After my date with excellence at Burger Parlor yesterday, I had work to do. I had a mid-afternoon business meeting that went a little longer than I had originally anticipated, but netted additional work, so that more than makes up for it. I then headed to the cigar shop.
While the focus of the articles I’m writing this week is on my “Quest for the Best” burger in Orange County, I can already tell you what the best cigar shop in the county is: Maxamar Ultimate Cigar in Orange. I was a customer before I moved away from SoCal and I’m still one once a year…and Keith is a weekly (at least) customer. Plus, the Small Batch Cigars online arm of Maxamar is our most faithful sponsor here on Leaf Enthusiast. So if you’re in the OC and you like cigars…you really need to stop by Maxamar.
Tuesday got started with some breakfast, then some additional work on the project I came out here for…with an eye toward getting up to La Habra in the early afternoon to make another hit on my list.
G Burger
It’s a little strange, but my second stop in my Quest to “Have a Cow” is in another place that I spent some time growing up. I went to Whittier Christian High School, actually located in La Habra, not Whittier. I ran on the Cross Country team and we spent a good amount of time running through La Habra streets, including La Habra Boulevard and right past where G Burger would eventually be.
When I rolled up today, there was a police car outside and two officers questioning someone seated on the ground near the restaurant’s outdoor seating area. Not the best start to this day.
Tommy Lasorda adorns the wall in G Burger
I was really ready to go all-out and get the “G Burger” but it’s huge…and nearly $20…and there’s just no way I would finish it. And by the end, I really wouldn’t even be enjoying it as much as just being challenged by it. So I went for the regular cheeseburger instead…All Angus beef, Cheddar cheese, and some added smoked bacon. They added fresh onions, tomato, some kind of greenery, pickles and a “house signature 1001 dressing.” Does your burger place cook a patty medium-rare? Because G does.
The result is an extraordinarily juicy and tasty beef patty with the garnish and condiments serving just to enhance the experience rather than add so much to it that it becomes a mask. Two or three bites confirmed that this really might be the best patty I’ve had.
The Parmesan Garlic fries were really good, but a little over seasoned.
Taps
I met up later on in the day with Keith, Vern, Ray, Dale, Danny, Travis and Paul (and his lovely wife) at Taps in Brea. I had a great Mexican-style beer brewed on-site, called El Moreno, along with a Crowned Heads Les CHATTeaux (exclusive to Burns Tobacconist).
We talked about the L.A. Rams, Danny and Misty’s new baby, Paul’s hip replacements, Keith’s upcoming hunting trip…and much more.
I followed up with fish tacos, then a Opus X that Keith gave me for my birthday (coming up in just a few days).
The conversation continued on past sundown and into the time when the California residents were practically asking for the space heaters to be turned on.
I finished off the evening with a Winston Churchill by Davidoff and some Hudson Baby Bourbon (great whiskey, but WAY too much money).
As I’m writing the last of this installment, I’ve already hit part 3 of the “Quest for the Best”…it’s Slater’s 50/50 and it’s something pretty awesome.
