In the midst of cooking Passover dinner which in itself is both a rant and a rave, we managed to sneak out last night for a pretty amazing burger at Plan Check Kitchen + Bar in West LA. Open since
2012, this little gem, tucked away on the corner of Nebraska and Sawtelle, in a Little Osaka, offers up some good eats! burgers. Dine inside or opt for a seat on the patio. There's also
a communal table available. Service is A+ and super efficient. Start with a fancy cocktail like the Tito's Thunder ($12) with jalepeno infused vodka, mango, lemon juice, and sugar or a Ginger Grant ($12) pisco, blood orange, sake, aperol (sweet and bitter
orange), and ginger. For draft beer drinkers try a Saint Archer Pale ($7), really crisp and clean or Germany's Weihenstephan Hefenweizen, witha slight banana taste ($8). Bottled Beer lovers are in luck as there are over 16 choices here! Try the Lost Coast
Tangerine Wheat ($7) for a nice taste of citrus. White wines by the glass range from $6 (Blu Prosecco) to $8 (Seeker Chardonnay). Red wines include Martin Ray Red ($7), Boom Boom Syrah ($8), Catena Malbec ($9), Gauthier Pinot Noir ($10), and Von Strasser
Rudy Cabernet ($10). Try the housemade sodas too ($3.50) in flavors like yuzu (cross between grapefruit/mandarin orange), mango, vanilla cream, or lemon. Once you've ordered drinks get some beer nuts ($3). Now I literally played with fire here as I am allergic
to all nuts except for peanuts (which are legumes). I picked my way through the cashews, etcetera and enjoyed the sweet, salty, wasabi covered delacies at my own risk. It was worth it. For dinner I had the Blueprint Burger ($13). Smoked blue cheese, pig candy
(more about this in a second), fried onions, roasted garlic steak sauce, and peppercress are piled in between a crunchy sesame seed bun. This burger gets an A+ in my book. We also had the Chef's Favorite Burger ($14) which is cheese two ways, (American dashi-a
slice of American cheese crisp combined with Japanese dashi powder) pig candy, bacon, ketchup leather, a sunny side up fried egg, and hot sauce. So let me describe two things here, pig candy and ketchup leather. Pig candy is simply brown sugar bacon.
It is, my dear readers simply put,"crack" bacon. It's so easy to make yourself, but who takes the time I ask you, who takes the time? Tired of that leaky ketchup dropping on your new white J Brand jeans every time you eat a burger? I am! Ketchup leather saves
the day! Basically, it's dehydrated tomatoes, but it's ingenious, I tell you, especially since white season is upon us. Order some fries ($5) and you'll think you're at Mc Donald's but I mean in a good way. Remember how they used to make those addicting
fries? These are them reincarnated. Cooked in tallow fat, served with a sprinkling of smoked salt and freshly made ketchup (be careful if wearing white), they're outta this world yummy! Save room for dessert. (I forced myself). The Cruller Donuts ($6)
are made to order, and served with rich, rich vanilla ice cream, and sliced bananas. Our server, Adrian was super nice, so I want to give a big shout out to him too. We can't wait to go back for the Pastrami Nosh ($12) and the Southern Fry ($10). We love
Plan Check! Plan Check 1800 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles (310) 288-6500. Hours: Sun-Wed: 11:30 a.m.- 10:00 p.m. Thurs: 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Fri-Sat: 11:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m. Daily Shift Change (Happy Hour) 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Recommended Dishes: Blueprint Burger, Chef's Favorite Burger, PCB Burger, Fries, Beer Nuts, Cruller Donuts.