Salt's Cure -- Los Angeles, CA

7494 Santa Monica Blvd # A
West Hollywood, CA 90046-5657
323-850-7258

website 

Fat Bruce Lee was busy on this particular day, so to make up for his prodigious appetite, I gathered three volunteers to accompany me to Salt’s Cure in West Hollywood. Salt’s Cure was on the corner of a burger-heavy intersection. Astroburger was located diagonally, and Fatburger was across the street. There was free parking just past Astroburger, which was nice.  The 30-seat restaurant was spotless, and the open kitchen was gleaming.

This was excerpted from their site: Salt's Cure is a West Hollywood restaurant. Every meal at Salt's Cure proudly sources ingredients grown and raised in California, all of which are carefully butchered and crafted in house.

Salt’s Cure was all about taking local and localish ingredients and turning them into a small but very adequate menu. On the day that we visited, the daily menu posted on the chalkboard consisted of just 7 entrées. One of those entrées was a $15 Bacon Cheeseburger. We ordered 4 of them and settled in for a 15-minute wait.

The Burger Breakdown…

The Beef: The beef was sourced from a farm/producer near Santa Barbara, CA. The cattle were grass-fed, and the Chuck from which the burgers were created was dry-aged. The funky gaminess of the dry aging really came through in the Salt’s Cure burgers—this was particularly satisfying. The Chuck was freshly coarsely ground in-house, and it boasted a fat content of 30%.  As I watched Chef Chris Phelps form our burgers to order,  I was struck by the light pink color of the rich, ground beef. We ordered our burgers Medium so that the collagen in the Chuck would be sufficiently melted to develop a beefy flavor, and we were rewarded with a very strong note of satisfying beef. This,coupled with some iron and the strong funk delivered a well-rounded bite, which was absolutely delicious. The high fat content did cause the burger to be oilier than I was comfortable with. My companions all finished their burgers, and they all fell into immediate food comas as their digestive systems went to work on processing 2.5 ounces of beef fat from the 8 ounce burger patties. I found it difficult to set half of my burger aside, since it was so flavorful.

The Seasoning: The burger patties were PERFECTLY salted on the exterior. This served to amplify the already booming beef flavors. It also served to dry out the sear and caused it to develop a satisfying crispness.

The Sear: The burgers at Salt's Cure were cooked on a wickedly hot gas grill. The seared layer on the burgers was reminiscent of bacon due to its crisp, oily, and salty nature. The sear was ideal. As our burgers cooked, the small space became a little smoky--this actually served to make us feel more in tune with the cooking process.

The Preparation: I looked on with some concern as Chef Phelps manipulated the fresh burger patties for what seemed like an undue amount of time. However, the resultant burgers were perfectly tender and toothsome in texture. It occurred to me later that burgers with a high fat content would need that extra manipulation to form tighter protein bonds, which would in turn impart a texture firm enough to stand up to the fats in the beef. Our requests for Medium all came out Med-Rare, but this was fine, since the beef was inherently flavorful. The grill was so hot that getting the interiors of the thick burgers to Medium would have been a challenge without over-searing the exteriors. It was a fine trade-off.

The Cheese: The cheese du jour was Wagon Wheel from Cowgirl Creamery. This was an American Swiss cheese. It was nicely melted. The cheese had a mild tang, and it was pleasantly nutty. The mild cheese was an ideal topping for the savory burgers. This was very similar to the Cheddar cheese used by Fish & Farm in San Francisco.

The Bun: The house-baked brioche-style bun was fresh, yeasty, moist, springy, creamy, and densely topped with crunchy poppy seeds. The buns were buttered and toasted on the grill, and they provided some crunch around the edges. The poppy seeds were a genius touch. Since the burgers were very juicy, the seeds ensured that every bite was rewarded with a crunchy texture in spite of the moisture that flooded from the beef.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: It was perfect.

The Fries: The fries were cut in-house. These were flat, skinny cut, peel-on fries. They were cooked to a perfect and crisp finish in plain old vegetable oil. The fries were well-seasoned with coarse salt. The fries were a winner, and they did not last long on the plates of my fellow diners.

The Toppings: The Romaine lettuce and red onion were both crisp and fresh. The house-made ketchup was strongly seasoned with coriander, and it was approaching the territory of barbeque sauce...I like barbeque sauce, and I was a fan of the ketchup.  The bacon--ridiculous! The bacon was thick, smoky, and had a texture like brisket. The bacon was excellent.

The Value: This was a $15 cheeseburger with fries. This was a delicious, locally/regionally-sourced cheeseburger made with intensely fresh ingredients of exquisite quality. Considering the high quality of the burgers, at this price point the value was average. 

The cheeseburger at Salt's Cure was a savory revelation. The beef was intense, and the bun and cheese complemented it perfectly. The fat content was higher that I was comfortable with, and it certainly knocked the wind out of my dining companions. That said, I would gladly return to Salt's Cure for more burger goodness. I would split a burger and another entrée, however.

Burger Review : Fresh, local, and delicious. This was the sort of burger that will renew your faith in Chuck.

Rating...5 Bites (rounded up from 4.5)

Le Burger Brasserie -- Las Vegas, NV

At Paris Resort and Casino

3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, NV 89109

702-946-7000
website

It was our final day in Las Vegas, and Happy Meal. The Marinater, and I made the trek to Bachi Burger only to discover a sign on the door, which stated that they were closed on that particular Tuesday. I had called the previous day, and the phone message made no mention of that teensy detail. No matter, we had a backup plan, and that plan was Le Burger Brasserie at Paris Resort and Casino. I cursed Bachi Burger under my breath and turned the car back towards the strip from where we had just driven.

Le Burger Brasserie was touted as a sports bar. They had plenty of TVs on the walls, but they were playing canned music, and the theme was not remotely sporty. This was fine, since I was not looking forward to the din, which is generally associated with sports bars.  This was how their website described the burgers. At Paris Las Vegas, Le Burger Brasserie is a French interpretation of an American classic: a lively meat-and-potatoes Sports Grille featuring the world’s most creative burgers.


I was unable to discover the most creative burger in the world on the menu, but I blamed this on over-zealous marketing hype. I did locate a burger that was exceedingly costly...the 777 Burger ($777) This was a Kobe beef burger with Maine lobster, caramelized onions, imported Brie, 100-year aged balsamic vinegar, and crispy pancetta. The price included a bottle of Rose Dom Perignon Champagne. Even though Happy Meal can hold his liquor, neither of us were in the mood for pancetta, so we ordered a couple of the Le Classique burgers with American cheese ($11.99 each), an order of french fries ($4.50), and a couple of soft drinks.

Our wait was just over 20 minutes. My burger was overcooked on the first try, and I sent it back. Within 5 minutes a properly cooked (Medium) replacement arrived.  Chef Carlos Martin checked in with us to make certain that the re-fire was properly cooked.


The Burger Breakdown...

The Meat: The beef at Le Burger Brasserie was 25% fat, 100%, Black Angus Chuck. It was freshly ground by the on-site butcher and delivered pre-pattied every morning. They offered other freshly ground meats. These were chicken, lamb, turkey, Kobe beef, and salmon. The 8-ounce, Chuck patty was very juicy, and tasted quite strongly of beef. The beef was not aged, but it did carry a mild funk, which was pleasant. The beef had a simple flavor profile near the edges, but it grew more complex near the center where the beef was rare. It was only here that the iron from the fresh blood came through to round out the bite.

The Seasoning: The exterior of the burger patties were perfectly salted on the grill.

The Sear: The flat, uniform patties were grilled, and they picked up a pleasing diamond sear pattern. The sear was not sufficiently deep, crisp, or thorough to bring out any heartiness in the texture or the flavor of the burger. However, this was a relatively thin burger patty, and a really strong sear would have been difficult to pull off with out dramatically overcooking the beef.

The Preparation: I was impressed at the evenness of the cooking. The cooked layer of beef was nearly identical in depth on both sides of the burger meat. In spite of being flipped 3 times on the gas grill, the cheeseburger retained its juiciness. This spoke to the freshness of the beef.


The Cheese: We had 11 types of cheese to choose from, and we went with the American. Le Burger Brasserie applied 2 slices of the savory cheese to the burger patties and then melted that under a broiler. Like the cheeseburger at Create, this was delicious. The broiler lightly browned the cheese to bring out even more flavor.

The Bun: There were 6 bun choices, and we ordered our cheeseburgers on the white, sesame-seeded buns. All of the buns at Le Burger Brasserie were baked daily on-site. The relatively neutral bun carried light notes of savory and yeast. The bun was moist and tender, but it held up well against the juices of the burger.  The bun was toasted, and there was a nice crunch around the edges.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was perfect.

The Fries and Rings: Both were Lamb Wesson products. Le Burger Brasserie did improve upon the already solid fries by dipping them in a batter prior to frying. The fries and rings were both perfectly crisp and golden from the canola oil. The seasoning was spot on.

The Toppings: The tomato slices were juicy and sweet. The slab of Iceberg lettuce had brown mottling on the underside--this was inedible and had no business being on a plate. The sour pickle spear was quite good--it reminded me of the pickle that I had recently enjoyed at BLT Burgers.

The Value: 12 bucks was a lot for Chuck, but this was a cheeseburger on the Las Vegas Strip. The value was comparable to other burgers in the same class. Accordingly, the value was average. $4.50 for an order of fries was on the high side, though.

Le Burger Brasserie was a fine way to finish off our father and son Las Vegas trip. The burgers were hearty and satisfying, and the fries were delicious.

Burger Review : Le Burger Brasserie served up a better than average burger for an average (Las Vegas Strip) price.


Rating...4 Bites

Stripburger -- Las Vegas, NV

at Fashion Show Mall
3200 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
website

This was the second day of the Las Vegas adventure with Happy Meal. We made our way to Stripburger for lunch. It was across the street from The Palazzo, where we had plans to have Happy Meal try the Birthday Shake at I Love Burgers at The Palazzo Shops. Stripburger offered mostly outdoor seating, and on this day the temperature was a brutal 108. Fortunately, the mist cooling system was working, so we enjoyed the pleasant and surprisingly effective luxury of evaporative cooling while enjoying an afternoon view of the Las Vegas strip. Our server,  Nick, was a burger lover, and he was highly knowledgeable and conversant about the various burgers in Las Vegas. He was confident that we were about to enjoy one of the finer burgers in the city. The executive chef of Stripburger, Terry Lynch, also headed up things at Mon Ami Gabi over at Paris Resort and Casino. Both Stripburger and Mon Ami Gabi were part of the Lettuce Entertain You group.

We ordered two of the Cheeseburgers ($9.95), an order of the Fresh-Cut Fries ($3.95), and a couple of soft drinks. Our cheeseburgers arrived in about 15 minutes.

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: The beef was delicious. It arrived, pre-ground from Brandt Beef. The burger was a blend of Brisket, Chuck, and Chuck Roll. The burger blend was ground coarsely, so each bite kept one mindful of the grain of the Brisket, which one was chewing.  The fat content was about 20%--the fat in the burgers seemed to be right at the edge of acceptable without pushing past. The beef was quite juicy, and it quickly soaked the bottom bun. The bite was complex with strong beef and steak notes. There was also a faint taste of aging--the beef was wet-aged for 7 days. The beef was a solid win. Chef Lynch was a stickler for beef quality and sanitation. He chose Brandt Beef, since they had an impeccable reputation and delivered a quality product. We had encountered Brandt Beef previously, and it was a really fine choice in most cases.

The Seasoning: The exterior of the burgers at Stripburger were seasoned with salt and pepper as they were cooked on the grill. Happy Meal proclaimed that the pepper was what made the burgers exceptionally good--he was correct. The pepper rounded out the flavor nicely.

The Sear: The sear was weak. There were light grill marks on the burger patties, but the grill did not develop a proper sear. A good sear would have taken this burger to a higher level.

The Preparation: The beef was custom ground by Brandt Beef and delivered to Stripburger. The burger patties at Stripburger were loosely packed and handled perfectly. These patties were formed once or twice per day, depending upon demand. The burgers were turned once on the gas grill, so they retained a lot of juices.

The Cheese: There were 6 cheese choices. We went with the American. The standard American cheese, was perfectly melted over the burger patty, and it fused the top bun its surface. The cheese worked its way nicely into the interstitial spaces in the loosely packed, coarse grind. This served to bind the dish together.

The Bun: The standard, sweet, moist, yeasty, burger buns were sourced from More Than Bread. The buns were a custom creation for Executive Chef, Terry Lynch.  The gentle sweetness of the bun worked well with the savoriness of the burger and cheese. The bun was warm but barely toasted. As a result, it offered no crunch and little resistance to saturation of the bottom bun. The bun was firm enough to stand up to the burger.

The Meat To Bun Ratio:  Perfect. The last bite was identical to the first.

The Toppings: The lettuce was shredded Iceberg, and it was fresh. The tomato slices were sweet and juicy. Since the bun was lacking texture, these toppings were best left off to avoid saturating the bun.

The Fries: CRISP!  These house-cut, peel-on, par-cooked fries were what Five Guys Burgers and Fries should have been serving. The fries were earthy, golden brown, and hot. They were also well-seasoned with granulated salt. The canola used to cook the fries was fresh and at the perfect temperature to create a proper french fry. The fries were flawless.

The Value: 2 Cheeseburgers, a huge order of fries, and two soft drinks set us back about $32. Considering the strong quality of the beef, the value was average.

I generally try to only 50% of each of the burgers that I sample, but in this case I wanted to eat the whole thing. Happy Meal polished off his burger and commandeered half of the burger that I had set aside. Happy Meal was wildly enthusiastic about the Stripburger fare. This burger really appealed to his tastes. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and flavor of my burger, as well. A proper sear on the beef and toasted bun would have put this quality burger over the top.

Burger Review : A high-quality and very tasty burger was served up at Stripburger. It pleased palates both young and grown-up.

Rating...4 Bites