Burgers and Beers at Father's Office in Culver City

Last night, the Bite Me TV crew hung out with James Rooke and Brandon Merenick of the Canadian indie rock band Low Level Flight.  The band is in L.A. to play at a Hollywood charity event tonight and shoot a music video over the weekend.  They're staying over on the West Side, so we decided to take the guys to Father's Office in Culver City for their awesome burgers and killer beer selection.

(In front - Bite Me TV's Druu, Joel Bonifacio and Joei Bonifacio)

(In back - Low Level Flight's Brandon Merenick and James Rooke)
Photo by Ernie Uy

Father's Office is one of the new breed of hip gastropubs that are popping up all over town.  A gastropub, you ask???  Take a pub, add some gourmet-ish food to the menu, dress the place up so it has a hip vibe and focus on boutique beers, spirits and such, and you've got yourself a gastropub.  It's a fancy pub that's spendier than it's old-fashioned, standard pub cousin.  Father's Office, in particular, is known for offering up one of the best burgers around as well as for having an extensive selection of beers on tap and by the bottle.

Their burger is pretty fabulous.  I'm not sure if it's the best burger I've ever had, but it's definitely one of the best.  It's thick and juicy, served with gruyere and blue cheese, carmelized onions and arugula on a roll (instead of a bun).  It is only served one way, so don't bother trying to ask for ketchup, no cheese, etc., etc.

Their sweet potato fries are also most excellent, and are served with a garlic aioli.  An order is usually large enough to share between two people.

Now, Father's Office can get crowded.  Very crowded, and there are no reservations.  You may have to stand around with your drink, watching like a hawk for a table to become available.  Oh, and you'll probably have to place your order (even for the food) up at the bar.  But if you can put up with that, you'll be richly rewarded with a yummy meal and some quality liquid refreshments.  There are two locations, one in Culver City in the old Helm's Bakery building and the original in Santa Monica.

Cheers!
Druu

Gimmee My Coffee at Fullerton's Steamers Jazz Club

Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe in Downtown Fullerton is one of the best places in Orange County (or all of Southern California, for that matter) to hang out and listen to live jazz. It's an intimate joint where you can listen to live jazz every night, have a bite to eat, have a drink or three, sit right up next to the stage or just hang out cafe-style out front on the sidewalk. All sorts of acts play there, from local big bands to big names like Grammy-winner Poncho Sanchez (he seems to play there about once a month).

But there's another side of Steamers that only the locals really know about. It's a pretty cool place to kick back in the morning for some coffee and breakfast. Their breakfast bagel sandwiches are yummy and fairly priced, they're never crowded in the morning so you can stretch out and read the paper, they play video recordings of previous live jazz sets at a low volume so you still get the jazz vibe, and they make a pretty damn good cafe mocha.

Steamers is located at 138 W. Commonwealth, just west of Harbor Blvd.

Cheers!
Druu

Wine Lab in Newport Beach

Waiting for a yacht cruise, my buddy Marvin (Executive Chef from Playboy) and I stumbled upon the Wine Lab to kill some time. The atmosphere was great and Taryn, the host/manager was even better. They have beer on tap and wines by the glass. They serve rustic pizza, cheeses, and olives to compliment your favorite beverages. They also had specialty products like chocolate from Christoper Michael, Marvin's classmate from le Cordon Bleu. Prices are reasonable and a great hang in Newport. They're on PCH across from the BMW dealership located at 2901 W Coast Hwy, Newport Beach 92663 . Here's their website: winelabnewport.com

Wings and Things at EJ Malloy's in Long Beach

Buffalo wings are just about as close as you can get to the perfect "guy food".  Messy, spicy, saucy things that you have to eat with your hands while you tear the flesh from the bones with your teeth...yeah, we're talking caveman eating in a big way.

One of our favorite joints for wings is EJ Malloy's in Long Beach.  They actually have two locations in the city, the original at 3411 Broadway in Belmont Heights and a second location at 4306 Atlantic Ave. in Bixby Knolls.  Wings come in mild, medium and nuclear heat levels and in one, two and three pound servings.  A plate full of carrot and celery sticks is served on the side along with ranch dipping sauce.  Pair the wings with one of the fine brews EJ Malloy's serves (Fat Tire, Karl Strauss Amber, Guiness, Fosters, etc., etc., etc.), watch the game on one of the many TV screens around the pub and you've reached pub-grub heaven.