Napa Valley Burger Co.

The plan was to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and then make our way to Sausalito - all on foot.  Yes, the whole journey would've taken roughly 2 hours and plenty of exerted energy.  That would be level 3 whining from my daughter on a good day, but since she was a bit under-the-weather, we figured that it would be full DEFCON 5.  That hardly seemed worth it so we simplified things by taking the ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausalito instead.  I've made this trip before and for the amount paid ($12 for adults and $6 for children), it is well worth it for the city views, Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge.

Once there, the first order of business was to look for food.  We didn't want to over complicate things, so we headed to the Napa Valley Burger Co (didn't I have a burger last time in Sausalito???).  There was only one burger on my mind and it was the James Beard Competition Burger featuring a 1/2 pound of certified Angus Beef blended with pinot noir, marinated cremini & oyster mushrooms, cheese, arugula and basil aioli on a brioche bun.  This was a tasty concoction where the meat was fairly moist despite the aggressive smoky char.  There was a balanced amount of woodiness from the mushrooms while the pinot was understated.  For my daughter, she didn't want a burger and had the Kid's Twin Mini-Hot Dogs with fries instead.  Nothing complex, but they were cute and fairly well-priced.

My son had eyes on the Yountville Burger sporting smoked bacon, white sharp cheddar, crumbled croutons, arugula and roasted garlic aioli.  Once again, the patty was subjected to an aggressive char which made it crispy on the outside.  The smokiness of the bacon really came through as well as the sharpness of the cheddar.  I thought this was a very solid burger except for the bacon not being crispy enough.  Viv went in a different direction and had the Cranberry Turkey Burger with a natural turkey and onion patty, Swiss cheese, watercress and cranberry chutney.  For a lean turkey patty, it was actually moist and well-seasoned.  The lettuce, tomato and red onion were supremely fresh which added a crunchy brightness.  However, the chutney was too sweet and overtook the flavor profile.

We also shared an order of their Parmesan Truffle Fries which were very crispy, yet at the same time, not overly heavy.  Being a shoestring fry, there wasn't a lot of potato texture left, but I didn't mind it.  I liked the restraint of the truffle oil and really enjoyed the plethora of shaved Parm.  This was flavorful and aromatic on its own.  In the end, Napa Valley Buger Co did the job and the kids went away happy.  Prices were on the higher side, but then again, we were in Sausalito.

The Good:
- Not complex food, but the burgers were good
- Not cheap, but fairly affordable compared to other spots

The Bad:
- On the pricier side, but as I mentioned, not in relation to other spots

Hamburgers

I'm not afraid to admit it. I love burgers. Yah, it ain't necessarily the most glamorous of things to eat; but something about meat in a bun. Who doesn't like meat in a bun? Right, vegetarians. Well, then tofu in a bun in that case. Now, to what lengths will I go to try a good burger? Well, I'm not really into lining up, so probably wouldn't do that much. I have traveled far for pizza, so I guess I would do the same for a burger. But how far? How about out of town and then heading out even further? Apparently to Kim, it means taking a ferry ride over to Sausalito from the Ferry Building. I was a bit perplexed at that idea; but it seemed wacky enough to make sense. So, I decided to tag along. Why not, it was nice and sunny day.

In fact, the ferry ride over was quite enjoyable, if not a bit touristy. We did get our requisite pictures of the San Francisco skyline, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge. For me, arriving via ferry to Sausalito seems very much like a cruise ship docking at a Caribbean port of call. Well, either that or I'm seriously aching to go on a cruise. I hope Viv is reading this... So after we dock, it was only a short walk over to Hamburgers. Yes, that's the name of the place. Very original ain't it? I wonder how Chinese restaurants would be received if their English name reflected what they served? Tripes & Trotters? Not sure if that would have the same effect. I digress. So the draw here are the fresh burgers. In fact, they are merely balls of ground beef that are formed into a burger patty when you put in an order. It is cooked on a rotating BBQ until medium. We got one of their Cheeseburgers served with Jack cheese. The meat was cooked perfectly medium and was decently moist. Not juicy while not dry either. There was some meat flavour that was conservatively seasoned. A good amount of fresh toppings made for a really solid burger. Not outstanding; yet enjoyable to eat. The only thing that I would change is the bun. Very generic and a bit dense.

To add a little variety, we decided to try their Steak Sandwich as well. Honestly, we really shouldn't have. We should've taken a hint from the restaurant name. It's not named Steak Sandwiches for a reason. What we essentially got was a thinner than thin minute steak in a hamburger bun. The steak was really overcooked (can't help it, too thin) and chewy. Furthermore, being so thin, it got cold instantly. Cold, chewy meat on a dense bun. No good. Of course we also got an order of Fries. Despite appearing like your regular generic krinkle-cut chips, they were fried really well being crispy and not oily. Surprising. Overall, I would say the burgers and fries are indeed quite good, steak sandwich withstanding. Worth the trip out to Sausalito? Possibly. But it's something that would be good to visit if you were intending to be out there in the first place.

The Good:
- Fresh ingredients
- Burger cooked to a perfect medium

The Bad:
- Stick with the burgers, steak sandwich is no good
- Place is super small