Most Kick Ass Thing I Ate Last Week - Rustic Canyon Burger (Rustic Canyon)

Week Of: 7/29/12 - 8/4/12

Restaurant: Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen

Address: 1119 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica

The Kick Ass Thing: Rustic Canyon Burger (sharp cheddar, onion fondue, housemade pickles, herb remoulade) w/ hand-cut French fries

Price: $18

Thoughts: My rumbling stomach can only peruse so much transcendent foodie praise before it overtakes the will of my cheap wallet. Even if it's just a burger and it costs the seemingly unjust $18. It was time though to finally try the much beloved Rustic Canyon Burger - a beautiful 80/20 Niman Ranch beef blend topped with an onion fondue (rad!), housemade pickles (cool!), herb remoulade (nice!), arugula (okay!) and sharp cheddar cheese (!). Truly a delicious burger served with fresh, crispy, hand-cut fries which immediately rival my two other favorite LA fried potato sticks at North End Caffe and Wurstkuche. The big question though: is the burger worth eighteen buckaroos? Well, with much thought, I would say yes. Everything is so insanely fresh at Rustic Canyon (as at all of Josh Loeb's Santa Monica restaurants) and that doesn't stop at the burger. The bun and all the toppings are either made in house or from a nearby source. The 8 oz burger meat itself is from a stone's throw away (Northern California). This locality truly shines and puts the burger over the top; especially when coupled with the fact Rustic Canyon cooks a burger like a fine steak, truly giving it the detailed attention necessitated to warrant such a high price tag. Definitely one of LA's finest burgers and up there with my personal favorite. 

Awesome: Monday Night is Burger Night at Rustic Canyon which offers the RC Burger as well as two specials.

Annoying: I sat at the bar, got the burger and one beer. It cost $33 with tax and tip. Yikes.