Tacos & Burgers in LA

Tacos and burgers.  Who doesn't love them?  Even vegetarians and vegans have their own versions of the aforementioned staples of American cuisine.  Sure tacos are technically Mexican but find me an American citizen that does not eat tacos and I will give you a million bucks.

This last weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying some of the best L.A. has to offer in this particular arena of culinary delights.  I'll start with the legendary Tito's Tacos. At this point the best taco I have had yet was from a tiny place near San Diego which I forget the name of.  I guess the closer to the source, meaning Mexico, the better the taco.  The tacos at Tito's certainly rivaled the previously mentioned taco.  It was simple, pure, and authentic.  Just a fried tortilla, special recipe beef, lettuce, and cheese.  And the truth is in my opinion, the tortilla is what sells this taco and makes it spectacular.  The shell contains the perfect combination of crispy and fried chewy goodness.  I was not able to get a close examination of the cooking and prep process as I could not see through the army of assembly line workers from my outdoor vantage point.  But whatever they do is just magic.  The tortilla encompasses the meat, lettuce, and cheese in a perfectly contoured pocket of crunchy bliss.  Tito's is located in Santa Monica and has been serving up legendary Mexican cuisine since 1959.  This place is a must visit for anyone looking for L.A.'s greatest tacos.

For the burger entry I will impart my recent experience with Astroburger.  Now, to begin with, the search for the perfect burger is an endless endeavor which will ultimately never reveal an ultimate winner.  Sure, I have been to In-N-Out burger, been to Tommy's, had Umami, The Counter, Five Guys, The Habit, and I could never turn down a good old Wendy's burger.  Father's Office I have yet to experience as well as Hawkins House of Burgers which I saw featured on one of those food shows.  But Astroburger deserves a spot in the competition.

I went to an excellent show at Amplyfi on Saturday night, saw a good friend play with thatwasthen followed by the delightful surprise of Frankie Marathon.  It was right next door to Astroburger so I couldn't turn down the chance to sample another offering of L.A.'s in the burger department.  I must admit I was not let down. As with Tito's, Astroburger provided a simple delight.  It was standard charbroiled, juicy, burger.  It happened to be just what I wanted, no frills or extra bs, just a quality burger that is great purely because it was cooked well.  If you find yourself near the Paramount lot on Melrose, do yourself a favor and try this place out.

Also, do not miss our special show tomorrow at House of Blues on Sunset in the Parish room.  We will be playing a rare trio set to showcase some new material. 

Ty