With one half pound of ground Angus beef cooked to perfection and then topped with cheddar cheese, Daily Grill’s venerable Cheeseburger Classic has long been a favorite on their menu.
So what is an establishment like Daily Grill — and their parent company, Grill Concepts — to do when restaurants like Father’s Office and mobile shops like Grill ‘Em All are changing the way we think about gourmet burgers?
Its simple. They take a good thing and make it better.
Just a few weeks ago I was invited to meet with their Executive Chef Phil Kastel and several other food writers at the Daily Grill Located in Downtown Los Angeles. We gathered to learn about the new and innovative techniques that Daily Grill is using to make each of their 21 locations a guaranteed stop for burger lovers.
First, they’re on the grind. Literally. Each Daily Grill location has been outfitted with an in-house meat grinder that they use twice daily. That means if you have one of their burgers for lunch or dinner, the meat was ground just hours before you bite into it.
Second, the preparation is simple. Each half pound patty is formed by hand and without adding much in the way of spices. Quoting Chef Phil, “We grind twice a day, lightly season, put it on the grill, and let the grill do its job.”
Finally, additional flavor is added with toppings, namely mushrooms and bacon.
In addition to the Cheeseburger Classic, two other burgers are available: a Pepper Bacon Burger and a Wild Mushroom Burger.
Both styles compliment the basic burger in a major way, with the Pepper Bacon being my favorite. Unlike the typical bacon burger presentation of two slices criss-crossed over the beef, Daily Grill’s chefs dice the bacon, cook it with whole peppercorns, and then spread the mixture over the cheese covered patty. The result is a flavor party of bacon, pepper, cheese, and beef in every bite.
Do Fries Come With That Shake? At PS612, Yes.
A true burger meal isn’t complete without beer or a milkshake. How about both? While tasting the burgers, our group was given a preview of the fare planned for Daily Grill’s new gastropub concept, Public School 612.
Playing on the grade school theme, Public School 612 — PS612 for short — is billed as “an education in the art of food and beer”.
For dessert we were treated to an item from PS612’s menu; the Chocolate Stout Beer Float, a mixture of vanilla bean ice cream and a rich, chocolate stout.
Other PS612 menu items include deviled eggs, fried chicken, and seafood stew, all accompanied by a stellar selection of beer, wines, and cocktails. Its certainly not the lunch room I recall!
While the burgers previously mentioned are available at all Daily Grill locations, PS612 and its menu are only available at the Downtown location. Class starts at 4 PM.
Daily Grill
http://www.dailygrill.com/
Multiple Locations
Public School 612
http://www.publicschool612.com
612 South Flower St # 220
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 622-4500