Truffle Season: The Cube Truffle Burger

It is truffle season and what better way to get your recommended daily allowance of truffle than in a truffle burger?  No reason to have to resort to nutritional supplements when Cube has this $18 beauty on offer.  The burger is served on a house brioche bun, with a choice of cheese, charred shallots, crispy potatoes and chipotle ketchup.

The potatoes, a crispy take on french fries, were quite tasty.  Long, flat and thin, they had a hint of a potato chip while remaining true to their french fry heritage.  The chipotle ketchup surprised me by how good it was; this may be the first take on ketchup that was as good as the real thing.

Now for the burger: I chose cheddar cheese and the burger was cooked to medium rare.  The brioche bun had been toasted and when I bit into the truffle burger, both the juiciness of the patty and the truffle flavor were both immediately evident.  This burger was not loaded with toppings to distract from the essential flavors of grilled well sourced beef and truffles.  The Cube truffle burger belongs in the top echelon of gourmet burgers in Los Angeles.  It is available at lunch or dinner.

When my dining companion and I got to Cube we were the only customers, but within a short period of time, all the interior tables were occupied.  It is hard to miss Cube if you are trying to locate it, as it has the most brightly lit billboard of a sign I have ever seen.

Cube: 615 N. La Brea Avenue, just South of Melrose. Phone: (323) 939-1148.  Website: www.cubemarketplace.com

The Fraiche Truffle Burger: Decadent

Chef Ben Bailly knows from decadent; until a week ago he was the executive chef at Petrossian, the caviar emporium and cafe on Robertson.  Last week Chef Bailly took the helm at Fraiche, the Culver City institution that had been treading water since Chef Jason Travi left last autumn, and immediately posted a Tweet about his new truffle burger.  As soon as I saw the tweet, I knew I had to have the burger as soon as possible, so I made plans to go to Fraiche the next day.

The burger (in closeup above, shown with fries below) is $12 and is served with an onion fondue, Boschetto al Tartufo (truffle cheese) and truffle aioli on a grilled brioche bun.  French fries with the skin on were served with the burger.  The Boschetto cheese is a blend of cheese and cows milk and is studded with truffle bits.  When the cheese is melted over the burger, it infuses the truffle aroma and flavor into each bite, which is reinforced with the truffle aioli.

The brioche bun is soft yet can hold the juices from the burger without falling apart.  The grilling of the bun certainly helped.  The burger and fries is a satisfying meal and fairly priced for a burger of this quality in a comfortable restaurant environment.  An egg on top is available for $2 more, but with all the truffle and beef flavor, I passed on that.  Yes, I did enjoy the burger and the fries; I suspect I will be having them again soon. Ample ketchup was served upon request.

If you find yourself with a group, the Potted Smoked Trout is a good shared appetizer.  It is served in a jar and includes lemon, chives and creme fraiche.  The trout is a chunky pate and has a strong but not overpowering smokiness to it.  This is a rich dish that would be difficult to brave solo, although I know several people who could do it justice.  The presentation is attractive and simple, and reminiscent of the way Bouchon serves their foie gras and salmon rillettes.  This dish is only $8.

Fraiche Restaurant: 9411 Culver Blvd, Culver City.  Phone: (310) 839-6800.  Website: www.fraicherestaurantla.com