That's a good burger!

I thought about the amount of money I spent for lunch at Tep(id) Thai the other day, and here's a case where I spent a bit more, but was MUCH more satisfied. A nice atmosphere, good food, and stellar service. That's what dining should be about.

Houston's. Yes, that chain restaurant. Well, upscale chain restaurant. I've been in a couple locations on both coasts, and I usually end up ordering the same thing here. The Hickory Burger. I admit that at $14 it's a bit on the pricey end for a mere burger (that's not Wagyu Beef, at least), but here's where the money is totally worth it. Freshly ground chuck, cooked to order, and served with lettuce, onions, a mound of grated cheddar cheese (tastes like Tillamook to me), and several slices of Canadian bacon on an eggy and fluffy bun and served with ethereally fried shoestring fries. Don't let me forget the hickory BBQ sauce... made on premises and to die for. Really.


As much as I like burgers in general, this is definitely one place where it's ok in my book to spend that kind of money. By all means, if you can't finish it in one sitting, take it home and reheat it. You'll be glad you did. In my book, this is so far the best upscale burger there is.

Granted, I haven't tried the $32 burger that Daniel Boulud serves at Bistro db... yes, I would have to try a burger that's stuffed with braised ribs and topped with foie gras and black trumpets. I'm going to NYC soon, so I'll let everyone know if I get the chance to try this one.



Back to Houston's. The other dish I tried was their oak grilled artichoke appetizer. Three rather large artichoke halves were brought out, slightly charred around the edges and smelling delicious. The remoulade/aioli that it came with was pretty good too. A little on the thick side, but it didn't overpower the artichokes too much. Good thing that they were grilled to make them more assertive. The only thing here is that it's a bit messy and labor intensive to eat the artichokes. You really to have to eat them leaf by leaf and by hand, scraping the bit of flesh off with your teeth, until you finally get to the heart. Still, I love it, and the tactile aspect of this is wonderful.

All in all, with a couple beers (Sierra Nevada), an appetizer and two burger orders, I won't say that it was cheap at $70 (with tip), but it was definitely worth it. I left with half of my burger for later, and feeling ever so much happier that I got to relax and just have some simple, good, food.

Houston's Century City

10250 Santa Monica Blvd.
Space D
Los Angeles, CA
Tel: 310.557.1285
www.hillstone.com

Happy Eating!