L.A.'s best burger.

For Christmas, we got a book called The Ten Best of Everything - An Ultimate Guide for Travelers. It's a fun read, but some of the lists have some pretty glaring omissions.

For instance, the Best Steak Houses list includes nine American restaurants or chains, and only one Argentine entry, La Cabana. And Wegmans didn't make the Best Markets & Food Halls list. Their flagship store in Pittsford, NY is a foodie's idea of heaven on earth.

But the real deal breaker for us is the Best Burger list, which gives California favorites Apple Pan and In-N-Out the gold and silver medals. Granted, this category is extremely subjective. But for our money, these two aren't even the best burger in Los Angeles.

That distinction goes to Father's Office, the Santa Monica gastropub which recently opened a second location in Culver City. The Office Burger starts with half a pound of dry-aged ground sirloin. I know many purists prefer chuck, but this is some of the best ground beef you'll ever taste. The meat is char-grilled and usually arrives medium, regardless of how you order it. It's topped with caramelized onion, an applewood-smoked bacon compote, a blend of gruyere and Maytag bleu cheese, and a huge mound of arugula. That's it. No ketchup, mayo or mustard. And absolutely no substitutions.

The whole affair is cradled in a French roll, which does a great job of soaking up the jus. Every bite yields a fantastic combination of flavors - sweet, tangy, salty, smoky, earthy. Not the traditional burger experience, but so much better. Sweet potato fries or shoestrings with garlic aioli - again, no ketchup - round out the meal. Order at the counter, take a number, and then find a table - there's usually a wait. Oh, yeah, and there's 36 craft beers on draught.
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or more information, visit http://www.fathersoffice.com