The best overrated burger?

Yes, I'm talking about Umami Burger. It seems as if the hype is dying down, but why all the craze? L.A. is filled with gourmet burger joints, and Umami is just another fish in a sea of burger restaurants. The menu is not all-that creative, the restaurants are small and every burger is $10 or higher. However, they have location, they execute their food well, and they draw a crowd. For that, I give them credit.

The Santa Monica Umami has a great parking lot that's free, so you'll never be without a spot. It's walking distance away from the 3rd Street Promenade, so you can stroll over while waiting for a table (which you surely will be).

The outside area is pleasant. Long tables are usually shared with random guests to maximize the amount of customers eating at once. Waiters and waitresses are attentive and our order was promptly taken. The food came out quickly, although one friend didn't get his soda, and he had to ask again for it. I tried something new that seemed to fit my criteria for healthy food, since burgers are always fatty (but good). I went with the Ahi Tuna Burger and to my liking, the flavor nor the full feeling after eating a burger was compromised. The spicy aioli sat beneath a monstrous lightly seared tuna burger. The fish was fresh and cooked rare, just how all quality fish should be cooked. The burger also had some pickled asian veggies that added a crunchy texture against the soft fish and bun.

I suppose Umami is not trying to be the most creative or be the most high end place out there, so credit is to be given for their success in L.A. Many new burger places fail quickly for all sorts of reasons, but Umami has managed to understand the trend and conquer it.

Sit down with a mediocre glass of wine, order a $12 burger smothered in everything truffle except raw truffle itself, and convince yourself this really is The Fifth Taste.

What's good, Downtown?

This was an unexpected excursion.  Our intention was to go to Woodspoon, Giada's pick on "Best Thing I Ever Ate," for the chicken pot pie.  When we drove by, it was boarded up.  As it turns out, they're closed on Sundays and Mondays.  So, we thought of Philippe's since it's in the area and picked by our homeboy Wolf Puck.

So we walked through the wood chips to the counter and were greeted by a jolly lady.  "Two beef dips, one with Jack cheese, two chilis with beans, a side of slaw and two lemonades."  She told us the total and brought our 20 to the cashier behind her to get our 50 cent change.  By the time she was back with the change (they don't take credit card) the food was promptly on the counter.  If you want a real snag, order the regular coffee for 9 cents or decaf for a whopping 15.

We found a side booth downstairs and sat down to start with the classic sandwich.  The chili was rich and the beans brought some nice texture.  The cole slaw was perfectly dressed with just enough mayo to keep the cabbage moist... key for any good slaw.  The slaw cooled down the signature Philippe's spicy horseradish mustard that we added to the French dip.  This sandwich is known to be the first French dip, and boy do they do it right.  The au jus is salty but doesn't overpower the meat or drench the bread.  The meat of course is moist and lean yet still super flavorful.

We craved something sweet after the savory meal, so we browsed through Olvera Street only two blocks away.  The toy shops were closing, but Mr. Churro remained poppin'.  We walked down the stairs to the small shop and were greeted by the aroma of freshly baked sweets.  We hooked ourselves up with one churro relleno con cajeta (filled with caramel) and one traditional churro.  The total came out to $5.  This may seem like a steep price, but these aren't your standard amusement park churros... these are grandes and deliciosos!  Here's the inside scoop on Mr Churro: if you spend $15, you get a free traditional churro when you check-in using Yelp.

This adventure downtown was unanticipated, but surely a lot of fun!  Woodspoon, in the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, "I'll [We'll] be back."