When I was a kid growing up in New Jersey we used to go the Palace Diner occasionally. (New Jersey is the state for diners!) I would order a California burger. It seemed so exciting to be eating a hamburger in the style of a place as mythical as California to a small town east coast kid in the 60’s. Later I realized that what made it a California burger is that it had fresh vegetation on it! A slice of onion, tomato, lettuce and a smear of mayo must have seemed  pretty exotic back in those days.

Anyway, I still love a California burger even if I have been a Californian for the last 25 years. As sides we buy a kit to make coleslaw and some potato salad. Both need some fixing up to make them more palatable. Some celery seed and vinegar for both and some fish sauce to cut the awful sweetness of the coleslaw dressing.

Grilled California burger and store bought cole slaw and potato salad