Chefs’ Picks tracks down what the pros are eating and cooking from coast to coast.

In addition to movie stars, sunshine and traffic, Los Angeles also offers burgers aplenty. While they never claimed to have invented it, the residents of Southern California have been cultivating a cultish obsession with their burgers for the better part of a century now. As a result, many an Angeleno chef will go aglow when asked to name his or her personal favorite. In this city of millions, it’s fitting that there be nearly as many opinions on the subject as there are chefs. Read on to find out where the pros go to score their perfect patty.

Layers of Flavor

Among the burger cognoscenti in this town, one man who commands exalted status is Umami Burger’s creator, Adam Fleischman. Though he’s now moved on to non-burger projects — namely the fast-casual Japanese restaurant Ramen Roll, slated to open in Culver City, Calif., later this year — Fleischman has been a hugely influential force in LA’s gourmet burger landscape. That’s why it comes as something of a surprise that his go-to entry doesn’t involve ground beef.

When he has a burger craving, Fleischman opts for a grilled spiced lamb patty at Badmaash in downtown Los Angeles. “Badmaash is an Indian gastropub, and like any good pub, they must serve a burger,” he explains. “The meat is ground and spiced in-house, thus preserving the freshness and flavor. A spiced mayo seals the deal. The Indian flavors work very well with a burger, probably the only one I have seen at an Indian spot.” Fleischman brings along a crowd to share in this culinary experience, with the burger serving as the starter for a sumptuous meal. “There are so many good dishes here. I like to go with a group, open a good Riesling, and get the burger as a starter to cut up and share, along with a bunch of other dishes, breads, rice and samosas.”