, then the kitchen was wasting its time. This was just a way to ruin the subtle and creamy character of avocados.
• Special Sauce--This was a spicy mayo, so....more oil.
• Iceberg lettuce was partially wilted, so this contributed further to the weak and wet texture of the assembled dish.
• Heirloom Tomato--The tomato slices were juicy, but the flavors of the tomato failed to pop as I had expected. This tasted like a standard red tomato, and was on the mild side. 

The Fries: Short Order charged $3.00 for fries, which was steep considering that the burger was already $13.00. The fries were par-cooked and then cooked to order in canola oil. The kitchen cooked the cut in house, peel-on fries to a perfect golden brown. The fries were creamy. Sadly, the fries were over-salted, and this rendered them impossible to finish.

The Value: No! A burger, fries, and a soda came to $20.66. This was far too much to pay for delicious beef in a poorly executed, wet, and oily dish.

Short Order delivered burgers with great speed and efficiency from the gleaming kitchen. Sadly, the burger that they churned out was obscured by a variety of unpleasant and/or poorly considered toppings. The burger beef itself was terrific. The lack of sear and the overt greasiness of the dish, combined with the disjointed flavors and textures sent the whole thing into a culinary tailspin.

Burger Review : Nancy's Backyard Burger at Short Order was a study in "Too Much." Too much grease. Too much wet. Too much tartness. Too much money.

Rating...3 Bites

The Lab Brewing Company -- Agoura Hills, CA

The Lab Brewing Company
30105 Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
818-735-0091
website


The Lab Brewing Company had been gently and politely inviting me out to Agoura Hills to try the burger there, and I will admit that I had been hesitant to make the 30-mile sojourn for a burger in the "outer provinces." That said, The Lab Brewing Company had been garnering favorable reviews for its ambitious menu, and I was at loose ends on a Tuesday night. The Lovely Romanian Princess had just departed for the chill of NYC, and I found myself in need of a drive and a cheeseburger to drown my sorrows.

The Lab Brewing Company occupies the former Moz space in Agoura Hills. The new occupant dressed up the building and turned it into a functioning brew space with 188 seats, creations on the walls made by local artists, a stage for live music, and enough sound damping elements (including cork floors) to keep the din of a room full of diners down to a level where civilized conversation was an option. My civilized conversation was with part-owner and full-time Brewmaster, Roger Bott. Roger had been making his own beer since he was 16. Hint for the youngsters...they don't card when you buy yeast, malt, and hops. I had the opportunity to sample the Big Ass Red, a light and hoppy Extra Pale Ale. This was a remarkably well-balanced ale. The bitter note held strong and steady from beginning to end, but it was tempered with notes of wood, sweetness, and creaminess. This was an easy-drinking beer that made me think that 30 miles wasn't too far to drive after all. Roger kept 5 house-brewed beers on hand, and nice selection of guest taps. More impressive than Roger's encyclopedic knowledge of brewing science and the menu was the fact that after only 2 and 1/2 months of being open, guests continually came up to hug him and thank him for his hospitality.

The Lab Brewing Company's menu was ambitious and varied. The ambitiousness of the complicated menu was heightened by the fact that the kitchen was manned by a brigade of three. The Executive Chef was Moez Megji. If you were paying attention, you may have noticed that the previous incarnation of the space was eponymous for the present Executive Chef. The menu was strong on seafood and fresh, seasonal ingredients. A butternut squash pizza with walnuts, caramelized onions, and Bleu cheese was one such seasonal dish, and I liked it more than I wanted to. I also tried the PEI mussels in a red curry sauce. This dish was heavy enough on the spice that the coconut notes of the curry were all but lost, and this caused me to wonder if the burger would be seasoned as bluntly.

I ordered one of the signature The Lab Burgers, and waited a scant 12 minutes with Roger until the burger arrived.

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: The burgers at The Lab Brewing Company were a hefty half pound of Wagyu and Sirloin. The beef was only mildly wet-aged, and there really was no trace of aged funk. The burgers were wonderfully juicy. While it was clear that the fat content of the house-ground beef was just over 20%, the burger was not even remotely oily.  The flavor was restrained in a way that only a very competent and skilled chef can deliver. The bite was subtle and complex. There was a mild note of beef, which swelled as the dish cooled. There were delicate notes from the Sirloin, and they were pleasantly complicated and gently muted by the fat from the Wagyu. The texture was firm but yielding. All in all, this was a very pleasant and nuanced burger.

The Seasoning: The dusting of seasonings on the burger's exterior were complicated and foreign. The chef's African roots came into play here, and I stopped trying to guess the components of the seasoning blend. It was mildly savory and downright interesting. A variety of fresh herbs made there way into the grind to further complicate the flavors of the dish. I think a little bacon may have made its way in there, too. Bacon makes everything better. Bacon is a lot like cleavage.

The Sear: Yes! The sear on The Lab Burger was marvelous. The sear was thin, crisp, and remarkably satisfying. I found myself peeling away the sear from the uneaten half of my burger and snacking on it.

The Preparation: The beef was ground in the morning, and it was pattied twice--once for lunch and once for dinner. The three-hour rest period allowed the fat to reincorporate into the beef. The grind was medium on the coarseness scale. I requested a Med-Rare burger, and that was exactly what I received. The burger was cooked on a flat top/griddle, and that cooking surface must have been hot enough to smoke peanut oil. There was obvious skill in the kitchen.

The Cheese: The cheese used by The Lab Brewing Company on the burger was a mild blend of Gruyere and Bleu with just enough bacon to make it fun. The blend was heavy on the Gruyere, so the overbearing sharpness of the Bleu was kept at bay. This worked nicely. The subtle flavors of the cheese blend wove  into through the mellow flavors of the burger.

The Bun: The bun was a simple, sweet, buttery, unseeded model from La Brea Bakery. The buttery bun contained just enough fat to hold back the tide of juices from the burger even as the bun compressed. My fingers remained dry. The bun was remarkably light and tender. It was mildly sweet and not even a little yeasty. The bun worked with the burger. A yeasty bun would have dominated the delicate flavors of the beef and cheese.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was spot on.

The Fries: The fries were house-cut, peel-on, and par-cooked. They were cooked to a dark brown in hot vegetable oil. The fries were seasoned with salt and fresh oregano. There were other spices in the mix, but the oregano was the one that carried the most weight on the palate. The fries were hearty, earthy, and crisp. The mild bitterness from the deep browning made complete sense once the fries were dipped in a little ketchup. The bitter and sweet married perfectly.

The Toppings: The cheeseburger at The Lab Brewing Company was probably best appreciated fully dressed. The arugula was perfectly nutty and nicely dressed in oil and lemon. This gentle tartness carried over into the sweet onion marmalade. When these two accoutrements were added to the dish, the result was a splendid bite. The arugula complemented the Gruyere. The tartness of the marmalade made its way into the beef and added a gentle note of iron to round out the flavors.

The Value: The Lab Burger was a 14 dollar cheeseburger. The Lab Burger was a wonderfully executed 14 dollar cheeseburger made from a Wagyu and Sirloin, and it came with a LOT of fries. The complexity of flavors, the care put into the preparation, and the quality of the ingredients all added up to a good value at 14 dollars.

The Live Art of Brewing was what Lab stood for in the establishment's name. The beers were delicious and meticulously crafted. The same could be said for the burgers and other dishes at The Lab Brewing Company. I plan on returning to sample other items from the complicated and creative menu.

Burger Review : The Lab Brewing Company's burgers and hand-crafted beers make the trek from LA totally worth it. One of the finest burgers in Los Angeles can be found in Agoura Hills.

Rating: 5 Bites rounded up from 4.5