Surfers Love Cheeseburgers. Scratch that -- Everybody loves cheeseburgers. Here's One That Was Crazy Good.

First some surf stuff. Last week there was that other big swell from Hurricane Odile so I didn't really get a chance to paddle out, but the weekend looked like things were backing down. For me, that would be good, and Sunday seemed like it might be particularly mellow. However, as I think I've said, sometimes you can't quite trust the Surfline reports and have to see for yourself what's what. This was definitely the case on Sunday. When I got out to the beach, all set to go, the waves were a bit bigger than I expected, and the ocean a bit choppier. Okay, the waves were by no means huge or anything, and I tried super hard to stay calm, be brave and just tackle them, but in the end I wound up doing more swim time than anything else. Which was a bummer because I was so looking forward to a cool mellow day. Well, maybe during the week, because again the reports are looking favorable (if you're a wimp!).

Speaking of things that might be unexpected, how about the use of Wagyu beef in a cheeseburger?  That would be kind of an ultimate cheeseburger, wouldn't it, and it might look something like this:

Honestly, I never expected to use Wagyu to make a burger until one day, at our local butcher McCalls (www.mccallsmeatandfish.com) they were selling some premium Wagyu burger blend. Now, first a word or two on McCall's regular burger blend -- it's awesome! A mixture of chuck, short rib, and I think brisket is what Nathan McCall once told me, with a good amount of fat, it's flavorful and delicious. (Pair one of those burgers with one of the Kobe dogs McCalls sells and it's bbq heaven time, btw). But back to the Wagyu.  So the time they were selling it I think I was set on clams for Linguine with clam sauce, and because I thought it would be there all the time, I figured I'd get it next time we were having burgers. Well, turns out it was only an occasional special -- when they get Wagyu beef and they have trimmings they make up a batch. Since it's only there sometimes, I mentioned to Nathan that the next time he had some of the primo blend to put some aside for me, and he promised he would.  Last week, when I stopped in, I was told that there was something waiting for me.  It was some of the Wagyu, cryovaced and frozen! Here, look--

See, even has my name on it! But wait, you might be asking this: what exactly is Wagyu beef anyway?  Ok, well here's a short primer. The name refers to a breed of Japanese cattle. There is an American Wagyu Association as well.  Here's a link so you can learn more: www.wagyu.org. One standout trait of Wagyu is the intense amount of marbling (ok, fat!), and as you can see from the picture above all those white bits are fat. Of course some will say we shouldn't eat it because of that, but others will tell you that fat equals flavor. It does. These burgers taste unlike any others. Rich and beefy, they are definitely a special occasion treat. If you can get your hands on some Wagyu burger blend, definitely try it.

If we're in on Friday night, it's become a tradition to have Martinis and Cheeseburgers, so here is a recipe for an ultimate Friday Night Cheeseburger!  (I know, some are asking this: who needs a recipe for a cheeseburger? Well, I think you do if you want to do it right!).

For two people

1/2 pound ground beef (Wagyu if you can get it. If you can't, find the best burger blend possible)
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 thick slice white onion
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 slices American Cheese (purchased at the deli counter -- NOT individually wrapped!)
Iceberg lettuce (shredded or left whole, up to you)
2 large tomato slices
Dill Pickle chips (ok you can use bread and butter if you like)
Yellow mustard
Special Sauce (see recipe below)
2 burger buns (again, if you can find really good ones, get them)
1 Tbsp softened butter

1)  Heat a grill to medium heat.  If you like a smoky flavor soak some mesquite chips in water a couple of hours before the burgers are going on. Alternatively, you can heat a grill pan to medium heat. Also, if using coals, bank them to one side so there's a cool section of the grill.
2)  Shape meat into two burgers.  Season burgers with salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides.
3)  Drizzle onion slice with a little olive oil.  Slice burger buns and spread cut sides with softened butter.
4)  When coals are ready (or your grill pan hot) lay burgers on grill.  Wagyu note: because of the high fat contact, you may want to not slap the burgers down directly over the coals as they will flare up a lot.  Start them toward the cooler side of the grill.  Also, lay the onion slice on the grill.  Flip the onion from time to time until it's nicely grilled.
5)  When burgers are done to your liking (we go with medium), about 4 minutes per side, lay the slices of cheese down.  Cover the grill to let the cheese melt, then remove burgers and let rest a minute or so). While burgers rest, quickly grill the buttered buns.  Also, chop the grilled onion.
6)  Assemble burgers: on bottom and top half of buns, slather on some special sauce.  Spoon some chopped grilled onion on the bottom half, followed by a nice squirt of yellow mustard.  Set down some lettuce, then your slice of tomato. Sprinkle tomato slice with a little salt and pepper.  Now set your burger on the tomato.  Top it with the pickle chips.  And there you have it, as pictured above.

They make burger buns at McCalls too.  Don't they look great?

Now how about that special sauce?

For 2 burgers:

1 heaping tablespoon pickle relish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1)  Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate until needed.

That was hard, wasn't it?!

I've already posted about my love for In-n-Out burgers and this is a pretty close at-home version, with much better beef this time of course! I just think there are some things that should always be done when making a cheeseburger.  Some may frown on this but some chefs I know approve -- you need to use American cheese because nothing really melts like it. Just do it. Also, you need to have a special sauce of some kind, and some grilled onions.  Buttering and grilling the buns is also always a good thing. Lettuce, Tomato and pickles are also a must. In fact it's sort of a classic combination that In-n-Out gets right every time.  If you've been to a Shake Shack in NY they do a similar burger there (and their inspiration was, I believe, In-n-Out as well).

So maybe it's time to up your burger game and try something unexpected. Just don't mess with the other classic elements!

Another Hurricane Swell. Also, An Addendum To The Gjelina Take Away Post!

Well, one hurricane swell dissipates, and another takes its place.  It's crazy. This year it seems like one big hurricane after the other down near Baja, and while the courageous and capable surfers are having a blast, the more timid (Jason raises hand here) are making do with swim and splashing around sessions in front of the lifeguard station!  And by the way, it's always important to keep an eye on the lifeguards from time to time, because they may want you to move from one area to another as tides shift or rip currents appear.  One thing I have always tried to do is be in tune with the guards as much as possible.  These guys risk their lives for swimmers and surfers every day so it's important to give them props as much as possible, and also to just be aware and listen to whatever directions they might have.  Anyway, just splashing in the shallow whitewater was it for me today, even though this swell was not nearly as big as the one last week. But you know what? It was fun. It's been scorchingly hot in town, and while the beach was slightly cooler, it was so nice to get into the water for an hour or so and just swim and body surf a little (should have brought the boogie board, but forgot it!).

Also because it was a bit more pleasant out at the beach, and it was lunch time, it meant looking around for a quick bite. Well, the last time I wrote about Gjelina Take Away on Abbot Kinney in Venice, it was about the delicious Brisket Banh Mi. When I was there, I had noted and filed away for future reference the fact that they also had pizza, and that time I also noticed you could get pizza just by the slice. As I've said, I'm a pizza freak.  So I had to try it.

Take a look:

I got my regular pizza slice order: one cheese, one pepperoni.  It's definitely different than the slices at Joe's on Broadway in Santa Monica, say, which are more like typical NY pizza joint slices. These had a hint of smoke so I'm pretty certain they were cooked in a wood-fired oven.  The wood fire was also evidenced by that slight pleasing char on the crust. This crust was thin, and slightly crispy on the bottom, but airy and light at the outer edges. The sauce was zesty, and the cheese was a fresh mozzarella. Also, I think possibly they made the pepperoni in house.  It was crisp, almost like bacon, with just the right about of salt and spice.

Okay, I really liked Gjelina Take Away's pizza by the slice.  It's most definitely pricier than Joe's, or Vito's in West Hollywood (another favorite) but I'd say it's worth it.  So, along with that delicious Brisket Banh Mi they are now two for two.

Find everything you need to know about Gjelina Take Away here: www.gjelinatakeaway.com.  And go!

I sucked in the water yesterday. Today, however, there was a delicious sandwich.

The road to becoming a surfer is sometimes riddled with potholes and pit stops. Or it is for people like me with phobias and neuroses to spare. For instance I thought I was making progress, but yesterday, while out with my surfing mentor, I crapped out on some waves again, and again I got a stern lecture. The last time this happened I wanted to go home, crawl into bed and not leave it for the rest of the day because I was just super bummed out. That didn't happen this time. In fact our session led to a sort of epiphany.  It was pointed out that I too often take the path of least resistance or look for the easy way out. I am sort of guilty of that. But I am learning it's sometimes good to have your flaws pointed out -- because then you can start to change them.

Speaking of change, you know what else has been changing, and most definitely for the better?  The Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles. I've been stopping in here occasionally for years, and for years it was pretty much the same, a mishmash assortment of food stands and produce and meat vendors, some better than others. But recently a new batch of places has opened that I'd been wanting to check out, most of all Egg Slut (next time!) and Wexler's Deli www.wexlersdeli.com. Today I had an errand to run near downtown so I decided to hit up the Grand Central Market. Well, if you're looking for really excellent deli and you are anywhere near downtown, go to Wexler's Deli and get one of these:

This sandwich is called the Macarthur Park, and it was created as an homage to the famous #19 sandwich at Langer's Deli on Alvarado. Now, don't get me wrong -- there's nothing wrong with the very old school Langer's either, or that #19, which is still very much one of the best sandwiches on the planet. But unlike Langers, Micah Wexler is taking deli to the next level.  In fact artisan delis have  been popping up from coast to coast in the last couple of years and there's nothing wrong with that either, is there?  Wexler is smoking meats and fish in house and pickling in house and slicing by hand, and I can tell you the results are pretty spectacular.  Now to be honest I had heard some mixed things about Wexler's.  A cousin wasn't too fond of the Corned Beef and even Jonathan Gold, I think, noted that things could be inconsistent until lately.  I can say the Macarthur Park was fantastic.  The Pastrami -- okay it was on the fatty side but we're talking pastrami so that's not bad -- was moist and so, so tender.  The combination of meat, slaw, Russian dressing and cheese is, like at Langer's, almost sublime.  And then there was the bread.  It was that really perfect rye, the crust a little crunchy but the bread soft.   Here's another view, though apologies because it's a little blurry, but I guess I was just too excited to eat!

Look at that beautiful, thickly cut Pastrami!  Really, really excellent!  I had gotten there just before the lunch rush, but now I can understand why a line quickly formed for Wexler's.  See?

By the way, I'm not 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure that's chef/owner Micah Wexler himself who was slicing some salmon behind the counter.  Definitely want to return to try some of that salmon.  As for lunch, the tab came to about sixteen bucks for the sandwich, a drink (Dr. Brown's Cream Soda!) and tip. This is pretty much what you'd pay at Langer's or any other deli in town, but I don't think any other deli will put as much attention and loving into what they make as they do here at Wexler's.

There are still some of the old school vendors at the Grand Central Market, but that's a good thing. The crowd is an eclectic mix of Angelinos -- there are longtime downtown denizens digging into ceviche from Lupita's, there are hipsters here and there. Tourists seem to be in abundance because the newer places have been getting a bunch of press. There were gents and ladies in business attire. There were cops on line at McConnell's Ice Cream and lots of jury duty people on their lunch break.  Everybody seems happy to be here.  So the next time you find yourself in or near downtown at lunch time, get to the Grand Central Market.  You'll be glad you did.

Marie Swell Has Passed So It's Back To The Water. Plus Another Banh Mi!

So those huge waves that were pumping into Southern California beaches last week finally subsided once Hurricane Marie churned her way further out to sea. That's bad news for the big boys and girls, but good news for the more wimpy among us. Sunday I was out in Santa Monica, and while the waves weren't huge they were most definitely bigger than I was comfortable with so I just did a small swim session and left the board on the sand.  But Wednesday it was back in the water for a little work with the surf Guru. Again, it was lots of my attempting to pick and paddle into the right waves and not pop up but just ride them in.  I did okay, not great.  It was pointed out to me that I often pick waves that I know I can't catch.  I had to plead guilty on this front. Again, it's a fear thing.  I'm still trying to work through it. I will say this -- seeing some of those really monster waves on TV or on You Tube made me realize one thing -- I have been an idiot to fear these smaller waves. Those fifteen or even twenty feet ones? Yeah, be wary of those. But the smaller guys shouldn't be a worry. I need to get better, and I am determined to. But, anyway, the beach was nice and empty. All the summer and holiday crowds seem to have vanished.  See?

Another thing about being in the surf on Wednesday. Yeah, the waves were smaller, but there was wind, and there was chop. I went after as many waves as I could, and there was lots of paddling involved. I do seem to have powered through my phobia about being trapped in the impact zone. I don't seem to have any trouble diving through waves, with or without my big green Greco to deal with. The point here is it was a pretty good workout, and while the plan was to stop at the Kogi truck in Santa Monica afterwards, that plan got stymied because the line was like forty minutes long, and that wasn't going to fly. So I headed back to a place I had been wanting to check out in the neighborhood (well, close anyway, in Echo Park).

It's called Trencher (www.trencherla.com), and they make a bunch of different sandwiches. Here's a look at the outside.

Word is it's pretty good, so I'd been meaning to swing by. Also, I was trying to be healthy and when I looked at the menu online, there was a tofu Banh Mi.  I've said how much I love Banh Mi so I figured I'd give it a try (btw has anybody else wondered about the origins of this curious sandwich, which over the last few years seems to have exploded in popularity?  Why are Vietnamese ingredients like pickled daikon and carrots and Cilantro stuffed into a very French Baguette?  Why is there sometimes Pate in a Banh Mi, in fact? Well, the French did occupy Vietnam for a time, and this is where it all began. I once made an attempt at an at-home Banh Mi, but it's just not easy. All the ingredients have to be just right.  So you need the perfect Baguette (not sourdough) that's super crusty, almost shatteringly so, on the outside, but soft inside. Those aren't too easy to find. Then the vegetables have to be perfectly pickled, and if you're going veggie like I often do, you have to do something to the tofu -- marinate it and cook it in some fashion. My home attempt just wasn't what I had in mind, so I think this is something better left to the pros!

Here's a glimpse at the inside of Trencher.

It's a nice, simple space.  Place your order at the counter and they bring you your grub!  So here's the Tofu Banh Mi, with some crispy chips on the side. The baguette was perfect, as was the tofu. There's some spice to the sandwich, but it's also got some sweetness to balance it all out.  In short, a pretty perfect Banh Mi.

They have some cool drinks to choose from too, small-batch types. I went for a ginger ale. The tab came to about eleven bucks so not cheap, but not too steep either, and the quality was excellent, so worth it, I think.

So that was this week in surfing.  Guess what?  Another hurricane, Norbert, is down somewhere off Baja. Big swell coming again.  I'll have to see what that means for weekend surf plans, but if you're looking for a tasty sandwich check out Trencher.