Pier Burger

First, a shout-out to a certain blonde yoga-pants-wearing someone who spurred me into reviving the blog: Thanks chica, I've forgotten how fun this was.

Let me tell you...the commute from Thousand Oaks back home to LA is no fun during peak hours.  I'm usually spared this torturous experience since I leave well after traffic has died down, but today I had the luxury punishment of leaving early.  As I closed in on the 405/101 junction, my BP was perilously high so I said "fk this"and went to go hang out in Santa Monica until the freeway cleared up and I regained my sanity.

After some shopping to cheer me up, I dragged my hungry stomach over to the pier to make it even more hungry.  Found this at the pier and felt like going on a gastronomic adventure:

How many of you have passed by this place without giving it a second thought?  Come on be honest now.  Been on the pier a bazillion times and heck...I've never even seen Pier Burger until tonight. Was that hungry.

Ordered the Double Pier Burger and small fries. No photos this time, but I'll update in the near future.  "God what a terrible post. No photos? Seriously man?"  I know guys.  I'll update it, don't worry.  For now, please refer to Pete's blog for photos.

For a fast food burger, this was just tits.  Fantastic sear on the patties, which gave a slight crunch to go with the very solid oomph of beefiness--something you don't ever get or associate with fast food burgers.  Meat was perfectly seasoned to enhance the sweet mineral notes and subtle funk.  To top it off, they were incredibly juicy despite being cooked to well-done.

Equal attention was given to the buns.  Pier Burger used a springy, moist, and slightly sweet potato bun that complemented the beef quite well.  Very fragrant. Very good quality.  Meat to bun ratio was perfect.  Buns were toasted too, as they always should be.  None of that Red Robin cold bun bullshit.

The spread Pier Burger used was almost like the In-N-Out style, but thinner and a tad more sour.  I liked it.  Worked well with the beef's rich juices.

This is no rival to my #1 favorite SoCal burger (25 Degrees, Huntington Beach), but they are in different burger categories anyway.  As a fast food burger, this one's a big winner.  Better than G Burger in La Habra, I dare say, and leaves In-N-Out (which isn't that great to begin with, but is the gold standard for many people) in the dust.  Definitely coming back again.  Maybe this time with a date.  Saw too many couples on the pier.  #ForeverAlone  haha naw I kid I kid.  All Roger needs in his life are desserts.





Pier Burger
330 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.587-2747

Celestino

Pasta fans rejoice!  Get your fix at Celestino.  The place is run by the Drago brothers.  No doubt you've already heard of the rave reviews given to their restaurants.  Now here's another one to tack on to your to-dine list if you're around Pasadena.

I must apologize for the mediocre photos.  Not my usual quality of work.  This was all hand-shot without a tripod in very poor lighting.

Fried Mozzarella:

Battered and fried cheese is always delicious.  Fancy fried cheese is doubly delicious.  Can't go wrong ordering this starter.  What?  Did you just mutter something about calories?  Shush.  Just do it.


Jumbo Scallops w/ Cannelini Beans and Sage:

A very hearty and satisfying appetizer.  Will probably fill you up if you are a light eater.  Textures were great.  Beans had enough 'tooth' in them.  Scallops were spot-on.

Black and White Tagliolini w/ Scallops and Saffron Sauce:

Yeah it looks plain, but actually the pasta packs a huge whollop of flavor and aroma.  This was a personal recommendation from Charlie (clayfu) and I'm going to slap on my seal of approval as well.

White Truffle Linguine:

$24+ special of the night.  Worth it? Fuck yeah.  Any truffle fans want to give me some high-fives?  This was such an intense dish that palate fatigue set in a third of the way in.  Enough truffle and umami to short-circuit your brain's pleasure center.  What I especially enjoyed was how long the taste and aroma lingered in my mouth even after swallowing.  As good as this special was, I strongly suggest splitting it.  About half-way through your plate, I promise you won't even taste truffle anymore.  Wasn't kidding when I mentioned fatigue earlier.  I was going back and forth between this and the Half-moon duck ravioli to maintain my sensation of taste and smell.

Topped all this off with a sorbet trio.  Nice and refreshing after all that cheese and creaminess.



Absolutely fantastic pasta.  I know I didn't make a convincing argument, but come on guys.  I haven't made many bad calls over the years right?  Definitely my #1 dining option if I'm in the area.




Celestino Ristorante & Bar
141 South Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
626.795-4006

Mariscos German

I grew up with sidewalk vendors/carts/food trucks in Taiwan. Street food = awesome taste:cost value (for the most part). I've heard people poke fun or turn their noses up at the idea of eating from a "roach coach". Suckas didn't know what they were missing until the recent food truck craze popularized street eats. So apparently now it is "cool". Can you see me rolling my eyes right now?

Mariscos German has been around long before the craze and have a huge fan base, so this is likely to be old news for many. Fish tacos, fresh seafood tacos, ceviche, tostadas, & complimentary seafood soup can be had at super low prices. Best bang for the buck is the $1 fish taco, which I daresay easily ranks in San Diego's top 5. You could either fill up on that, or have something more interesting.

Marlin Taco - smoked marlin, bell peppers, onions, celery & cheese

Seafood tacos at Mariscos German kick ass. Choose your (shell)fish and they'll stir-fry it up for you with bell peppers, onions, and celery and then dump it all into two toasty soft corn tortillas w/ melted cheese. Tacos of note: Marlin and Gobernador(shrimp). From experience, the smoked marlin may be a hit-or-miss, though usually it's a hit. This is my favorite taco from the truck because it is such a mouthgasmic experience. Hell, it's my favorite taco in San Diego. That marlin tastes like bacon from the sea and with each bite of the taco, your tongue will get hammered with a huge spectrum of taste and sensation. The play of sweet/savory from caramelized veggies and marlin coupled with the rich creamy mouthfeel of the cheese are complimented by the marlin's smokiness and bacon-like umami. Eat fast enough (before they tacos get soggy) and you'll be able to enjoy the texture contrast of the taco filling and the lightly crisped tortilla exterior.

Grab a handful of napkins and a fork. You're gonna need 'em.

After a heavy hitter like the Marlin taco, I like to have something light and refreshing:

Seafood combo tostada

Mariscos German serves various kinds of ceviche-topped tostadas. Each one comes with a nice big hunk of avocado too! The tostada is pretty huge and is a lunch entree in itself, so if you're not a big eater, I would suggest sharing with another person.


Oh, and don't forget to pick up your free cup of seafood veggie soup. It's good stuff.

Uncouth Gourmands

Hola! New posts are going to start rolling in soon. In the meantime, scope out Uncouth Gourmands, a new food portal that has popped up in LA. Ran by three playful and media-savvy ladies, this is sure to become a big hit. What's even more awesome is the fact that the growing UG network spans across America! Searching for good eats in major US cities has just been made even easier.

Yes, I am fully aware of this thing called "Yelp". I am not a fan of Yelp. My reasons are many, so if you truly are curious about why I'm such a hater, just e-mail me and I'll send you an essay response.

Soon to come: Celestino or Drago Centro, possibly Pie & Burger, Afghan Palace.

Lastly, I've been cleaning up the blog layout and decided to scrunch up the blog listings into two links: LA/OC and SD. While I would love to proudly display the work of all food blogging enthusiasts on my home page, it can get rather hairy. Sorry folks!