[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Farm Stand
422 Main Street El Segundo, CA 90245 (map); 310-640-FARM; farmstand.us
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: The high quality (and massive) patty isn't matched by bun and toppings.
Want Fries with That? Yes, if they hold the Parmesan.
Prices: Ground Chuck Burger, $9.95 (lunch), $11.25 (dinner); served with Parmesan fries and choice of toppings.
Notes: Lunch, Monday - Friday, 11:00 a.m - 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Monday - Thursday, 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., Friday - Sunday, 5:00 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Farmstand describes its cuisine as "urban country food," which is puzzling not only because of the slippery nature of an oxymoron (intentional, or otherwise), but also because it's located in a neighborhood that is neither. El Segundo is a tiny city (we're talking 16,000 or so residents) that sits just south of Los Angeles city limit. To the east is the Pacific and our ridiculous airport looms just to its north, but other than the occasional jet being rerouted overhead there is little to let you know that you are minutes (10 to 45 depending on traffic) from the heart of a metropolis.
The Main Street of "downtown" El Segundo is the "Main Street" of our imaginings; that Post-War strip of Pax Americana dotted with the independent shops and eateries that served all of a town's needs. (Before malls and big boxes retailers showed us how much more valuable discounted sweat socks are than a sense of community.) This is all to say, the "urban country" Farm Stand is located smack dab in the middle of suburbia.
A friend works in the area and invited me over the border to this for lunch with promises of a delicious, gargantuan burger. One out of two may not be bad, but when it comes to burgers, it's less than good.
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