Dear Mr. Gold:

Recently I’ve developed a craving for sliders. I’ve tried them at Hamburger Hamlet, the Counter, the Arsenal and French 75. So far I’ve liked the Counter’s best. Help me with my research: Who do you think has the best sliders?

—Seth, West L.A.

Dear Seth:

I personally favor half a pound of something prime and dripping rare, but sliders, I agree, are the perfect hamburger for the new millennium: sexy little things, minimally clad, that require next to no commitment. Was it White Castle that used to have the slogan “Buy ’em by the sack; puke ’em by the roadside’’? Probably not. Hamburger chains have never been known for proper use of the semicolon.

Anyway, in my experience, perfection in sliders depends a great deal on context — a Kobe-style slider at Cut with a glass of old Barolo is very different from a Hamburger Hamlet slider with a tumbler of Bloody Mary, heavy on the celery salt. Am I personally fond of the sliders at Bar Marmont, especially after three shots of tequila? I am indeed. 8171 Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd., (323) 650-0575. Open daily 6 p.m.–2 a.m.

—Jonathan Gold

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