Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Last year I wore a sparkly gold dress, made a "bubble" headpiece out of little clear glass Xmas balls and was Champagne.

Sometimes even the finest chef can't equal the complexity of a proper burger's simplicity. Good luck on your quest. Where next?

zindh-

http://jsfburgerchef.homestead.com/

I'm sad that I missed the Burger Chef.

What is this 8 Inch Pizza of which you speak?

@smhess: Yeah, it's a disappointment as a burger resto and that sort of counterfeits what otherwise might have a chance to be a great go to place to meet up with friends and not break the bank.

@Christina: Don't despair...lots of yummy places. zindh mention my takes on:

The Hungry Cat
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/10/the-hungry-cat-pub-burger-hollywood-los-angeles-california.html

and

The Oinkster:
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/11/the-oinkster-hamburgers-cheeseburgers-eagle-rock-los-angeles-california.html

Both are worth a try. Also - check out Bill's in the valley: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/10/bills-hamburgers-cheeseburgers-van-nuys-los-angeles-california.html

@zindh: Thanks for looking out for me!

I have been to 8oz and had a near-identical experience. I was left with the exact same emotions as you. My service was super slow, people who ordered after me got food way before me, my wine tasted like vinegar, and in the end the burger was just OKAY.

The best thing I had all night was the burratta and heirloom tomato salad. A salad as the best dish at a burger restaurant? Bad sign.

Damon! So glad I caught your review just in the nick of time. I'm in New York for work and was planning to swing by the famed Shake Shack on the way back to my hotel. Every time I come to New York I must have a Shake Shack burger. After following your blogs I finally feel educated enough to tackle this burger and really appreciate it! I took a cue from your experience at 8 OZ and ordered both the double Shake Shack burger and the single. You're sooo right about making sure you can taste the meat!!! As always thanks for the enlightenment!

P.S. My diet starts tomorrow too.

I used to go to Burger Chef in Maryland--was great. Please post the link to the article!

Damon, great review, nailed it. Had substantially the same experience. Some passion in there, but not for burgers. Great work.

Next up for Govind--8 Inch Pizza

omg he's my hero.

Talk about someone who's not a cheap date!

I bet he doesn't get a lot of dinner invitations...or breakfast, or lunch.

wonder what he eats when he's got the munchies?

"Once I ate a fourth of a cheesecake for dinner."

At least I'm not the only who has done this :)

I swam USS in high school and then in college..after I quit swimming, I changed my diet so much, one of my friends who was still swimming, would eat more in a meal than I would in a day. hahaha I miss that metabolism.

Nichole, Pammeh and izatryt--I totally agree--the bookstores will be sold out of '101 ways to cook pancakes and pasta!' Drool...and I don't mean over the pasta!

Oh, and I swear this will be my last Phelps-related link, but my local news just did a segment on what he eats, and advertised a link to a 'typical day' for Mike! Here it is, courtesy of NBC:
http://www.wnbc.com/asseenon/17182324/detail.html

When he's training, 23-year-old swimmer Michael Phelps reportedly eats 4,000 calories per meal totaling 12,000 calories a day.

That's six times what's recommended for an average man.

Here's his menu:

Breakfast:
3 fried egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, and mayonnaise
2 cups of coffee
a 5 egg omelet
a bowl of grits
3 slices of French toast with powdered sugar
3 chocolate chip pancakes

Lunch:
1 pound enriched pasta with tomato sauce
2 large ham and cheese sandwiches on white bread with mayonnaise
1,000 calories of energy drinks

Dinner:
1 pound of pasta with tomato sauce
6 to 8 slices of pizza
1,000 calories of energy drinks