L.A."s Scene Setting Restaurants

A dining critic shines the spotlght ont he city's eclectic cuisine

By S.Irene Virbila

Photos: Jessic Boone

In Los Angeles, the entire city becomes the stage where we play out scenes from our lives, Restaurants, too, deal in magic and stagecraft with inventive dishes served up in evocative settings.

 

L.A. is also hamburger heaven. The nation’s first drive—in burger palace, In-N-Out Burger, still sets the  standard for fast food burgers. But when you want something more serious, head for 25 Degrees, a stylish burger “bar” in the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. Tim Goodell. who turned Newport Beach into a foodie destination when he was behind the stoves at Aubergine (now under new owiiership), took a hard look at the burger genre and started this place, named for the number of degrees between medium—rare and well-done. “I love burgers and always wanted to do a burger bar:’ Goodell says. “The idea always was to keep it very simple…and not convolute things with too many ingredients or too many menu items.”

Slide into one of the generously sized leather booths or sit at the bar and check out the short,  well—conceived menu. The idea is to custom — build your burger. The default is a 9—ounce sirloin patty which comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion. But then you can add handcrafted cheeses, thick—cut bacon, avocado, jalapeños, and a slew of other embellishments at one to two dollars per item.  Your beautiful burger arrives swathed in white butcher paper, the better to pick up with two hands and bite in.

Of course, you’ll need some onion rings and fries, and one or more of the delicious dipping sauces, such as tarragon remoulade or a smoky hot chipotle pepper sauce. The wine list is innovative in that it’s entirely half-bottles.

Servers are edgy Hollywood types, tattooed to the max, and the place stays open to a wide—awake 1 am. weekdays and Saturdays. giving you plenty of time to catch a film at the American Cinematheque or Grauman’s Chinese Theater down the street or to have a pre-purger cocktail in the ornate 1927 lounge at the Hollywood Roosevelt.