The Golden State

One of the best things about living in Socal is the great variety and quantity of restaurants to choose from. There are always new places opening and old favorites to rediscover. It's like a treasure trove for a foodie such as myself. The multitudes of places to eat is so concentrated in just the Los Angeles area alone that you can sample endless different cuisines from around the world without ever having to wander to a different city. I love reading restaurant reviews and adding them to my list of places to try; it's one of my favorite hobbies haha.

Last week I was able to cross off a name on my list while dining at The Golden State. I was interested to try this cafe because of their philosophy: "The Golden State is a talent show for the best makers of food and drink in California. We love Samir's food. We love Scoops gelato. We love breweries like Craftsman and wineries like Topanga Vineyards. We think products like these deserve a stage of their own. California is an easy place to love. It's where we grew up. It's what we know. And it tastes very good." A place showcasing some of the best culinary skills in the nation, The Golden State uses primarily Californian ingredients in their cooking, choice of beverages, and even dessert. I was very interested in this concept when I was doing research on them. We went during lunch on a Wednesday so there was hardly any wait. Anyway, enough talk, time for some pictures!


The menu's beverage list was very impressive. I love how they let you know the origins of the alcohol and even the ingredients in their food. Also, the food side of the menu was very simple and clean, with only six choices on the sandwich column. Perfect for an indecisive eater like me! My friends and I all decided to go for Golden State's burger, called, simply, The Burger.


My burger, made with Harris Ranch beef, Fiscalini Farms cheddar cheese, glazed applewood smoked bacon, arugala, and housemade aioli and ketchup. You got a choice of one side so I got the fries with housemade hazelnut romesco. The fries were ok, but the burger definitely did the rave reviews justice!


Cut in half....

My friends make fun of me for liking my meats served "still alive" haha. What can I say, I love my steaks medium rare - rare! The same goes for my burgers. I hate seeing a good cut of meat gone to waste with well done-ness :( I die a little inside when I don't see enough pink in the middle


D got potato salad as his side. It was pretty good too!


J got sweet potato fries as her side. The garlic aioli that the fries came with was super pungent, just the way I like it.


After the meal, of course we had to top it all off with some Scoops gelato. How could I pass up the opportunity to have some Scoops again?? The Golden State is the only other place besides his own that Tai Kim will allow his delicious frozen dessert to be sold. Very very convenient considering that The Golden State is a lot closer to the original Scoops. To the left we have my goat cheese fig, and to the right is D's vanilla malt. We'll have to come back next time for the artisan root beer float with a scoop of Scoops! :)

Overall, an impressive burger and a great place to chill with friends over some delicious fares. I'll definitely be coming back!

Check it out:

The Golden State
426 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 782-8331