Does The Perfect Burger Really Exist?
by Daron Anderson
I've been thinking about the question, "Does the perfect burger really exist?," quite a bit lately. I am a Chef, and as much as I can cook something fancy, a burger is in itself a simple food, but it can be so complicated. One of my Culinary Instructors, Chef George, said to us "It takes as much skill to cook a burger as it does to cook a steak." That was one of best lessons I took from school, and a very similar quote from my friend John Russo, (also a Chef), "It takes as much time to cook something that tastes bad as something that tastes good, so you may as well make it taste good while you're at it." I have never forgotten these quotes, as they apply to so many things in the kitchen.
Hamburgers? Why? First, they're one of my favorite foods, and as much as they get a bad wrap, I've always seen them as a fairly balanced food. When you think about it, you get a protein, starch, vegetable, and a fat. I know there are the arguements about fats, and calories, cholesterol, and so on, but that's not what I'm worried about. I believe that anything is fine in moderation, and that one shouldn't worry themselves because they ate a burger. As for burgers, I remember them being in discussions, and I understand the history. For a good description, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger - I think that will suffice for information. So for this perfect burger, I'm still not sure where to look.
Last week, I went with Marissa to the newly opened Fatburger on Lake street (formerly Taco Bell, and Pearls Hawaiian BBQ). I felt cheated. I spent $20 on a mediocre meal. I ordered a Large meal, and did not realize that it was the size of the burger, not the fries and drink. Ok thats fine, but I ordered the fat-fries (commonly known as Steak-Cut). They were cold, soggy, and unsalted. We had driven off, and we both tasted the fries, and they were terrible. We returned and got new fries, (that weren't much better either), and after our stops, we got home to eat. I was angry. I spent $20 for a meal that was substandard. What I was apalled with, is that there were seven people in the kitchen cooking. Seven people cant make a decent burger combined? I'm not going to write them off completely, but it will be a while before I return.
So I'm always looking for the awesome burger. McD's, Jack, Carls, BK, and the other chains usually deliver for the fast-food that they are. Then we have Tommys & In-N-Out, who almost always deliver too. The burger-based restaurants go up in scale, and you get Islands, Red Robin, and Fuddruckers. I could go on about all the various establishments and their burgers, but when you get a good one you know. The same is true for when you get a bad one. There is a built in expectation that you have for that meal, and when it fails to deliver, you end up feeling cheated. And when you think about it, you just spent $15 for a bun, meat, lettuce, and cheese. Watch the price go up when you add extras.
I will say that The Counter Burger, has stepped up a chain burger-based restaurant. Their system of ordering allows for thousands of combinations, so essentially you never would have to order the same burger. The fact that they cook to order and nail it is a major plus. I've had great experiences there, and while it entails spending more money, I've never felt cheated by the experince.
What's interesting with burgers, and any food for that matter, is the individual spin that is put on by each restaurant. Should they be fancy? Plain? Fast? Slow?, and when is too much too much? Is it an 8x8 at In-N-Out? The Triple Decker at Wendy's. Sometime when burgers get too fancy it gets pretentious, just like grilled cheese. I love those sandwiches as well, and I love different cheeses, but when I get a grilled-cheese sandwich, I don't want a humboldt fog & chef's chevre grilled cheese on artisan bread, with wild arugula salad. I want white bread, american or cheddar, and thats it. Funny when you think about that because its not really grilled on the grill. It sounds better then griddled cheese.
I guess it would be impossible to answer if the perfect burger really does exist or not. Maybe the answer is if its perfect for the moment. There will always be a better one, and there will always be a worse one. So the next time you're out, and order a burger, think about it. And if you're doubting the burger quality, don't do it. But - if you ever find the perfect burger, tell me.
daron727@msn.com
go figure, i'll probably end up eating a burger for dinner.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Decline of Lake Street
The Decline of Lake Street
by Daron Anderson
So my mom (@Leslie Aitken) has been talking to me about the goings on of the Altadenablog, and whats happening around town. The business is fading away. Its sad to see honestly. We're all local residents, and why can't we see that its falling apart? The intersection of Lake and Mariposa should be our town center. Look at Sierra Madre, they have a nice strip and Kersting court, and it is always packed. We're living in a wonderful community that has been held back for so long, because we're looked at as an "Affected Area" Frankly, things need to change. Im not a business owner on Lake, but there has to be a way to change our town. We have too many wonderful people to let things fall apart.
I agree with @Ben McGinty, we need a Starbucks. Starbucks brings business, and foot traffic. I've heard that Steve Lamb was opposed to having Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, because it would compete with the Coffee Gallery. The CG is its own entity and will survive if a Starbucks moved in. It's too far away from the Lake & Mariposa Village (thats what we should name the intersection.) I've never met you Steve, but why would you oppose growth? To keep it local? If thats the case, I'd like to borrow $75,000 so I could open a local business when Ben moves out. Its sad that Ben is closing, but he's burned out. The Gallery has run its course. But it will be missed. Ben, I also like what you said in your interview - office buildings are for offices, leave retail storefronts for retail.
So here we have Lake and Mariposa. We're losing Kat Scrap Fever to a Curves? Really? Curves was next to Quizno's and failed. Now were going to have another prime corner blocked off with a gym? That is counterintuitive to progress. How is Curves going to bring up the community? I understand that times are tight right now, so its hard to open new businesses. But its time to let go to the "local entities." - they're not thriving anymore.
As for family drama with any of our local retailers, thats not our business as the general public, but it does affect all of us. When the Webster family split up the stores, its never been the same. Steves too. The Websters have owned the most prime retail in Altadena for years, and its going to waste. Now we have the Daisy Thrift Shop in the bottom anchor of that store? I guess nothing better could go in there. The sad part is that we all know each other and still theres nothing that can be done. Apparently theres some ordinance that bans signage on Lake too? Lori Webster mentioned to my Mom that she was going to be fined $1000 if she didn't remove her street signage. Surprisingly, business has declined.
I will say hats off to El Patron. We finally have a restaurant that delivers. Alex and co, have been increasingly successful since they opened. Look for patio seating in the front too. Amy's & Fox's and Park Bench shut their doors in the afternoon. Altadena is hungry too. So how can it change? The people need to start talking.
So Lake street is tied up for ownership. Chris has the Rancho, Erik has the smoke shop, the Websters have their buildings, Lorraine Dorsey owns the corner of Lake & Altadena (where Amy's is), and so on. We need more life in this town. I'd love to see the Lake & Mariposa Village with angle parking like in Sierra Madre, Montrose, Monrovia, and we have some on Mariposa.
I'd love to see a median with trees in the center of Mariposa. It would block the view of Ez-Stop and the Liquor Store. The streets are wide, because of the past when we had streetcars, but that is gone. With street parking on Lake, that would help, and promote the growth of our neighborhood. It would take that small section of Lake and slow the traffic down too. Erik & The Webster family have the advantage, they have the ONLY parking lots on Lake. It would be great to see some family festivals in the neighborhood. There could be an Altadena Street Fair, just like Monrovia.
The last thing this town needs is another damned hair salon, church, thrift shop, or liquor store. We need some major chains to anchor our shopping district. Imagine if a Barnes & Noble were to move into the bottom of Websters instead of the rummage sale mess of Daze E Thrift Store?
The money is here. We are not the ghetto. And we need to take the owners of the Rite Aid lot to task. That center needs renovation, additional buildings, and is a general eyesore. And Kragen is fine, but our Rite Aid is one of the worst in the area. What if Bulgarini Gelato were on Lake, where they could be seen? There could be a Starbucks, and you could take the kids to get a gelato and sit outside. It seems logical to me.
Its time to put our heads together and do something.
Daron Anderson
daron727@msn.com
by Daron Anderson
So my mom (@Leslie Aitken) has been talking to me about the goings on of the Altadenablog, and whats happening around town. The business is fading away. Its sad to see honestly. We're all local residents, and why can't we see that its falling apart? The intersection of Lake and Mariposa should be our town center. Look at Sierra Madre, they have a nice strip and Kersting court, and it is always packed. We're living in a wonderful community that has been held back for so long, because we're looked at as an "Affected Area" Frankly, things need to change. Im not a business owner on Lake, but there has to be a way to change our town. We have too many wonderful people to let things fall apart.
I agree with @Ben McGinty, we need a Starbucks. Starbucks brings business, and foot traffic. I've heard that Steve Lamb was opposed to having Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, because it would compete with the Coffee Gallery. The CG is its own entity and will survive if a Starbucks moved in. It's too far away from the Lake & Mariposa Village (thats what we should name the intersection.) I've never met you Steve, but why would you oppose growth? To keep it local? If thats the case, I'd like to borrow $75,000 so I could open a local business when Ben moves out. Its sad that Ben is closing, but he's burned out. The Gallery has run its course. But it will be missed. Ben, I also like what you said in your interview - office buildings are for offices, leave retail storefronts for retail.
So here we have Lake and Mariposa. We're losing Kat Scrap Fever to a Curves? Really? Curves was next to Quizno's and failed. Now were going to have another prime corner blocked off with a gym? That is counterintuitive to progress. How is Curves going to bring up the community? I understand that times are tight right now, so its hard to open new businesses. But its time to let go to the "local entities." - they're not thriving anymore.
As for family drama with any of our local retailers, thats not our business as the general public, but it does affect all of us. When the Webster family split up the stores, its never been the same. Steves too. The Websters have owned the most prime retail in Altadena for years, and its going to waste. Now we have the Daisy Thrift Shop in the bottom anchor of that store? I guess nothing better could go in there. The sad part is that we all know each other and still theres nothing that can be done. Apparently theres some ordinance that bans signage on Lake too? Lori Webster mentioned to my Mom that she was going to be fined $1000 if she didn't remove her street signage. Surprisingly, business has declined.
I will say hats off to El Patron. We finally have a restaurant that delivers. Alex and co, have been increasingly successful since they opened. Look for patio seating in the front too. Amy's & Fox's and Park Bench shut their doors in the afternoon. Altadena is hungry too. So how can it change? The people need to start talking.
So Lake street is tied up for ownership. Chris has the Rancho, Erik has the smoke shop, the Websters have their buildings, Lorraine Dorsey owns the corner of Lake & Altadena (where Amy's is), and so on. We need more life in this town. I'd love to see the Lake & Mariposa Village with angle parking like in Sierra Madre, Montrose, Monrovia, and we have some on Mariposa.
I'd love to see a median with trees in the center of Mariposa. It would block the view of Ez-Stop and the Liquor Store. The streets are wide, because of the past when we had streetcars, but that is gone. With street parking on Lake, that would help, and promote the growth of our neighborhood. It would take that small section of Lake and slow the traffic down too. Erik & The Webster family have the advantage, they have the ONLY parking lots on Lake. It would be great to see some family festivals in the neighborhood. There could be an Altadena Street Fair, just like Monrovia.
The last thing this town needs is another damned hair salon, church, thrift shop, or liquor store. We need some major chains to anchor our shopping district. Imagine if a Barnes & Noble were to move into the bottom of Websters instead of the rummage sale mess of Daze E Thrift Store?
The money is here. We are not the ghetto. And we need to take the owners of the Rite Aid lot to task. That center needs renovation, additional buildings, and is a general eyesore. And Kragen is fine, but our Rite Aid is one of the worst in the area. What if Bulgarini Gelato were on Lake, where they could be seen? There could be a Starbucks, and you could take the kids to get a gelato and sit outside. It seems logical to me.
Its time to put our heads together and do something.
Daron Anderson
daron727@msn.com
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Do Gangsters Really Keep It Gangster?
Do gangsta's really keep it gangsta when taking a shit? Have you ever pondered this question? I have, and I see it like this: If you're gonna be that way you have to rep. to the fullest in all aspects of what you do.
So picture a movie like Friday, Boyz in the Hood, Don't be a Menace, and Training Day, etc., the list goes on. You get a "depiction" of the gangsters in South Central, LA, and the lifestyle that is attached. So the homies are chillin in the backyard or posted up on the porch, keepin tabs on the neighborhood. Usually they don't own the house and it's their parents or their grandmama's house. So the scene is set with 40's and swishers, most likely washing the rims on the hooptie, and bangin beats for the whole neighborhood to hear. Suddenly the homie Joker needs to use the bathroom.
"Ay man why you buggin?"
"Nah cuzz, I'm cool but I gots to take a shit. Who in the bathroom?"
"Just my triflin'-ass sister, always gotta be up in there."
So Joker waits till the sister is out of the bathroom, and the pain gets worse. Finally he gets to go to the bathroom.
"Oh snap, I'ma go take a shit. I'll be back in a minute."
"Handle that shit dogg"
"Don't even trip. I'ma put it down"
So when he goes to the bathroom, does he keep it gangster? I mean, I guess you have to put it down like a G. Does that mean you represent while your in there?
Next we have the instance of someone slippin and they get caught up. Wrong place, wrong time, etc. So a beat-down is about to start, and what happens then? Do you put the beating on hold cause you have to go to the bathroom. Do gangsters say "hold up fo I beat yo ass, I'ma take a shit, and when I come back I'ma beat yo ass. And if you ain't there is gon' be worse?" I mean, sometimes nature calls. But you gotta handle everything you do.
Then we have the gangster thats got a job. Well, I guess if you had too good of a job that wouldn't be gangster. Shadow got through school and now works for the home-loan industry with one of the big banks. He finds it hard to be gangster all day, because he cant call customers and say things like "Ay. If we don't see the feria by 4 o'clock, word is born." How are you supposed to represent in there? Some of these guys go to work and are like "Hello this is Raul Miles, I'm calling to see if you're interested in a re-finance on your home loans" Then they get off work...
"Ay. What's been good today carnal?"
"You know, ese, I jus got down and amortized some loans and shit. I put a lean on this one fools casa, cause I anit seen no feria"
"For reals?"
"Don't get it twisted homie. You know how I do. I represent to the fullest"
So you see, the inherent problem is that gangsters cant keep it ganster all the time. Or do they? I mean I guess one could "bang" on their dishes, "mob" on the floors, and "handle" that trash to the fullest, but that would be kind of stupid. And do gangstas keep it that way with their Mama? Hell no, mama would still whoop their ass out of the house for not acting right.
What we do know is that gangsters come in all shapes and colors. Let's not get started on those sheet-wearing clowns down south. Wimps. And the mob, vegas, and honestly the banks and wall street and the stock market. If you really look at it, its just "legalized gangbangin." Banks undercut eachother, and move money in the same way that the streets move. Someone gets arrested for insider trading, just as someone gets a beat down for being a snitch. It's all the same when you play the game. And there's a hood tax. If you move too much dope in your neighborhood, you're going to get checked. You have to pay. I have a friend that this happened to. He was selling weed, and sure enough the streets checked him. He had to pay his dues. (With a gun pointed at him.) On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the IRS. They'll find you too, minus the guns.
So in the end, it all leads back to the original quetion, and when it comes down to it, do gangstas keep it gangsta with everything they do? In the end, it's not about keeping it gangsta, just keep it real.
So picture a movie like Friday, Boyz in the Hood, Don't be a Menace, and Training Day, etc., the list goes on. You get a "depiction" of the gangsters in South Central, LA, and the lifestyle that is attached. So the homies are chillin in the backyard or posted up on the porch, keepin tabs on the neighborhood. Usually they don't own the house and it's their parents or their grandmama's house. So the scene is set with 40's and swishers, most likely washing the rims on the hooptie, and bangin beats for the whole neighborhood to hear. Suddenly the homie Joker needs to use the bathroom.
"Ay man why you buggin?"
"Nah cuzz, I'm cool but I gots to take a shit. Who in the bathroom?"
"Just my triflin'-ass sister, always gotta be up in there."
So Joker waits till the sister is out of the bathroom, and the pain gets worse. Finally he gets to go to the bathroom.
"Oh snap, I'ma go take a shit. I'll be back in a minute."
"Handle that shit dogg"
"Don't even trip. I'ma put it down"
So when he goes to the bathroom, does he keep it gangster? I mean, I guess you have to put it down like a G. Does that mean you represent while your in there?
Next we have the instance of someone slippin and they get caught up. Wrong place, wrong time, etc. So a beat-down is about to start, and what happens then? Do you put the beating on hold cause you have to go to the bathroom. Do gangsters say "hold up fo I beat yo ass, I'ma take a shit, and when I come back I'ma beat yo ass. And if you ain't there is gon' be worse?" I mean, sometimes nature calls. But you gotta handle everything you do.
Then we have the gangster thats got a job. Well, I guess if you had too good of a job that wouldn't be gangster. Shadow got through school and now works for the home-loan industry with one of the big banks. He finds it hard to be gangster all day, because he cant call customers and say things like "Ay. If we don't see the feria by 4 o'clock, word is born." How are you supposed to represent in there? Some of these guys go to work and are like "Hello this is Raul Miles, I'm calling to see if you're interested in a re-finance on your home loans" Then they get off work...
"Ay. What's been good today carnal?"
"You know, ese, I jus got down and amortized some loans and shit. I put a lean on this one fools casa, cause I anit seen no feria"
"For reals?"
"Don't get it twisted homie. You know how I do. I represent to the fullest"
So you see, the inherent problem is that gangsters cant keep it ganster all the time. Or do they? I mean I guess one could "bang" on their dishes, "mob" on the floors, and "handle" that trash to the fullest, but that would be kind of stupid. And do gangstas keep it that way with their Mama? Hell no, mama would still whoop their ass out of the house for not acting right.
What we do know is that gangsters come in all shapes and colors. Let's not get started on those sheet-wearing clowns down south. Wimps. And the mob, vegas, and honestly the banks and wall street and the stock market. If you really look at it, its just "legalized gangbangin." Banks undercut eachother, and move money in the same way that the streets move. Someone gets arrested for insider trading, just as someone gets a beat down for being a snitch. It's all the same when you play the game. And there's a hood tax. If you move too much dope in your neighborhood, you're going to get checked. You have to pay. I have a friend that this happened to. He was selling weed, and sure enough the streets checked him. He had to pay his dues. (With a gun pointed at him.) On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the IRS. They'll find you too, minus the guns.
So in the end, it all leads back to the original quetion, and when it comes down to it, do gangstas keep it gangsta with everything they do? In the end, it's not about keeping it gangsta, just keep it real.
Various Thoughs
I guess you could say that I talk a lot. I'm tired of being labled as that. So the fuck what. I talk, label me as that, and when you say "Oh, there's Daron...he talks a lot," well I guess that's what I'll do. I've come to realize that I'm tired of a lot of things that go on in my life. I have ideas and thoughts, and when I say them, I'm never heard.
Case and point - Two days ago I was helping a family friend move a cement mixer up a hill, and we were trying to get an anchor point for a winch, to pull it up the hill. I said drill two holes, bolt the thing down, and got shot down as suggesting that that was unnecessary work. What happened? The winch jacked all around and got tightened up and we had to get a come-along to get it out. Im not a fucking idiot, I was right from the beginning and it wasn't acknowledged until it was a bigger problem than it needed to be.
Another issue I'm tired of is censorship and people's opinions. I have a product that I'm developing with a friend, and we're trying to do whatever we can. I hear good responses, and then I hear shit about it offending people. I really don't know how to feel. Am I supposed to base my life, and my facebook postings around what others will think of me? I really don't care. As I've gotten older, I'm finding theres a lot of people I don't care for anymore and theres a lot of people that don't like me either. That's just the way it is I guess. I mean, with this product I'm working on, its funny, but if I revealed some of the next stuff I have in mind, people would just think I had gone to the darkside. Shit, send me to church and spray some holy water on me so I can be saved.
Another issue that I wanted to address was my facbook postings of the last few days. I put them up as comedy. Simply that, nothing else intended. I was blown away by the video "Fry That Chicken" cause I couldn't believe it. But it's satire. Being able to laugh at oneself is the best thing you can do. Look at the shows "The Beverly Hillbillys" & "Sanford & Sons." The first, Jed struck it rich with bubblin' crude, and still lived in B.Hills with hillbilly junk. And Sanford was a junk man that was always talkin that smack to the jive turkeys in his neighborhood. But it was all in fun.
Now, you say anything, and people are going to look and say you aren't right in the head. I hope this makes sense. My point was just to show something that was an experience in my day. The story about the crackead was true too. His name is actually Arik, and I know there is a good person there, but the rock does something to people, and granted now, he's lost in that fog. His rant about slavery and how people chose to get on to the boats was really far out. He went on to say that the less intelligent ones were the ones who stayed there. I guess you had to be there to understand the whole discussion. But I post something on facebook and people look at it and think, oh shit Daron's gone off the deep end.
Today I'm just saying what's on my mind.
Case and point - Two days ago I was helping a family friend move a cement mixer up a hill, and we were trying to get an anchor point for a winch, to pull it up the hill. I said drill two holes, bolt the thing down, and got shot down as suggesting that that was unnecessary work. What happened? The winch jacked all around and got tightened up and we had to get a come-along to get it out. Im not a fucking idiot, I was right from the beginning and it wasn't acknowledged until it was a bigger problem than it needed to be.
Another issue I'm tired of is censorship and people's opinions. I have a product that I'm developing with a friend, and we're trying to do whatever we can. I hear good responses, and then I hear shit about it offending people. I really don't know how to feel. Am I supposed to base my life, and my facebook postings around what others will think of me? I really don't care. As I've gotten older, I'm finding theres a lot of people I don't care for anymore and theres a lot of people that don't like me either. That's just the way it is I guess. I mean, with this product I'm working on, its funny, but if I revealed some of the next stuff I have in mind, people would just think I had gone to the darkside. Shit, send me to church and spray some holy water on me so I can be saved.
Another issue that I wanted to address was my facbook postings of the last few days. I put them up as comedy. Simply that, nothing else intended. I was blown away by the video "Fry That Chicken" cause I couldn't believe it. But it's satire. Being able to laugh at oneself is the best thing you can do. Look at the shows "The Beverly Hillbillys" & "Sanford & Sons." The first, Jed struck it rich with bubblin' crude, and still lived in B.Hills with hillbilly junk. And Sanford was a junk man that was always talkin that smack to the jive turkeys in his neighborhood. But it was all in fun.
Now, you say anything, and people are going to look and say you aren't right in the head. I hope this makes sense. My point was just to show something that was an experience in my day. The story about the crackead was true too. His name is actually Arik, and I know there is a good person there, but the rock does something to people, and granted now, he's lost in that fog. His rant about slavery and how people chose to get on to the boats was really far out. He went on to say that the less intelligent ones were the ones who stayed there. I guess you had to be there to understand the whole discussion. But I post something on facebook and people look at it and think, oh shit Daron's gone off the deep end.
Today I'm just saying what's on my mind.
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