Short Order Now Open at the Farmers Market

Short Order, the burger restaurant at the Original Farmer's Market at 3rd & Fairfax recently opened after being in the planning stages for several years.  The concept is a partnership between restaurateur Bill Chait, burger maven Amy Pressman and chef Nancy Silverton.  Pressman was the driving force behind Short Order; she succumbed to cancer shortly before the restaurant opened.  Silverton and Chait moved forward with the restaurant as a tribute to Pressman.  Now the executive chef is Christian Page, formerly of Daily Dose in Downtown Los Angeles.

The heart and soul of the menu at Short Order are the burgers.  Options on offer include the eponymous Short Order Burger, which features a patty of grass-fed beef, morbier cheese, griddled mushrooms, bibb lettuce and mustardy mayo ($12), Nancy's Backyard Burger made with Nancy Silverton's beef blend, artisan bacon, comte cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, iceberg lettuce and spicy mayo ($13), and Ida's Old School Burger made with grass-fed beef, pickles, tomato, griddled onion, iceberg lettuce and secret sauce ($11).  There is a veritable Noah's ark of burger possibilities with lamb, turkey, tuna and pork available in addition to the standard beef.  The burgers are served a la carte, with sides available for an additional price.

The Ida's Burger (pictured above) was tasty when I sampled it the first week Short Order was open.  It was a little rarer than I would have preferred but as the kitchen was still getting up to speed, we didn't expect perfection.  The bun is also of high quality, which is pretty much a given, considering Silverton's involvement.  Silverton was a pastry chef at Spago and founded the La Brea Bakery, before co-founding Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza.  To say she knows bread is an understatement.

In addition to Old School Fries ($3), Short Order Spuds ($4) are also available.  These delicious little fries (above) are a cross between potato skins and tater tots.  Addictive, hot and ready to be dipped into the accompanying sauces.  The Spuds are a must order.

I sampled the Chocolate Malt Shake ($6) which was rich and chocolatey.  I split it with a friend (half portion pictured below) and it was worth every penny and calorie.  Shakes aren't the only beverages on offer.  Up a flight of stairs is a bar where Julian Cox of Rivera, Playa, Sotto and Picca created a cocktail program to complement the food.  Quality cocktails in the farmer's market?  That's all I need to know to know I will be back.

Short Order: 6333 W. 3rd Street, the Farmer's Market (adjacent to Du Par's), Mid City.  Phone: (323) 761-7970.  Website: http://www.shortorderla.com/

First Impression: Public School 612

I was invited to try the newly opened Public School 612 gastropub in Downtown Los Angeles.  The restaurant, at the corner of 6th and Flower Streets, gets its name from its address at 612 S. Flower St.  As noted previously, there is a focus on beer and the beer list was curated by Hallie Beaune of the Beer Chicks.

The setting is within the Daily Grill downtown, but is comfortable and feels distinct.  There is a dartboard and there are twenty beers on tap.  The theme is a school house, so the menu comes in the form of a classic black and white composition book, a fun touch.  The food menu is short with just fourteen items plus a couple of desserts.

The Fried Chicken ($12) with hand cut fries and mustard and bbq sauces caught my eye.  It was served in newsprint but I was disappointed because the chicken was boneless, which I hadn't expected.  If a restaurant is serving boneless fried chicken, it should call it out.  My dinner partner and I were of two minds about the french fries.  The frites were thin matchstick fries, which were very crunchy.  I did not enjoy them nearly as much as she did.

The big winner of the night was the Dragoons Irish Stout Short Rib ($12) served with Yukon mashed potatoes and caramelized onion au jus.  The meat was tender; we hardly needed to use knives.  The meat had been imbued with tons of flavor and the potatoes soaked up the beef juices to make this a hearty and rich dish.  There was ample sauce so the short rib was nice and moist.

The Colorado Lamb Burger ($13) with tomato cranberry jam, arugula and brie was just OK.  As a fan of all things lamb, I had high hopes for this burger, but it was not anything special. It was cooked a tad more than I had asked for and just did not have the quintessential lamb flavor I was looking for.

When in the neighborhood, I'd certainly return for the Short Rib, which is a deal at only $12, and a glass of beer or two.  The beer selection is good.  You won't find the rarest of the rare, but that is not what Public School 612 is about; it is for people who appreciate good craft beer, not a temple to hops.  The staff was knowledgeable about the list, which reflects well on the Beer Chicks.  The Eagle Rock Solidarity went well with our food and I look forward to sampling more of the craft beers on the list as well as trying some of their signature cocktails on my next visit.

Public School 612: 612 S. Flower Street, DTLA. Phone: (213) 623-1172. Website: http://www.publicschool612.com/

Don't Mess With My Lamb: Lamb Burgers from Lindy & Grundy

Fairfax can be a little like the wild west, at least the stretch near Melrose Avenue.  I went back to Lindy & Grundy's butcher shop for some ground lamb to make lamb burgers.  When I went to the register, the person in front of me took my package of wrapped ground lamb with their items when they left.  At first neither the cashier or I could figure out what happened to my lamb, but then he described the clothing worn by the previous customer and I ran outside to chase him down.

Nobody messes with my lamb.  I looked in both directions but he was nowhere to be seen.  Finally I spotted the culprit in the coffee shop next door.  As I said excuse me for the third time to get his attention, I was joined by the cashier from Lindy & Grundy.  We explained that he had taken my lamb and he looked through the paper wrapped meats in his bag and lo and behold found my ground lamb.  Must have been an accident, he said.  We didn't belabor the point and I went back to the butcher shop, paid and left.  I was not about to let my lamb run off without me.

The lamb meat was coarsely ground, so I formed it into patties that were loosely packed to keep the texture.  I seasoned the patties with salt pepper, a little herbs de provence and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.  I grilled the lamb burgers on my bbq and they came out great.  I'm glad that an "accidental" thief did not deprive me of this meal.

Lindy & Grundy: 801 North Fairfax Avenue, just north of Melrose Avenue. Mid City. Phone: (323) 951-0804. Website: http://www.lindyandgrundy.com/index.htm

Lamb Chops @ Lindy & Grundy's

I thought there was a lot of fuss last year when McCall's Meat and Fish opened in Los Feliz.  That was just a tempest in a teapot compared to the hullabaloo that has surrounded the opening of Lindy & Grundy's butcher shop last week.  The shop, run Erika Nakamura and Amelia Posada, has gained national attention in publications from Bon Appetite to the New York Times and local press from KCRW and the Los Angeles Times to just about every food blog and newsletter in the region.  Nakamura and Posada source whole animals that have been raised sustainably on local ranches and butcher them on-site.

The two female butchers are the only shop locally that breaks down their meat from whole carcasses.  They have a track on the ceiling that takes the meat on hooks from the entrance to the back where they wield their knives.  They have cultivated relationships with ranchers who do not use antibiotics or hormones and who raise the animals on pastures, not in pens.  Their uniqueness both in concept and in gender in a male-dominated industry has led to extensive coverage which has caused them to sell out of most of their cuts of meat on a daily basis.

When I visited on Saturday I lucked out and visited during a time when they were less busy, although the shelves were rather bare as lots of other folks had the same idea as I did.  Fortunately the butchers were carving up a lamb and sliced four frenched lamb chops for me.  They were beautifully trimmed and Nakamura  gave me some of her famous "lamb mix" which I used to season the meat.  I grilled the lamb chops for ten to eleven minutes on my bbq using generous amounts of the seasoning and they came out wonderfully with a great lamby flavor.  There was enough fat to keep the meat juicy but not too much that it was fatty.

Posada and Nakamura have worked to become a neighborhood fixture in their only one week of operation.  They ask customers names and recognize repeat visitors.  It is old fashioned but likely better than most any butcher shop was "back in the day."  Breaking down whole animals means that they have all cuts of meat, not just the most popular, which gives them an opportunity to educate their customers on unusual cuts and try new things.

Lindy & Grundy also has dry aged beef, which they age on-site in their aging room in the back.  The dry aged product is expensive, reflecting the investment in aging the beef for more than a month, but looked like an enticing way to celebrate a special occasion at home.  If you want something in particular, I recommend that you call ahead so you are not disappointed.  Just don't take the last few lamb chops.  I want them!

Lindy & Grundy: 801 North Fairfax Avenue, just north of Melrose Avenue.  Mid City.  Phone: (323) 951-0804.  Website: http://www.lindyandgrundy.com/index.htm

The Lamb Burger at Golden State

I'd been hearing about the Thursday night only lamb burger at Golden State for months but the stars hadn't aligned for me to try it until this past week.  One time I tried to go at lunch on a Thursday only to discover that the mythical lamb burger was only available in the evening; other occasions events interceded to keep me from my goal.  Fortunately after an event at nearby Bar Lubitsch, I found myself in the neighborhood on a Thursday evening, and I postponed plans to check out a different spot in order to finally get to experience the much talked about sandwich.

The lamb burger was served on a brioche bun with gruyere cheese, roasted peppers, yogurt dill, arugula and chipotle ketchup and was accompanied by a Greek salad on the side.  There are a limited number available as Golden State gets scraps of Colorado lamb ground up from a butcher connection once a week.  I was meeting Ron from LushAngeles there and got a beer while I waited as I arrived first; co-owner James Starr offered to put one of the lamb burgers on hold for me until Ron arrived.  The burger I had was cooked medium, just a tad more than I'd prefer, but I was so excited to try the burger that I forgot to specify medium rare when ordering.  The burger was still outstanding, with good lamb flavor, a nice spice in the ground meat, and the cheese on top complemented it well.  Disclosure, I removed the peppers from it as I wanted to focus my tastebuds on the lamb.  The patty was juicy and the brioche bun was able to stand up to the fillings without either falling apart or dominating the sandwich.

The Greek salad was a nice light accompaniment to the sandwich.  Of course we ordered the french fries ($3) as well, which were served with a housemade chipotle ketchup.  They were both welcome and enjoyable side dishes but the lamb burger was the star of the evening.  This burger is indeed ready for its closeup.  Just don't take the last one as I rush in on a Thursday evening.