Today, I was in the mood for a burger and all the burger options in Duarte were basically all about fast food and that wasn’t going to do. In-n-Out was also a possibility since it was just a 10-15 minute drive, but my picky palate said no because it was craving a new burger experience.  In the back of  mind, I remembered hearing about a restaurant in Monrovia called The Market Grill that is supposed to be known for their burgers so off I went.

The Market Grill is actually not a stand-alone restaurant. You’ll find it inside the Monrovia Market, but as you pass the restaurant window, take note of the housemade burger buns that are on cooling trays. Once you walk inside, go down a few steps to your left to the restaurant itself where you’ll see a counter in front of you where you can place your order and tables to your right that will seat about 12 people total. Yes, it’s a small place, but there’s also additional counter seating by the window for a few more people.

Inside the restaurant, there’s are vintage food signs on the wall and also a shelf of really fun salt and pepper shakers like kissing pigs, frogs and more. Apparently, owner Alex Ramirez, would put these character salt and pepper shakers on the table and customers caught on and started donating some of their old ones to the restaurant.  Currently, the customer donated shakers are just for display, but as one of the table ones are broken, they’re replaced by a display one. I thought that was a cute side story.

So now it’s burger time and for lunch that day, I went with a 1/3 Bacon Burger with with whole leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and a swipe of housemade Thousand Island. I had a choice of Provolone, cheddar or Swiss and decided to keep it classic with cheddar cheese.  For a side, I opted out of the French fry route and instead went for their Minted Lemon Potato Salad.  One thing that I liked about their side choices is that you could also choose Fresh fruit instead of the fries or potato salad for those of you trying to lessen your carb load. Another plus is that they actually ask you how you want your meat cooked and Medium was the answer from me.

Before I talk about the burger, I just want to mention a couple of other things.  First, they make a Minted Lemonade, which I absolutely loved.  Not that I don’t mind tart lemonade, but some places take it overboard.  With their Minted Lemonade, I still get the tart, but it’s softened and rounded with the mint flavors.  Mint-lemon must be their thing since they also have Minted Lemon Potato Salad, but it is awesome. I liked the fact that the lemon wasn’t overwhelming, that the salad had a smooth texture plus the addition of fresh mint added a nice hit of freshness to the salad.

As for the burger, it hit the spot and then some. The burger meat was cooked perfectly and perfectly pink and it was deliciously juicy. One thing to add is that they also grind their own meats.  Kudos to them! Generous with their bacon, you got two thick slices of smoky goodness and I think that more burgers should use red onions as opposed to white or yellow onion. It added a nice little hit of sweetness that I enjoyed,

The market freshness of all the vegetables really reinforced to me that the Market Grill cares about what they feed their customers.  Although the housemade burger bun was soft and even a bit fluffy, it held its own considering the amount of food between the two buns.  One little nitpit is that burger meat itself needed a bit more seasoning, a dash more salt and/or pepper, but still it was pretty darn good.

The Market Grill also has daily desserts, which are all baked by Tracy Ramirez’s Mother. Tracy is the wife of Alex’s Ramirez and the co-owner of The Market Grill. I certainly enjoyed my Butterscotch Cookies after my burger main event.  Apparently, on Wednesday, they have bacon cookies. Guess where I’m going to be next Wednesday?

Overall, I really, really enjoyed my meal at The Market Grill and I look forward to returning and trying more items from their menu, especially their New England Hot Dogs, which I read about on the foodies:  a southern california food blog. Be sure to click that link because it’s definitely unlike a classic American hot dog that you’re used to seeing.

The Market Grill
525 South Shamrock Avenue
Monrovia, California 91016
(626) 303-4314
Like The Market Grill on Facebook to Get Their Daily Specials!

If you’d like to read more about my tasty travels around town, click here or if you’d like to join my dining group, Pleasure Palate, click here!

Phil’s Diner Cheeseburger: An excellent burger and awesome onion rings, $8.50

Opened in the 1920′s, the original Phil’s Diner was set up in a small train car located on Chandler Blvd, a few blocks from where it is located now. During the early ’80′s I’d eat there regularly, usually having the Idiot’s Mish-Mosh (eggs and potatoes and a whole bunch of other stuff). The place was always packed, and its small size meant you got up close and personal with your hungry neighbors. At the time the place was decidedly not some trendy eatery, with great gobs of goo coating the single exhaust fan behind the flattop. But it was a local landmark. During that era, “Phil” was an Asian man whose attitude provided half the reason I’d want eat there.

The place was closed down in the 90′s and the train car languished in disrepair. Thankfully its been rescued and moved a couple of blocks to its current location on Lankershim in the NoHo Arts District. Opened in April, the new owners have cleaned it up, added a proper hood over the cooking area and a few tables outside. Voila, a trendy neighborhood eatery! The inside it still tiny, with so little room behind the counter that two people can only pass each other with great difficultly. Of course that makes it fun to watch.

The food itself was pretty excellent. The burger bun is as good as it looks, and the onion rings were fantastic. The service was a bit slow, especially since it wasn’t very busy, but was very friendly. Even though it’s been opened only a couple months, it’s clear the place now a part of the neighborhood, with customers being greeted by first name and stories of home life being exchanged while their order is being prepared. Really glad it’s back, even if it’s more a re-creation rather than the actual original.

Oh, and yes they still serve the Idiot’s Mish-Mosh.

Words and picture by DB.

First event coverage of the new year and Candy Coated made it out to P-Dogs in South Gate. This location specializes in a variety of hot dog combination’s. On this particular night they also were having a cruise night with car clubs such as Pride, Maniacos, Lo Nuestro, La Gente, Stylistics, South Side, Classic Creations, City Wide, Thee Untouchables and Better Days. To view more of theses photos visit, Erwin Recinos on Flickr.

Ever in the mood to go back to the 50′s? Perhaps go on a date with Pinky Tuscadero or perhaps go back in time to sock-hops, derbies and 45 rpm records being played from a jukebox.

Well Cafe 50′s is just that spot. The latest location of the LA-based mini chain opened four months ago and located across from LACC. This diner will definitely take you back to the 50s with classic shakes, fountain drinks, and burgers. It is a throwback to the era of the “All American” wholesome family and when greasers, as seen in the movie Grease, were the teen rebels. The whole place is plastered with 50′s memorabilia such as posters, album covers, vintage soda pop signs, “I Like Ike” buttons and wall-o-matics.

To read more about the joint….visit Galo Eating

By now, some may have already heard of Kalbi Burger. And why not? Since its opening on June 14th, Kalbi Burger has been creating a buzz around town, especially in the area where it’s located – Koreatown.

Yep that’s right.  Time to get your priorities straight and eat some burgers.  Whether it be soy based or buffalo or turkey or beef; go out to your favorite place and chow down.  Check out some of my favorite places to grab a burger…

Fatburger – Turkey with Egg and Cheese.  Sometimes it’s a double turkey with cheese… Sometimes it’s a Boca.  But it’s always good.

Fuddruckers – Buffalo with Swiss, Onions and Mushrooms.  People laugh when I tell them I love this place.  Bottom line: variety, build your own burger bar and jalepeno squeeze cheese.

Burger Bar – Buffalo with Swiss, Onions and Mushrooms.  See a pattern?  Famed chef Hubert Keller’s burger spot.  Vegas and now in SF.  The fancy cuts of beef can get pricey but the buffalo and turkey are spot on.

Umami Burger – Locals are going crazy over this spot.  A bit pricey for the size but the flavor packs a punch.

8 oz. Burger Bar – Melrose designer burger shop priced just right with 3 dollar pabst and Oly’s.

And hey don’t forget dessert!  Homemade burger cupcakes… it’s a labor of true love but worth it!

Heavy metal and burgers go together, this is a fact. Until now, there has not been a mobile food wagon to pair these items in the proper way. Enter sandman, er Grill ‘em All, a food truck specializing in meat ‘n metal. As you might expect, they’re on Twitter. We got the chance to interview the 2 man team behind the truck, which will be rolling out next week:

What is the concept behind Grll ‘em All?

Matt: With out getting way too brainy about it the concept is just Heavy Metal and Hamburgers. I know what you’re thinking: finally someone made this marriage happen. I agree, we are really blazing a trail here. What can I say, we are making people happy.

Ryan: Serving good food to good people, but staying true to our roots. That’s the most important thing to us.

What locations will you be serving?

Matt: We will be all over metro Los Angeles. Lunch, dinner and late-night service. Look for the truck outside rock concerts and crazy events. If you’re feeling too drunk after seeing Municipal Waste or Slayer, soak up the booze with a big, juicy burger.

What are your favorite burger places in LA?

Matt: I love Fathers Office, Apple Pan and 8 oz. but you can’t discount all the random burger joints in the valley and the burbs. There’s a charbroiled place in Glendale that I am all about. I had a chicken fried steak sandwich there the other day.

Ryan: I would have to say 8oz is a personal favorite, they have fried cheese curds and that’s a sure fire way into any Midwestern boys heart. The heavy hitters like Umami and Fathers Office are right behind. Jakes burger in Pasadena is a great place to get a custom burger and a Pabst on the cheap, but I also cant discount southern California favorites like In and Out and Tommy’s.

Is Kill em All the best Metallica album or is Ride the Lightening superior? (And French Fries for All?)

Matt: That’s a silly question because all true metal heads know that Kill ‘Em All is the biggest ripper in that catalog. ‘Hit the Lights’ remains the ultimate party starter. When that refrain kicks in you know a bottle is getting thrown against the wall.

Ryan: Ride the Lightning has a song all about being trapped under ice, doesn’t get more brutal than that. French fries for some and burgers for many. That’s a loaded question.

What is you and your crew’s background? Chefs? Restraunteurs? Backyard grillers?

Matt: Ryan is a chef, a great chef in my mind. I’m just a dude, a sweet dude in my mind.

Ryan: I’ve worked in kitchens for over ten years and Matt has been my best friend and personal taste tester all throughout, so what a better team to start a business right?

Taco burger? If not, why not?!

Matt: I’ve seen a burger taco before but never a taco burger.

Ryan: Exactly, why not?

The Ranch ~ 30843 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Westlake Village, CA 91362 ~ (818) 575-9033

The Ranch used to simply be the offices of a catering company when one day, not too long ago, chef/owner David Duimovich was fooling around in the kitchen and created humungoid buns that mushroomed out of giant ceramic pots like massive downy muffins. Sensing he was onto something, he nabbed two lunch-bound suits in the parking lot and forced them to sit down and scarf some burgers. The dudes came back with friends the next day, naturally wanting more burgers, and so on and so on until this strip-mall paean to the nation’s favorite sandwich set its culinary roots down and overgrew the cubicles.

The Ranch is big on charm in a very small, atmospheric room with sunrise tones and dark wood furniture. The menu keeps it pretty simple though: burger, cheese steak, beef dip, and 3 chicken sandwich options, all in the airy massive buns, with a few salads that we weren’t too super-keen on. Being my birfday and all, I went for a cheeseburger, having been lured in t by local legends that it was the best for miles. The deluxe “Duimo Burger”, which has a Serbian forename I’m forgetting the meaning of, is crafted from certified Angus steak with two types of cheese, and a blended Ranch BBQ sauce, betwixt the giant pillows of love they call buns.

Our burgers came in gigantic, impromptu foil baskets, held at the nape by our server like fat, decapitated aluminum gease. Inside were huge hamburgers challenging us to take a bite. The bun is soft and airy as can be, exploding open with warmth and serving as the burger’s most outstanding feature. The buns are baked immediately after ordering, as you can see thorough the kitchen doors, making them the fluffiest we’ve tasted, although those pictures of Rio make us think there might be softer buns somewhere out there that need nibbling.

Between the sheets, as our dear friends the brothers Isley might say, is a very wide, though  slim patty of well-grilled beef. The patty is pressed tightly thick but loosely packed, and stays expansive and flavorful, as though it were beaten flat by the under-saddle of a Tartan warrior before becoming a griddled gossamer of tender beef, still maintaining all of its natural juicy qualities, along with those provided from seasonings, oil, and the kiss of the grill. Lettuce shares space on the burger with ‘special’ BBQ Ranch sauce and two kinds of cheese, of which the American added something I didn’t dig. Overall, though, this burger was a joy to try for new and old flavors mingling amongst a classic standard. The star is that bun, and while the meat and freshness make the burger awesome as well, the presentation and taste of the bread is what brings everyone back.

I know some of this has already been posted… but I wanted to put them together…

Fuddruckers ~ 15301 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA

Step 1:  Get Your Burger

Step 2: Build Your Burger

Step 3: Complete Burger!

As you know Fuddrucker’s is a chain, but it’s damn good.  I got this 1/2 pound Buffalo Swiss Melt Burger at the Sherman Oaks location inside the “new” Galleria (15301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks).  You order whatever you want (veggie patty is an option) and when you get your burger, you go to the bar and build it as high or as low as you want.  Some like it with leaf lettuce, one piece only.  Some, like me, go all out and pile em high.

We got two burgers, fries, 2 newcastles and 1 drink for 25 bux. Those $18 fancy Hollywood burgers can kiss my ass.

Daglas Drive-In ~ 20036 Vanowen St. Canoga Park, CA 91306

I’ll make this short and sweet…I was driving around Canoga Park, and found this random place on Vanowen close to Winnetka.  I generally don’t trust these small burger places to be good so I looked around and saw everyone eating these large portions of fries…so I had to check it out.  Fries were FUCKING awesome.  They tasted fresh cut, fried just right with seasoned salt.  The chicken breast burger was OK…I read other reviews touting the Pastrami so I’ll have to try that next.  But if you are in the valley craving fries, pass up the McD and check this place out.  Daglas; “Where Every Day Is Fry Day!”