in search of the perfect burger

akil's precious daughter, aminah, when we visited "the hook bistro"

descending upon yumminess

our friend akil knows about our (particularly *my*) love of a good cheeseburger. when he learned we were spending the week in san diego he immediately had a burger joint picked out for us and guessed what our menu picks would be. this isn't the first time we've been introduced to a burger by akil and his family. about a month ago we met in oxnard at the hook for another incredible burger experience.

sadly my husband jokes about the speediness i can eat a burger in. yes, mama's eat faster than they've ever eaten in their lives - but my burger is always gone before d can get two bites in. it's not something i'm proud of, but i blame it on the fact that fast food and sweets were always extremely special treats growing up and maybe i was afraid if i don't get it down quick i won't get to keep it. :) to put my rapid-burger-chewing into words, i love burgers and am always in search of the perfect burger.

so on the last day of our extraordinary week playing in san diego we went to akil's suggested smash burger. we weren't disappointed. whenever i go to a new burger place i try to order the most basic version so i can really get an idea of what it is they offer...and expand from there. so i ordered the all american with cheese on their classic egg bun. for those of you who remember enjoying mcdonald's as a kid, but don't eat there anymore purely on principle or more realistically on your increased knowledge of just what it is you're eating - this particular burger was a fun way to relive the tastiness, but with a freshness and a whole-product that was in a totally different class. cheese (extra gooey), pickles, ketchup, mustard and red onion. my mouth is watering a little bit talking about it.

but don't let me mislead you this was no "mickey-d's." the varied menu and build your own burger were so unique...take the spicy baja for instance: pepper jack cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, spicy chipotle mayo and fresh jalapeños on a spicy chipotle bun...definitely one to try next time. or how about the veggie frites (these were off the hook!) if i could get veggies every time i ate a burger, i would be eating at these places more regularly! flash-fried asparagus spears, carrot sticks and green beans. we couldn't complete the meal without a drink, so the rootbeer float with fresh vanilla ice cream and ibc rootbeer, completed the decadence. 

veggie frites! a curse if you live within driving distance of this place.

essential for a rootbeer float to be served in a icy mug

lil'one apparently doesn't share my excitement for burger joints!

  what's your favorite burger?