Father's Office and Babalu

Father's Office: I've heard extraordinary tales of Father's Office over the past few months, the most impressive being how people have gotten layovers at LAX long enough to drive over and get a burger. Father's Office is not open for lunch, so it wasn't until today that I made it over to get a burger. I got there about 5:20. There wasn't any wait to place my order at the bar and everyone was rather polite. The place was pretty full, but there were a few barstools empty and it was only about a 10-15 minute wait. The burgers are pretty tasty overall. The cheese and carmelized onion topping is mellow and tasty. I wouldn't turn down a burger, but I don't think I'll be stopping by regularly because I think The Corner suits me better. The bun at Father's Office is white/tasteless and seems stale. I ordered two burgers medium and one medium-rare, but they all came basically medium-rare. The sweet potato fries are pretty tasty, though not super crispy, and the sauce that came with the sweet potato fries is excellent with a garlicky tart flavor.

Babalu: is right around the corner from Father's Office. The sign on the outside said restaurant and bakery, so I stopped in to check out the baked goods. Large cookies and about twenty kinds of cake were on display. The all looked pretty good, so I got a slice of carrot cake at random. I don't regret eating it, but I wouldn't buy another. I prefer carrot cake that's dense and flavorful with a tang to the frosting and that obviously has butter in the cake itself. This one is a bit too healthy tasting, and what I thought was coconut flakes on the top turned out to be white chocolate which confuses the slight tang in the frosting. I would be willing to try another cake/pie from here, but I won't go out of my way to do so.