classic kids meal

 

the American hamburger has taken on a new identity since the turn of the century. No longer is it considered arguably unhealthy fast food. Now burgers are a gourmet meal. The meat or veggie patties are some of the healthiest ever made and are essentially the canvases for "burger works of art". The sky's the limit when it comes to what you can pair with them thanks to inspired chefs, many with fine dining pedigrees. Whether they're less-mature taste buds or parents' experienced palates, here are a few joints satisfying adventurous burger cravings around L.A.

 

the counter

For those who prefer their biggest burger decision to be whether or not they'll have cheese on their double-double, more than 312,120 burger combinations seems like too much to handle when it comes to ordering what's supposed to be a basic American meal. But that's just what you'll get at The Counter and instead of overwhelming they've proved to be an exciting and trendy dining experience, expanding to more than two dozen locations in a few years - even overseas! Kids love ordering off the clipboard given to each guest. They get a sense of independence deciding what burger masterpiece they'll create from scratch (though with untraditional choices like apricot sauce, sun-dried tomato vinaigrette and peanut sauce, they may need some help from mom and dad). The Counter does humanely raised Angus beef, vegetarian-raised chicken or turkey or vegan-friendly house-made veggie burgers from 11 different vegetables. From there, the decisions range from 10 kinds of imported and domestic cheeses, 28 toppings - many made in house - and three types of buns. You could even forget the bun, and do the modern Burger in a Bowl. You get all the same choices, but it's served on a bed of mixed greens. They also do a "Burger of the Month" ranging from carne asada to ahi tuna and salmon burgers dressed up in different themes like Asian and Moroccan. One of their half dozen signature burgers is the way to go for the indecisive. Polish it off with a traditional malt shake or their innovative "Shake of the Month" that has included cherry pie milkshake and a churro milkshake. The Counter, five LA locations, including 2901 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, 310.399.8383, thecounterburger.com.