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Dudley Market has a burger problem, and the problem is that the burgers are too good.
Located just off the Venice Boardwalk, this cozy restaurant and wine bar specializes in fresh seafood caught by owner-operator and fisherman Connor Mitchell himself. While Mitchell is keen to highlight some of the in-season, well-crafted dishes (such as his latest offering, ahi smothered in fresh Sungold tomato sauce and served with tender marinated peppers), the burgers are also excellent.
“There’s a burger on every table,” he said. “Sometimes everyone sitting at the table is eating a burger. It’s amazing. It’s literally amazing.”
Mitchell revived Dudley Market in 2019 with the goal of making it less of an upscale spot and more of an everyday neighborhood restaurant, and to get there, he needed a burger. Dudley Market’s then-chef, Daniel Somoza, came up with a thick, hearty, still-pink burger smothered in dill aioli, bacon jam, arugula, and melted, hand-grated sharp cheddar. Though it tasted meaty, it was sweet and bright, and surprisingly not too heavy, thanks to the generous dollops of herbs and tangy vinegar in the double layer of aioli.
Initially, the restaurant limited the number of burgers served each night to just a handful, but during the pandemic, as grab-and-go options became scarce, that limit was lifted and the burger exploded in popularity.
“On average, we sell about 100 burgers a day,” Mitchell said on the patio of his restaurant last week. Last year, he and his team sold about 13,000 burgers, and expect to top 16,000 in 2024. For perspective, Dudley Market sells about 5,500 oysters by the half-dozen or full dozen, its second-most-ordered item.
Mitchell wants to make the burgers less often, which is why he and current chef Gabriel Lindsay agreed to share the recipe and instructions for the burger’s bright, citrusy dill aioli in the LA Times Cooking Newsletter.
Dudley Market’s patties are made from a blend of full-fat American Wagyu beef half and half shoulder, cooked thoroughly in a hot cast iron skillet using only the Wagyu beef’s natural fat, flipping only once and cooking for about two minutes per side.
The bacon and onion jam for the burger is prepared over two days, starting with caramelizing the onions. Separately, I chop up some pork belly bacon and slowly simmer it in a big pot, melting the fat and adding a little to the onions and a little sugar. I continue to simmer the pork until it’s browned. I then add the pork to the onions and marinate in the fridge overnight, before simmering again the next day.
Immediately after adding the sharp Tillamook cheddar to the burger, I add a spoonful of bacon-and-onion jam and stack the cast-iron pans upside down, steaming the jam and cheese over the meat. I spread dill aioli on both sides of a toasted challah bun and pile arugula from the farmers’ market underneath, letting the meat wilt a bit under its weight and the juices from the burger.
Try this method at home – it’s best paired with natural wine, just like in the restaurant – and Dudley Market’s dill aioli recipe can be used on everything from dipping fries in it to spreading on turkey sandwiches to marinating chicken.
If you want to recreate some of LA’s other popular burgers at home, scroll down for some of the restaurants’ no-dummy recipes, including a vegan version of Tommy’s chili burger, Jitlada’s spicy off-menu options, and Nancy Silverton’s real, no-dummy tips and recipes.
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Dill Aioli, Dudley Market
The Venice restaurant garnishes its famous burger with two coats of zesty aioli, a tangy mix of fresh lemon juice, Champagne vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Served with fresh garlic and a dash of fresh dill, the sauce is a refreshing herb spread to whip up this summer.
Get the recipe.
Total time: 10 minutes.
(Stephanie Bryho/Los Angeles Times)
Our Father’s Office Burger Copycat
Few burgers in the history of Los Angeles are as beloved, mysterious, and controversial as Chef Sang Yoon’s Office Burger. This iconic dish is melty, rich, and decadent. It features a thick patty made from a blend of sirloin, chuck, and aged beef, topped with melted caramelized onions, bacon, Gruyere and Maytag blue cheese, and arugula. It’s ketchup-free (no need to ask for it). Yoon never shared the recipe for this incredible creation, but after much trial and error, we figured it out on our own back in 2002. That’s good news for anyone wanting to try adding ketchup to their Office Burger at home.
“We called and asked for the recipe,” said Charles Perry, a former staff food writer for the Los Angeles Times. “‘No, no,’ Yoon replied, muttering something about chef secrets. Yoon noted that he’s never revealed the recipe, not even to Esquire magazine, and he still doesn’t intend to,” Perry said. “That was enough for us. The Times Test Kitchen loves a mystery. We decided to try to figure it out for ourselves.”
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 65 minutes.
The Father’s Office burger pictured here is famous, but you can make a similar burger at home, and you can even have it with ketchup on the side.
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
A copy of the Jitlada Burger
Spicy, sweet and herbaceous, Jazz Sinsanon’s fragrant, off-menu Jazz Burger is the stuff of local legend. It blends her restaurant’s southern Thai flavors with American traditions, tucking the patty into lettuce with basil and other spices, but she’ll never tell you exactly how she makes it. “It’s very secretive,” she told my colleague Jen Harris, and many others who’ve been curious for years. “There are so many secrets. I’ll never tell you.” But Jen persisted, and in 2020, she believes she’s perfected the recipe. She recreated it in her kitchen with Sinsanon herself, and filmed it.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 30 minutes.
LA Times columnist Jen Harris (right) with Jaz Singsanont, the cook who recreated Jitlada’s off-menu burger and the secretive chef behind the original burger.
(Los Angeles Times)
Vegan Tommy’s Chili Burger Copycat
When it comes to chili burgers, Tommy’s is the best, unless, of course, you can’t eat meat. Thankfully, former LA Times food editor Genevieve Coe has created a vegan version that “tastes just like the original.”[s] “It’s (sorry) better than the fast-food original,” she says. The secret is the browning and the saltiness. This vegan chili recipe goes well with just about anything, from classic burgers to hot dogs, fries, and nachos. And, Ko says, it’s essentially indistinguishable from the meaty original.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 30 minutes.
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
In-N-Out Double Double knockoff
If you’re craving In-N-Out but your instinct is to avoid the lines that often accompany their perfectly grilled burger, try this recipe from the LA Times. Tried and loved by LA Times food columnist Jen Harris, this family-friendly burger is topped with In-N-Out’s signature spread (which, of course, goes on everything) and a generous dollop of American cheese.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 45 minutes.
Does the In-N-Out knockoff look as good as this original? No. Does it still taste good? Absolutely.
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Nancy Silverton’s Homemade Burger (Not a Fake Burger!)
Mozzarella mogul Nancy Silverton takes burgers very seriously. On Monday and Tuesday nights, you can find her whipping up the perfect patty at the chef’s counter at her Italian steakhouse, Chi Spacca, but she shared with us how she makes them at home. She pays as much attention to toppings and technique as you’d expect in a restaurant, but is more flexible to accommodate the whims and desires of you and your guests. This is a burger primer from one of the city’s best chefs that every home cook should read and follow.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 40 minutes.
(Beatrice de Gea/Los Angeles Times)