Later that night, Carter and I met his friend Adam at the Santa Monica mainstay, Father’s Office. Apparently this bar has the best burgers in all of LA. I have to admit, when paired with the sweet potato fries, Father’s Office was definitely in the running.

After Adam left us, we stopped into Renee’s Courtyard Cafe on the way home. The influential late-nineties film Deep Blue Sea was on. You know, the one about the killer sharks. Cinematic genius. We were mesmerized for a good 15 minutes.

The restaurant’s casual feel and self-seating arrangement is definitely relaxing (not to mention the wide selection of worldwide beers on tap will leave you feeling a bit fuzzy); this is the perfect place to grab a quick bite while strolling through Santa Monica or Culver City (Santa Monica being the second location to open). We didn’t have to wait either time we went, either, but apparently this place gets pretty packed and the perfect time seemed to be in the mid-afternoon.

They are famous for the Office Burger, which we tried and is excellent. It’s served with caramelized onions, melted cheese, spinach, and your option of a side of fries or onion rings (the fries are bomb and sprinkled with diced scallions). Oh, and the side sauce served on the side is a creamy concoction of awesome.

The beer selection is extraordinary and you can expect the people working to be very knowledgable of each one (they serve bottles and drafts). We had been craving a citrusy beer and ended up trying the Alaskan Summer Ale (and a couple of Arrogant Bastard Ales, because carpe diem, right?).

All of the servers and bartenders wear shirts that say FO, so pretty much every time they come up to you it looks like they are telling you to F off. But they never do really, unless you’re not 21 (the whole place is 21+ and they card you at the door, so bring an ID).

If you’re in the area and get a chance to stop, expect nothing but good things from what’s been called LA’s Premiere Gastropub. You can even send out invites to friends for your next rendezvous on their site with The Father’s Office e-vite feature.

(photos via LAist & The Penny Arcade)

1. The burger must be ordered very rare.

2. You deconstruct the burger and briefly re-toast the bread and microwave the burger for 30 seconds on medium just to warm.

3. Preheat oven to 400 and bake fries for 5 minutes.

The burger 

Sweet Potato Fries

http://www.fathersoffice.com/

The recipe for Father’s office revealed thanks to meemoskitchen:

http://meemoskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/06/office-burger.html

RECIPE:

Caramelized onions

4 Slices applewood-smoked bacon

2 onions, sliced (about 4 cups)

1 Teaspoon sugar

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Teaspoon ketchup

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2-3 Drops liquid smoke

1/4teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon pepper

 Burgers

1 1/2pounds strip steak (preferably dry-aged), ground

1/2 pound rib-eye steak (preferably dry-aged), ground

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 ounce blue cheese

4 ounces Gruyere cheese

4 French demi-baguettes, halved and toasted

1 cup baby arugula

A word about Sang Yoon; We have known Sang for years and had many incredible meals at Michael’s in Santa Monica when he was chef de cuisine.

Sang’s bio:

“Born in Seoul, Korea and raised in Los Angeles, Sang has had an innate passion for food and creating memorable dining experiences for guests from an early age. His epicurean journey led him to work and train with the most demanding and respected chefs in the world from Joel Robuchon and Alain Ducasse to Michael McCarty and Wolfgang Puck.”

“After studying at the Culinary Institute of America, Sang set out to travel and explore the diverse cuisines of Europe and quickly found himself immersed in the culinary cultures of Northern Italy and France. Whether working as a farmhand on an Italian olive ranch or cooking alongside French Master Chef Joel Robuchon at the esteemed Michelin three-star restaurant Jamin, Sang credits this time of exploration as setting the groundwork to where he is today. ‘Apprenticing under Robuchon was the most inspirational experience of my career,” says Sang. “I realized what it takes to truly be a master of craft, and that intensity, discipline and the constant search for excellence on all levels does have its rewards.”

Sang hadn’t cooked a fine dining meal in a restaurant since 2000, but was kind enough to do a guest chef at Bin 8945. I am reproducing some of the meal he did at Bin to show what a talented chef Sang is.

 Sang

 Vodka Cured Salmon Hash (potato, onion and crème fraiche), Salmon Pearls and Fennel fronds

Channel Islands Sea Urchin Flan, Morel Mushroom Duxelle, American Caviar

English Pea Soup. Maine Lobster, Mint Froth

Japanese Kanpachi (wild) Sashimi with Daikon, Shiso leaf, Red Bell Pepper, Yuzu Pepper Vinaigrette and Shiso Oil

 Santa Barbara Spot Prawn with a Shower of Warm Spices (Indian mustard seed, Szechuan Pepper, Tumeric, Cumin, Spanish Paprika) and Haricot Vert Mustard Seed Puree

 Roasted Dutch White Asparagus with a beurre blanc sauce, Quail Egg Sunny Side Up, Crispy Jamon Serrano (done like bacon lardons), Morel Mushroom Bisque

 Niman Ranch Spring Lamb, Fava Bean Pimenton Sofrito, Wild Ramp Pistou (essentially a pesto without nuts)