SHORT ORDER opens Nov 18 at Farmers Market.

[Mr Taster]

Saw a sign in the window yesterday.

Mr Taster

[coffeebrownies]

Stopped by for an order of spuds yesterday--$6 for a short order of spuds and a dipping sauce? The dipping sauce, essentially baked potato fixings (sour cream, chives, bacon bits) was too cold, so there wasn't much dipping involved. We would have had a full lunch, but at more than $40 for 2 burgers, 2 orders of spuds and 2 drinks, it seemed a little steep for a Farmers Market meal. Is table service the same price as take out? We will probably try the upstairs dining room at some point, but I guess I don't have quite the discretionary income to make a habit of the take out counter.

Incidentally, the spuds were fine, but hardly inspirational.

[wutzizname]

Ditto the temperature of the sour cream dipping sauce. It seemed like it had just come out of the fridge and "dipping" was more like scraping. Think ice cold cream cheese consistency as opposed to smooth sour cream. Maybe if it was the latter I would have enjoyed it more, but even still...there was a funky flavor mixed in that I wasn't really digging.

[JudiAU]

We ate lunch there on the day they opened for lunch service, Friday maybe? We all found it underwhelming, which I was really surprised by. Burgers seemed unfocused, under salted, and a bit charred. I am not sure I really understand what the toppings where trying to convey, which is weird for a burger with a theme. One was overcooked but the others were well cooked. Salad very nice. Spuds were odd, but it may have been our batch which was about 70% potato chip like (no actual potato flesh) and 30% a mix of fried and chips. Service chipper and a bit much. Little JudiAU actually complained that we weren't at Golden State. (Why aren't we at the one with the cucumbers in the salad and the ice cream? And the famous "those aren't fries" crisis of 2011.)

I have a lot of respect for Nancy's ability so I assume it will figure itself out. Bit of a bummer though.

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The Golden State
426 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036

[linus]

could you please explain how one distinguishes between an "unfocused" burger and a focused one?

thanks.

[A5 KOBE]

I just had lunch there. Pretty good burger, but the Potato Spuds were stole the show. They are like the seasoned curly fries at Jack in the Box with better texture and creamy inside. The burger was just average and a bit overpriced. I had the Backyard Burger and they charred the crap out of it so much that it was overly bitter. Will be back to get those Potato Spuds though, not sure about the burger. I was really intrigued by the Brunch menu that starts in Jan 2012 which included a Benedict burger with hollandaise.

[A5 KOBE]

Pics here

[Dylan]

Thanks for the pics. That looks like a really enormous bun, too.

[Dylan]

Anyone have a sense how crowded Short Order is? (Of course the thought of going to the Grove at all at this time of year is a little scary...but I'd probably wander over at some point if Short Order itself is somewhat accessible.)

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Short Order
6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036

[TonyC]

Can someone explain the difference between upstairs vs. downstairs burger?

I see no need to visit until 2012, but the hype is just too fascinating (kinda like TMZ).

[SilverlakeGirl]

Hi Tony!

I am waiting for daytime hours in a few days. But ...

Another site appears to offer clues: Not all burgers are offered downstairs. Only upstairs where there is also [to my astonishment], a bar.

Who knew?

[Will Owen]

Oh, I am SO there!

[bruinike]

Only upstairs do they offer the full bar and the specialty burgers - lamb, pork, tuna, frisee lardon and one more I am forgetting. Not quite sure why those items are only available upstairs (maybe because they don't want to make as many?)

[JudiAU]

Special "upstairs" burgers upstarts are $2-3 more. Dipping sauce is $2.

[wienermobile]

Good story in LA Times today about how it's taken them over a year to develop their perfect fries. Here is the link:
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/...

[cdub]

ate there last night. was surprised that it was open.

i had the old school burger and their short order spuds. basically, it's a baked potato that's cut into pieces and fried so that you get wedges with a crunchy exterior and a soft center. really good.

the burger was good too. well cooked. considerably bigger than umami but also more expensive. i'll need to try the custard shakes on another visit.

[happybaker]

I need those spuds!

[Mr Taster]

On my walk home from work I stopped at Farmers Market to pick up some chicken for soup stock (it was delicious, by the way! Simmered with green onions and ginger, strained, added cabbage and green onions, and Dean Sin World's wontons!) and I observed a lot of hustle and bustle at Short Order. They looked like they were in full operation. It was a soft open, apparently-- serving to fellow Farmers Market vendors and "neighbors" (hey, I'm a neighbor! But, no dice... faux homeyness fail!) Beautiful outdoor fireplace. Wine selection. Balcony. Looks like a great addition to the "neighborhood".

Mr Taster

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Dean Sin World
306 N Garfield Ave # 2, Monterey Park, CA

Short Order
6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036

[TonyC]

So, who went to the soft opening last night? How was the insipid iceberg? Can ya taste the "wood burning" of that grill?

[JosephEBacon]

Tony, I'm curious too! When I went to the Grove this morning (Saturday 11/19), the sign indicated they would open at 5PM. Are they only going to be open in the evenings or are they still in the process of getting into full operation?

[Peripatetic]

According to their website, their hours will be:

11a-11p weekdays
11a-1am weekends

Presumably "weekends" means Friday and Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday.

http://www.shortorderla.com/

[perk]

They begin lunch service the day after Thanksgiving. Then they'll be open all day through the evening.

[JosephEBacon]

Thanks. Now I got something to look forward to for lunch on Friday. I bet it will be packed!

[kevin]

Does it open tomorrow? Just in time for Black Friday.

[SilverlakeGirl]

For anyone planning on checking out Short Order on the 18th, opening day ... they plan on opening at 5PM.

Late for me, but not impossible.

http://twitter.com/#!/shortorderla

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Short Order
6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036

[kevin]

oh, thanks.

so we don't happen to veer that way for a lunch.

i might have to give a couple weeeks to get up to speed though too.

[SilverlakeGirl]

Spent a good part of the day at the Farmer's Market / Grove today. Relatively quiet as Third Street and parts of fairfax were closed today.

I stopped by Short Stop here about 2 dozen people were seated and mingling. Turns out it was some sort of private party although I was able to pick up a menu which was oddly not on the website shortorderla.com.

Here's a sample:

Short Order Burger $12.00
Grass fed beef, morbier, grilled mushroom, bibb, mustardy mayo

Ida's Old School Burger $10.00
Grass fed beef, cheddar, pickles, tomato, grilled onion, iceberg, secret sauce

Nancy's Backyard Burger $13.00
Nancy Silverton's beef blend, artisan bacon, comte, avocado, tomato, onion, icebetg, spicy mayo

Amy's Turkey Burger $12.00
Organic turkey, sage cheddar, melted celery, leeks, spicy mayo

Also:
Pork Burger
Lamb Burger
Tuna Burger
Tuna Melt
Patty Melt
Grilled Cheese
Corn Pups w Anson Mills corn batter
Pretzel Pups w La Brea Bakery Pretzel Buns
Wedge Salad
Old School Fries
Short Order Spuds w Dipping Sauce or Truffle Salt

And:
Custard Shakes Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee Male
All $6.00

Announcing Weekend Brunch beginning 01/01/2012
Benedict Burger $11.00
Burger, fried egg, english muffin and hollandaise

Many more things on the brunch menu.

[maudies5]

Looks great. Thanks for sharing.

[SilverlakeGirl]

I'm already planning my first meal there: Nancy's Backyard Burger and potatoes. Anyone know what Short Order Spuds are?

[Dommy]

I'm guessing Tater Tots as they are really getting a rival lately...

--DommY!

[Dommy]

Turns out they are the signature fry! Check out wienermobile's post below!

--Dommy!

[SilverlakeGirl]

Hey, thanks for pointing that out, Dommy. It took me awhile to spot it.

Sounds very promising. I'm always open to new ways with potatoes.

[Mr Taster]

For those not familiar with the context of this, here's a (very) rough outline of the history of Short Order (and the "Nancy's Backyard Burger" name).

The LA Times visited Nancy Silverton's home and wrote about what a backyard BBQ at her home is like. Nancy shares her thoughts on what makes the perfect burger. You can read it here (recipe also):

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/...

The article was so popular that Huntington Meats (the 3rd/Fairfax Farmer's Market butcher referred to in the article as the source for her "special grind") started selling Nancy's blend by name in their glass case.

Fast forward several years. The markets collapse. Nancy purportedly lost a whole lot of money with the Madoff swindle. $10-$16 Fancy Burgers™ become super popular at places like Father's Office, Umami, etc. She identifies the market and capitalizes on the popularity of the LA Times article.

I remember hearing that this was not a concept she would have considered (semi-inexpensive chain food) in the early days, at the height of Expensive Fancy Food (La Brea Bakery, Campanile, Mozza). To be fair she does have a well deserved reputation for making very simple food well-- and then jacking up the price astronomically. But times being what they are, it's come down to selling $12 burgers.

Funny how it really was not long ago that Carl's Jr. introduced their $6 burger, which was meant to illustrate how their burger could stand up to a "restaurant quality" burger. Now a $6 price point is downright nostalgic.

Having said all of this, I am looking forward to trying her burgers-- I have no doubt they'll be great-- and am glad they will be a new option in the neighborhood.

Mr Taster

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Father's Office
1018 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403

Huntington Meats
6333 W 3rd St # 350, Los Angeles, CA

[Mr Taster]

One additional point of interest.

Huntington Meats told me hat Nancy's new burger is using a new blend that they developed specifically for the restaurant. Apparently they'll be changing the name of "Nancy Silverton's Blend" to something without her name associated with it.

Mr Taster

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Huntington Meats
6333 W 3rd St # 350, Los Angeles, CA

[TonyC]

The fact that Nancy's burger uses iceberg REALLY freaks me out. Ditto to Amy [Pressman's] burger being made of turkey.

The eponymous burger sounds like every kind of win, though. Now, any tips on that f'd up parking situation?

[Mr Taster]

Why does it freak you out? I can definitely see how the fresh, clean, watery crunch of the iceberg would contrast nicely with the fat and squishiness of all the other items on the bun.

Mr Taster

[Ernie]

Yes, I agree. I like lettuce on my burgers to counteract the richness of other ingredients. Short Order's burgers sound more balanced than Umami's heavy greasefests

[JosephEBacon]

Iceberg works with hamburgers at other places. I do remember Wolfgang Puck using romaine on his burgers at the Puck Cafes, just as good. I'm sure Nancy did a lot of homework in working on the burger formulas. I'll admit that I'm really anticipating another great burger joint!

[Will Owen]

Iceberg is THE lettuce for burgers. James Beard once wrote that if iceberg were hard to grow, hard to ship, and really expensive, it would be every "gourmet's" favorite! And I'm inclined to agree.

[SilverlakeGirl]

Good post.

I am a fan of Iceberg. First off, my mother taught me how to chose it. Squeeze it. Get a heavy and solid head. Not one that is relatively light. This ensures that the leaves are tightly packed. This is so important.

IIt is important that the leaves are very cold and very crinkled. No flat loose leaves! They will be discarded!

Iceberg IMO provides textural contrast and temperature contrast. So important! No other lettuce can do this. Cold & crunch are imperative.

As a side note, my own personal favorites are applied to burgers made at home. NEVER ketchup! And it is important to include a Kosher pickle sliced about 3/8 inch thick.

[Will Owen]

One of my first consciously taste-exploring experiences was consuming a leaf of iceberg very slowly, paying close attention to the contrasts between the softer green parts and the crisp, sweet white ribs. This was shortly after I discovered, while reading Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel tales, that in earlier times people ate lettuces as a safer way to quench one's thirst (being ignorant of the fact that vegetables grown in germ-infested water will carry the bacteria within them). I was very early a big fan of thirst-quenching vegetables, especially iceberg lettuce and cucumbers. Leaf lettuce certainly has its place: in the salad bowl, maybe on an egg salad sandwich, but not so much on a burger. It's too tough to the bite, and promotes slippage of patty onto one's lap.

[SilverlakeGirl]

So totally agree ...

Snooping around the Internet, I see that today is indeed the debut day for lunch service. The fact that I am up at 3AM and get up to go to work 2 hours from now does not bode well however for how good I am going to feel after work, but ...

Any Kevin Eats fans out there? A great review with close up photos, and cross section views here:

http://www.kevineats.com/2011/11/shor...

I thought it interesting that Juliam Cox created the cocktail menu ... and that the custard malts will be available with alcohol soon!

[JosephEBacon]

Just came back from Short Order.

WOW!

I had Nancy's Burger and those INCREDIBLE Short Order Spuds. It's the BEST burger I've ever had. Everything meshes perfectly. The plates they serve with the burgers and fries are small, WARNING--be careful eating the burgers, they're so juicy they'll stain your shirt!

And with the spuds, Nancy has reinvented french fries. The dipping sauce is a mix of sour cream, bacon bits and chives.

The staff is very friendly. The only minus I found was that they had no diet sodas. And that's minor--they serve chilled water in old fashioned Ball Mason jars.

Nancy could teach Wendy's what "Hot And Juicy" REALLY is!

Will I be back? Oh, yeah! I'll be back!

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Short Order
6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036

[okayjackson]

Park by the Children's Place. Always spots. Free 3 hrs with validation.

[TonyC]

Thanks for that. Honestly never thought about parking at CP, probably because the thought of walking from CP to Dupar's makes me tired...

[Mr Taster]

I think if walking the short distance from CP to DuPar's makes you tired, you probably should be walking even further! :)

Mr Taster

[kevin]

hahaha, sadly, yes.

[JosephEBacon]

Wow, that menu has me hungry on a Monday night. And I've got to wait FOUR DAYS to try it...

[wienermobile]

After such a long wait I am really looking forward to this.
http://www.ShortOrderLA.com/

[samtron608]

details on what this place is? never heard of them..

[Mr Taster]

http://la.eater.com/tags/short-order

Mr Taster

[TonyC]

Burger joint, somehow associated with N. Silverton, conceived by a chef who recently passed away.

Personally, I'd like to see a cafeteria style fight between Umami & SO after U opens. That'd be worth the parking atrocity at the FM.

[Burger Boy]

These guys are wimps! Check this out......A Chile Relleno Burger............... http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbi...

[samtron608]

wow so umami is supposed to open up a huge space there..and now Short order. Would be interesting to see which burger joint wins the FM crowd...

[wienermobile]

Umami will be in the Grove, Short Order in the Farmers Market and Mendocino Farms across the street. Nice.

[Mr Taster]

Is that new Mendocino Farms opening in the new Gilmore Station, or are they making room for it in the Town & Country plaza with the Whole Foods?

Mr Taster

[wienermobile]

It is my understanding that Mendocino Farms will be in a new building where Trader Joe's is going on the corner of 3rd and Fairfax.

[Mr Taster]

That's the new Gilmore Station complex. Interesting to see the neighborhood getting some upgrades.

Mr Taster

[coffeebrownies]

Park in the far lot (by the new building on the north end) and on the eastern side. If the two sides do an alternate merge to feed out, you will be in the shorter line.

[gore_mutt]

and Golden State just up the street- still top contender for #1

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The Golden State
426 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036