A Hamburger Today
A Balanced Burger at Reservoir in Silver Lake, California
"This is not some overwrought, post-modern re-imagining, nor is it a self-conscious art piece of brioche bun, constructivist architecture. It's a burger made from quality ingredients."
Reservoir
1700 Silver Lake Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90026 (map); 323-662-8655; silverlakereservoir.com
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: A chef displays her talent on this beautifully balanced burger.
Want Fries with That? Yes. While the mix of sweet and regular fries will never win my heart, these are a well seasoned affair.
Prices: Reservoir Burger, $14 (with fries and choice of cheese)
Notes: The "nights only" establishment will soon be offering up a Sunday brunch that will offer your hangover a delicious burger remedy.
As the burger has made its way onto the menus of the finer restaurants, I've found myself increasingly wearied by concoctions that feel like exercises in cooking egos rather than great cooking. Whether it's a fat patty stuffed with an even more fatty liver, or a shiny bun chosen for looks rather than taste, it seems this movement is, more often than not, an exercise in look-at-me insecurity. Chefs recreate the dish in manner designed to show off themselves rather than the food.
Of course, the trend has its exceptions—not every chef went into the kitchen with an eye toward one day working the dining room. Certainly Gloria Felix has plenty of training to show off, and a turn on Hell's Kitchen would seem to betray some Hollywood aspirations, but when I went to her restaurant Reservoir in Los Angeles' bohemian-gone-bourgie neighborhood of Silver Lake, I found my expectations defied by a chef, and a burger, that have manages to strike a balance between classical training and an American classic.
In the ongoing restaurant birth announcement culture of the Los Angeles dining scene, few restaurants (in recent memory) have been met with such anticipation as that for Reservoir in Silver Lake. To be sure, Felix's reputation (stints with Peppe Miele and Suzanne Goin, and a very well received executive turn at Blair's) had spurred much of the excitement, but for anyone familiar with the neighborhood, it was Reservoir's location that was half the cause.
Located in a freestanding structure that used to house one of the first signs of Silver Lake's gentrification, Netty's, and sitting kitty corner to the music venue Spaceland (home turf for Beck and Silversun Pickups among others), you might say that Reservoir is located at what has been the crossroads of cool in the now aging hipster neighborhood. And what do aging hipsters do with their earlier bedtimes and expanded bank accounts? They eat out. The slow construction process was a point of obsession for food blogs. After Felix partnered with Darren Roberts, who not only oversaw construction, but actually swung a hammer himself, the restaurant was born.
Inside you'll find a surprisingly intimate room that strives for (and mostly achieves) a refined, yet casual atmosphere to match the menu. Reservoir describes its menu as "seasonal rustic"—having grown up spending some time on a farm, I can't remember our summer corn succotash being made with fresh English peas, marscapone, and pasilla chiles, but I get the idea. Felix is trying to foreground fresh ingredients in a manner that seems approachable, while making sure they are all touched by her well-trained hand.
Having both a Cordon Bleu badge and being one of the few chefs in town with a certification in authentic Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN), I'm not surprised learn that Felix is dedicated to artisanal preparation and always keeps brown butter with arm's reach. What is a bit surprising is how the TV star is behind the line in her kitchen every night. The friendly and enthusiastic Roberts handles most of the front-of-the-house duties, so Felix is almost assuredly going to have at least a close look at your meal before it gets to you, if not having actually prepared it herself. When I ask her about her take on cooking, she's quick with an answer, "I love savory and sweet." It's an unselfconscious response. No screed on technique or ingredient sourcing, just a simple declaration about her love of a particular flavor balance: savory and sweet. This should work out well for me; I'll have a burger with ketchup.
The burger is served with little fanfare plated open-faced and flanked by fries. There are the signifiers of high-end execution—hearty heirloom slices and a mix of sweet potato along with regular fries—but what you are met with is classic looking burger. This is not some overwrought, post-modern re-imagining, nor is it a self-conscious art piece of brioche bun, constructivist architecture. It's a burger made from quality ingredients. I couldn't be more relieved.
On Felix's food you will consistently notice a healthy dose of salt and pepper on top. This is the final flourish of a hand that knows even the most complex palettes are made of a few basic receptors. The heirlooms are salted (and peppered) and that's the way I like them. Just picking up the burger reveals a thoughtful simplicity. The bun is a Hawaiian. Not the commercial variety that I might choose, but the squishy texture gives the appropriate feel and the sturdy structure holds up to all the mass—and, of course, it will add a bit of sweetness to go along with a savory burger.
The meat steps forward with a nice char and proper cooking, but there is an added complexity. I suspect the proprietary blend that Felix worked up with her purveyor Goldberg and Solovy has something with a little added tang (maybe some flap meat?) to go along with the chuck. It's an eight ounce patty, but Felix chooses to flatten into a wide round so as to even out the meat you get in each bite. It's a great choice and a flavorful helping of meat whose only weakness is its slightly too fine grind.
The bun has less of the chewy sweetness of the Hawaiians I've come across before. It's more akin to a slightly sweet commercial bun. In fact, most of the sweet notes come from the nicely caramelized onions and the truly fantastic, farmers market heirlooms (a summer treat!). The housemade aioli and seven-year-aged cheddar cheese add a little hit of fat to round out the full mouthfeel. This is a delightful balance of texture and flavor.
The fries also take on the sweet and savory aesthetic with the addition of sweet potatoes to the mix. I don't think I'll ever be fully sold on the sweet potato fry, but they are definitely better when served alongside the traditional spud to balance out all that sweetness. Again, the seasoning is heavy, or, as I like to say, just right.
When considering the pleasure I took in Felix's burger it occurred to me that we share a love of pairing savory with sweet. I don't think of this as definitive of my taste in food, but the seeds for the appeal were planted early. As a boy my father would prepare my bowl of ice cream with a couple of pretzel sticks. These days, it seems, I can't help but add an extra hit of salt when preparing my chocolate chip cookie dough. The balance of these flavors speaks to how we are wired to enjoy food; it's a basic pleasure that we discover as children. Felix understands this—her burger's balance is the grown-up version of the American childhood favorite. It's a reminder of a time in life when there was nothing more savory than something sweet.