Super Duper in San Fran (09.20.2021)

 The next stop on our California journey was San Francisco. We landed in the Financial District and had a room at the Palace Hotel. The hotel was wonderful, full of history. I'm not sure what that all has to do with the quest for a tasty burger but, it would serve as my start point each day.

Market Street has quite a few offerings for potential breakfast, lunch and dinner spots. One place caught our attention, Super Duper Burger. This needed to be investigated. The beef is ground daily. It's a vegetarian fed beef. I think we call that grass fed in Wisconsin. The bun is artisan bakery fresh baked daily. They offer a "mini" burger that weighs in at 4 oz. Otherwise, it's a double patty version. We checked it out. 

I got the Mini Cheeseburger. The burger in it's own little bag. The 4oz is probably the start weight because these didn't seem that big. Still, overall flavor and quality was pretty decent. It was all that they promised. I thought $7.25 wasn't too outrageous.

Rate it: 4 of 5

I liked the burger. The bun was okay. If you are looking for a good burger, they deliver. I also think that they are probably pretty consistent on quality. Burger for the buck, relatively good.

Not to wine but... Michael-David Winery (06.16.2021)

 It was day five of our California trip. Our next stop after Anaheim would have been the Sequoia Nation Park Lodge. The fires in the forest surrounding the lodge caused the lodge to close and cancel our visit. We took a detour to Lodi. Pretty cool because I've always enjoyed the song "Lodi" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Just off the highway, on the outskirts of Lodi is the Michael-David Winery. One of my wife's favorite wines is their Freakshow Petite Petit. What a great chance to see and taste it at the source. The winery tours were full until the following day. We were on the road for some time and it was just past lunch hour. So, we decided to grab a bite. There's a cafe' with outdoor seating. Nothing too fancy especially considering the site. We ordered. She had the Black and Blue Steak Salad. Me, well, a cheeseburger. 

I'm going totally by memory on this one... it wasn't anything to write home about. It was a decent burger for the dollar. It came with a bag of chips which was a bit of a let down. All the photos on their website show fries on the plate and people in a beautiful setting. 

Rate it: 3.5 of 5

The burger was decent. The setting, not what I would expect from a place like Michael David. Maybe it was that way because the pandemic?

Burgers in Lalla Land (09.14.2021)

 Lalla Oceanside Grill is on Monterey's Cannery Row. The setting is picturesque. The bar and restaurant space, inviting for sure. As you can guess Lalla's is know for it's seafood dishes. I'm not a fan of seafood. Well I do like baked trout, grilled salmon, tilapia and fish sticks. I couldn't help it, the burger sounded delicious. So, I ordered it. Was I glad I did?

The burger was a cooked almost perfect, well seasoned. The bun, Brioche. Pretty straight forward. The cheese was creamy and coated the patty. First bite, tasty. As I ate more the flavor seemed to "drop off". Maybe there was more seasoning on the edge where I first bit into? 

Rate it: 4 of 5.

I'm not going to lie, $19 for a cheese burger is a bit much. It's Kobe beef yes. I don't think they did the meat justice. I thought it was decent overall but not memorable.

Baja Not "Ah Ha" (09.13.2021)

It's a cool day along the California coast. I'm down in Newport Beach for some sun and fun with my wife and my stepmother, Nancy. The weather was a bit on the cool side but a guy from Wisconsin doesn't complain about a cooler day at the beach. 

We had enough sun and thought it was time for a bite. We walked the beach front in search of the Rockin Baja Lobster. They serve what I'd call Mexican Fusion. According to the website, the restaurant(s) have a menu inspired by trips to the Baja. 

While the Mexican food sounded delicious and the plates plentiful, I had to check out the burger. I've been told so many times not to order a burger at a Taco place. I would normally do so but the images and my need to find a decent burger in an unexpected venue makes me go for it every time. 

The "Rockin Works" is a ½ Lb. Angus Beef Patty, Cheddar Cheese, Grilled Onions, Applewood Bacon, Dill Pickle, Lettuce, & Boom Boom Sauce. Boom Sauce? What the heck. The photo looked great. I also saw one in person on someone else's plate. 

I needed to cut it in half because of all the stuff on it as well as the fact it was a half pounder. The burger was juicy, cooked the way I like it but overall the flavors just didn't work. I stripped it back a bit to get a taste of the burger on it's own. Decent, not awesome.

Rate it: 3.5 of 5

$16 seems like a lot of cash for a burger from a casual place until I remember that I'm in California, Newport Beach specifically. I don't think the bun was much to speak of. The patty, juicy with some seasoning. The sandwich relies heavily on the Boom Sauce and all the other stuff loaded on.

                                                                      (Not my burger. Image was taken from their website.)
 

Burger with my brother from another mother (09/11/2021)

 Burger with my brother from another mother (09/11/2021)

Here's something you might not know about me... my name is Dan, I have a half brother in California. His name is Dan also. California Dan knows that I'm all about the burger. When he found out that my wife and I would be visiting he thought he'd give himself a challenge to cook a burger even Dasburgereater (me) might enjoy. Tall order. 

His focus was intense. Everything was fresh and hand picked by him. No room for error. His counter top had perfectly cut tomatoes, onions etc. The patties, well they looked just right. My guess, 1/3 pounders. CA Dan uses a gas grill. I only harassed him a little about that. You still need to be on your game when it comes to timing. The seasoning will still shine.

Did they turn out? Sure did. Juicy, flavorful with just the right amount of everything on it. I did have to cut it in half because it was just that big!

Rate it: 4.5 of 5

CA Dan stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. There was no doubt. Was it the love and care added? Was I influenced by his charm? Maybe it's his name that got me? It was one of the best homemade burgers I've had. You know I've had plenty.

The Chef:

The Burger:

Homestyle Burger (08/31/2021)

 I'm calling this the "Homestyle Burger". I'm not going to lie, I do love the burgers I make at home. Meat from my neighborhood butcher counter, rolls from the local bakery and a stack full of Cowboy brand hardwood charcoal. My Weber kettle helps assure the flavors circulate properly. I use Ney's seasoning. Ney's is a family owned farm in Hartford Wisconsin. I haven't found a spice that can do what their spice does for steak, burger or pork.

I use a timer but, visual and a general sense of when to pull the patties off the fire and allow them to rest seems to be the favorite way to grill. The timer keeps me on track I guess.

There's not much to talk about when it comes to staff attitude. My Sous Chef, Annette is one of the best when it comes to setting up a night of burgers at our home. As for the price, an excellent meal for the price!

Time to rate it:

4.5 of 5

Service, presentation, quality, taste and of course price are all top level.

I ordered a burger, go figure. (07.15.2021)

The English Inn is a Supper Club in Fish Creek Wisconsin. They are known for their Beef Wellington and other high end dishes. What did I order? A burger! I loved the reaction of the two ladies seated near us when I ordered the Burger Platter. Hey, I figure that if they can do meat right, their burger should be good. 

I wasn't sure what I was getting into. I didn't get the usual questions about onions (fried or raw?) or what type of cheese I would like. No matter, they know what they are doing. I hoped.

The burger arrived. And that is all there was. I was a bit taken back. Really? Just a cheeseburger on a bun? No tomato, onion, lettuce or pickle. Weird. Should I ask for toppings? I figured I would try it before going that route. First bite, wow. Tons of flavor. Maybe I don't need toppings. I did put some ketchup on it. Really surprising how good it tasted "as is". Juicy and seasoned well. The bun to burger ratio was right. Small bun with a big burger.

Rate it:

3.5 of 5 

Decent burger. Bun was a bit dry. Price was disproportionate ($18) Still puzzled about the toppings etc.