Discoverin' the 'Hood

Nic, Steph, and I started our "Quest for the Perfect Burger" with the critically acclaimed Neighborhood. It had a bit of an industrial decor and it was kind of dark, which made for an odd start to our burger adventure. Well, there was that and then there was my ex-boyfriend sitting at the bar with his current girlfriend. Can we say awkward?

I wanted to hastily finish my burger so we could get out of there, STAT! However, I was still able to enjoy the restaurant's classic Neighborhood burger. It had caramelized onions with Blue Cheese...which just happens to be my favorite combo anyway :) It made it an easy choice. The Ciabatta bun was nicely toasted and made for a great base for the patty. There were potato chips accompanying the burger but a better option were the sweet potato fries. There were crumbled cheese atop it, and the dipping sauce made for a good tangy taste. The sauce on the burger was a bit much, and the burger seemed a bit bare in general. I have to admit though, I like a lot of different flavors going on in my burger. So, this classic burger was a bit more simplistic than I preferred. Good burger, just not one of my favorites. I would probably not go back again given the pit in my stomach on the way home....well seeing the ex being fondled by his current girl might have added to that nausea.

Grade: C
Burger Point Average: 36

Neighborhood
777 G Street
San Diego, CA 92101-6418
(619) 446-0002
http://www.neighborhoodsd.com/menu-lunch.php
http://www.neighborhoodsd.com/menu-dinner.php

Griddle me this, Griddle me that

It was a week and a half past my birthday, but a good excuse to get the gang together and make it over to West Hollywood for some flapjacks. As Tony put it best "whenever you come into town I have to get ready to put on 10 pounds." So, in the midst of celebrity impersonators and the crowd of out of towners, we waited patiently for 40 minutes despite cries of hunger pangs from Mike. The wait did nothing to whet our appetite and we threw out the food orders before the waiter could even get his greeting out. I was sold on the "Golden Ticket" the minute I read streusel and cinammon. The stack of 3 flapjacks appeared insurmountable the minute it was placed in front of me...there were onlookers whose gaze followed the plate from it's departure from the kitchen down the main aisle of the restaurant. There was even a fellow patron who inquired the name of my dish so that he could order the same thing. The crumbly banana pancakes had a heavy handed sprinkling of cinnamon, and a huge scoop of whipped butter atop it. It looked more like dessert than breakfast, but I could care less. I was famished! I dug straight in and did not look back. The pancake was gooey and just the right amount of doughy texture without being too cake like. There were chunks of banana intermixed in the dough, along with toasted walnuts and sweet streusel. The warm, whipped butter was oozing into the nooks and crannies of the flapjack which made for THE perfect bite every time!

I also got to try Tony's and Mike's pancakes...and hands down my dish was the top contender out of all the dishes at our table. Tony's "Mounds of Pleasure" was a sugar shock from the beginning. It was so soggy from all the drizzled chocolate and whipped cream, that it was terribly overwhelming. I was only able to get through a couple bites...and even then I felt I was about to go into a diabetic shock. Mike's pancakes were better but it was the very basic strawberries and cream on their basic flapjacks. All in all, the meal set us back a pretty penny but it was well worth it....would go back in a heartbeat!!

Just as a side note: I couldn't help but notice that ALL the servers who worked there were outlandishly handsome!! They looked like they could've just walked off the set of the local Melrose Place shoot...which made it difficult to enjoy the food because I was distracted every few minutes. Yummy on all accounts!! :p


The Griddle Cafe
7916 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 874-0377
http://www.thegriddlecafe.com/menu.html