[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]

I have lived in Los Angeles long enough to remember that the progenitor to K2, the new(ish) modern American restaurant that took over the spot on Sunset Boulevard long held by the healthy food diner Eat Well, was an unassuming little joint called Kokomo in the Fairfax District's famous Farmer's Market. Once upon a time Kokomo was little more than a glorified breakfast cafe, but times change and so too has the restaurant's identity. Kokomo has become a successful casual restaurant on the much hipper Beverly Boulevard and now has given rise to a Silverlake offspring that is yet another sign of the neighborhood's march toward gentrification.

K2's new chef, Chris Barnett, comes with some serious bona fides (208 Rodeo, Hotel Bel-Air, Stateside, Provecho) and a penchant for the Cajun corner of American cooking. The menu is full of classics that get a contemporary Cajun makeover and a decidedly sustainable sensibility. The Southern fried chicken comes to you as a spicy buttermilk-marinated Jidori fried chicken with edamame succotash and herbed cream gravy. It's all seems very thoughtful in a way that can make the menu seem self-conscious and overwrought, but when it comes to their burger, there is little pretense and a lot of great flavor.

The Kokomo House Burger is made with your choice of ground beef or turkey, sharp cheddar cheese, tomato, pickled onion, sliced onion, and red leaf lettuce on a challah sesame seed bun.

Doubtless you've guessed that I somehow resisted the temptation to order a turkey burger and tried out the grass-fed beef. The patty had a really good char that was just about perfect: full of crunch, but not overburdened with the carbon. The reason it didn't overpower the meat was, in large measure, due to the healthy eight-ounce portion of grass-fed chuck (locally sourced and organic). The thick and flavorful patty was prepared perfectly medium rare and given a nice hit of salt. The grind came in at a medium coarseness, which helped provide a very juicy middle without becoming an oozing mess.

The veggies were fresh and tasty and, once again, locally sourced. Their failing came in the form of a too-thick red onion slice that couldn't help but be overpowering. Once I pulled it off, the flavors of the burger seemed in harmony with one another.

Although a sharp cheddar cheese can mess with a burger's balance, I thought it was a sensible choice with a patty this substantial. Add a good spongy bun that, despite the challah label, wasn't too sweet, and you've got a very good, classic diner-style burger without any over-complication.

The fries are made in house and are dunked in the oil along with fresh needles of rosemary. Normally I'd come down hard on the rosemary (too powerful and earthy), but the frying allowed the herb to mellow into a nice harmony with the shoestring potato. They're sprinkled with a coarse salt that seemed to adhere perfectly to the fries.

It was all very diner-like, but modern, This is how K2 bills itself, and when it comes to their burger, it delivers. There are certainly better burgers to be had in town, but that's not really the point of a diner. It's meant to be a reliable eatery where you can get good versions of the foods you grew up thinking of as, well, food. K2 serves just that.

About the author: Damon is one of our roving burger reporters and food writers. When he's not eating more than is warranted or healthful (and then writing about it) he can be found writing and producing for television and film. You can contact him at seriouslydamon@gmail.com.

Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!