Sonoma burgers cut the mustard

However organic or vegan our food expectations become, a lot of us still like a good hamburger now and then. And a few locals go on hunts for the very best burger in town, also a pursuit of the late San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen.

Among Sonomans there are often “discussions” about which place serves the best burger. Local faves seem to be burgers at Picazo Cafe, the Girl and the Fig, Swiss Hotel, Happy Dog, B&V Whiskey Bar, and any In ‘n’ Out Burger. And then there are great expectations for the not-yet-opened burger joint in Boyes Hot Springs.

According to voters in the Index-Tribune’s Sonoma Valley People’s Choice awards, the best hamburger for three years running has been those at Picazo on Arnold Drive,

We might just have a challenger, however, at Rob Larman’s Cochon Volant Smokehouse. His comes with a one-third pound burger of Painted Hills beef ground daily at Sonoma Market, a thick slice of tomato, sliced red onion, caramelized onions, iceberg lettuce, housemade pickles, and cheddar cheese on a Basque potato bun, and a side of French fries or cole slaw, juicy in every bite, all for $13.95.

Glen Ellen Star chef and co-owner Ari Weisswasser brought back his delicious burger as the restaurant’s weekly Neighborhood Night two-course special with a mixed chicories and shaved persimmon salad with Roquefort dressing as first course, followed by his Wagyu beef burger with Vella cheddar cheese on a housemade brioche bun and wood roasted French fingerling potatoes. $35. 13648 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. Reserve at reservations@glenellenstar.com or glenellenstar.com.