Bouchon of Beverly Hills
Monday, September 27th, 2010
You can tell a lot about a city from its burgers. Hardworking, hearty, or haute couture? Brioche or basic? Dividing lines crisscross our nation, segmenting populations into burger camps willing to devote more than a mouthful to their beef-and-bun of choice. Luckily, Los Angeles is big enough to support all sides, and still leave room for fries.
As a Mosley Tribes employee, I’ve been hustling the brand for a few years out of our office in West Hollywood. But as a burger fanatic, I’ve spanned states, presidential terms, and more than a few friendships. I’ve been chronicling my burger exploits from Los Angeles, including a pseudo-definitive list of LA’s top joints earlier this year Best Burger In LA, so when Patrick offered me the chance to burger up the MT blog a bit, I couldn’t resist.
For the first stop in what will hopefully become a regular feature on the MT blog, Jazzy, PW and I headed to Bouchon http://www.bouchonbistro.com/ in Beverly Hills for their new lunchtime burger sensation. Now, for those who tend to keep food conversations on the backburner, just know that Bouchon is a classic French restaurant by Thomas Keller, of French Laundry and Michelin star fame. So as you can imagine, the burger comes with a hefty price tag ($21, with fries), but a reputation that ought to be worth its weight in truffle oil.
(Jazzy & Farley)
As you can tell by the photos, this burger looks big, but should be willing to play nice. The fresh bibb lettuce, the in-house brioche bun, and the gooey, slightly melted cheddar (or gruyere, for Patrick) all make for a great visual experience before the tasting even begins. Avalanche the rest of the plate with a mountain of fries and a side of garlic aioli to help them slide down even easier, and Le Burger Bouchon seems all set to become a new fan favorite.
Except, it wasn’t. In fact, while powering through the slightly dry sirloin, chuck, and brisket blend, we couldn’t stop talking about the other great burgers this city gets right. The dry-aged meat cut through with decent flavor, but suffered from a lack of seasoning before hitting the heat. Meanwhile, a bready bun forced Patrick into commandeering some of his aioli to help grease the burger wheels and ease consumption. As for Jazzy, the oversalted and double-dipped fries proved too much for her, and we all left a little thirstier than when we entered.
As a burger man about town, I know there are a lot of different methods, blends, buns, and opinions that all get wrapped up into people’s perspectives on what a burger should or shouldn’t be. But when Thomas Keller throws one on the menu at north of $20, there are certain requirements that ought to be met. Unfortunately, while Bouchon offers great atmosphere and stellar service, their burger was merely serviceable. Maybe it’s the In-N-Out or Apple Pan lover in us, but Bouchon’s $21 burger sideshow is simply not worth the price of admission.
-Farley
