Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Santa Monica: Father's Office

Lunch two Sundays ago (the day after Valen Dolce), post-5K at Dockweiler Beach (in the rain), was again on Montana Avenue.  Karthik and I had been talking about trying Father's Office for a while, since it has been touted as one of LA's best burgers.  We arrived just as they opened at noon, and placed the very first order of the day.

The interior: lots of wood and chalkboards

Ordering was pretty straightforward: two "Office burgers," one with a side of fries, plus a side of sweet potato fries.  After glancing at their beer list, I ordered a glass of apple cider, which was fortunately not too sweet.  Speaking of sweet, the sweet potato fries came first, hot out of the fryer, with some aioli:


Then, the two burgers, with shoestring fries:


This is what "medium" looks like here.  They clearly take their definitions seriously, since this was pinker then most "medium" burgers I've had.


Anyway, it was indeed a very good burger, though not exactly life-changing (or maybe I just don't love burgers enough to feel fundamentally altered afterward).  There is some sort of onion relish on the burgers which, along with the arugula and whatever white cheese they use (not very obtrusive), adds a great flavor contrast to the meat.  I'd probably return at some point, especially with friends who like burgers and beer, but first I need to try the similarly-hyped Umami Burger....