Michele StuevenIn anticipation of National Burger Day on Thursday, May 28, I decided to pack up my faded Pink Floyd t-shirt that I reserve for messy occasions and headed out for a road trip to the new Gott’s Roadside in Beverly Grove.
While they have a list of 10 different choices, with everything from the basic cheeseburger to a kimchi burger and the California burger made with a fried egg, gruyere cheese, bacon, arugula, caramelized onions on a toasted sesame brioche bun, what I didn’t expect was a full menu of other items representing every neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Opening its doors in 1999 in St. Helena, in the heart of Napa Valley, Gott’s Roadside is a Northern California cult favorite that brothers Joel and Duncan Gott transformed from a little roadside food stand dating back to 1949.
Gott’s Roadside (Michele Stueven)
Inside Gott’s (Michele Stueven)
It recently opened its first flagship LA location at the Original Farmers Market in a completely redesigned space that used to house Gary Twinn’s Market Tavern and is a perfect fit for the historic market. It’s located directly next to another slice of Americana, Du-Par’s. Another outpost will open in Santa Monica in the fall.
While Northern and Southern California have long had sports and cultural rivalries, Gott’s has positioned itself as a newcomer with a sensitive approach that aims to connect with the neighborhood, which is reflected in the menu. An emphasis on family-friendliness, there’s something for everybody. Casual, no full service, order at the counter or the bar.
Great sides for your burgers include chili-dusted sweet potato fries and beer-battered onion rings that retain their integrity, as well as cheese fries and artichokes two ways when in season.
There’s a great salad line that includes a colorful Vietnamese chicken salad with kale, shredded cabbage, mung bean sprouts, peanuts tossed in a cilantro, mint, and peanut-lime dressing, topped with pickled Fresno chiles.
Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Michele Stueven)
Crispy ahi poke tacos (Michele Stueven)
Sandwiches include a chicken schnitzel and seasonal options like a warm toasted cubano. Lighter fare includes Hawaiian-style ahi poke crispy tacos topped generously with fresh avocado slices and filled with a slightly spiced cabbage and cilantro slaw.
In addition to a dedicated soft-serve window serving Strauss organic vanilla, chocolate, and swirl along with old-fashioned toppings and dips, Gott’s beverages include fountain soda, house-made lemonades, and hand-spun organic shakes, freezes, and floats.
The California-centric wine list offers a wide range of Napa Valley vintners by the glass and by the bottle, from Joel Gott Wines to Rombauer, Turley, Caymus, and Opus One. Rotating draft beer includes Tarantula Hill, Beachwood, Golden Road, and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer by the bottle for old timers who just want beer and a hot dog.
Artichokes two ways (Michele Stueven)
Plus:
The World Cup is coming to America, and MagnoliaBakery.com is celebrating with a limited-time lineup of sweets that includes a Kickoff Sampler made up of one dozen soccer-themed cupcakes and a DIY Banana Pudding Bar, a 12 mini soccer cupcakes package, and a 6” soccer vanilla layer cake with buttercream that serves eight.
Barnsdall Fridays Wine Nights at Barnsdall Park returns for its 17th season, running now through Sept. 11, set atop Olive Hill and the West Lawn of Hollyhock House, LA’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. General admission is priced at $55, which includes four glasses of wine from Silverlake Wine, along with a rotating lineup of local food trucks and DJ performances throughout the series. The popular and longstanding series also serves as a fundraiser supporting arts programming and preservation efforts amid proposed budget and staffing cuts to the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. For tickets, go to www.barnsdall.org
Over Memorial Day Weekend, Smorgasburg LA will be open Sunday as usual, while also hosting a three-day BBQ Invitational at Santa Anita Park from Saturday, May 23, through Monday, May 25. Taking place in the infield during live horse racing, six of LA’s most popular BBQ pop-ups will showcase regional styles spanning Texas, Filipino, Japanese, Cambodian, Cuban, and more. The weekend will also include carnival rides and games alongside the food programming. General parking is free.
What’s Popping Up is a column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink
Soccer cupcakes (Courtesy Magnolia Bakery)