More burger news, people! Originally I had some product reviews lined up for today, but my laptop is currently in the hospital after I attempted to drown its sorrows in gin. Therefore, I’ve lost all my gorgeous photos of gluten-free donuts and ice cream cones. Which really means, I’ll just have to run those experiments all over again. Dangit.

In the meantime! I’m still enjoying the Udi’s hamburger buns, so much so I decided to infiltrate what is arguably the best burger joint in all of the United States: Umami Burger. This is where I admit to sending a sorrowful email to the L.A. joint right after I was diagnosed, begging them to serve a gluten-free bun so I wouldn’t have to give up this special treat of burger goodness. There was no reply. So I got bold.

Yesterday my daughter and I headed to the Studio City location, which I somehow thought might be easier to juke than the Hollywood one, and you can see the beautiful results in the photo above. But it wasn’t easy. In fact, I’m not sure I’d recommend this act of subterfuge, especially if you’re sitting at the counter. However, the end result was me enjoying a truffle burger (with truffle cheese — yowza!) like a semi-normal person. I just had to heat my bun before we arrived, wrap it in aluminum foil, then pull it out as soon as my protein-style burger was served. So much for being conspicuous, since I was taking photos. Here’s one of my daughter, who was digging this scene.

While the server denied my request to have the kitchen toast up the bun and put their signature stamp on my Udi’s, he did look the other way as I brought my own food into his establishment. It was heavenly, really. And gluten-free! With a side of smashed potatoes and a cherry coke, really, I was a happy lady. However, some gluten warnings.

The last time I went to Umami, at another location, the server told me that umami by its very nature is glutenous. But after doing  my own research, I did not find that to be true. He also told me the smashed potatoes were totally g-free, but yesterday’s server was not as confident about that being the case. I will say both times I ate at Umami, I did not feel 100% afterwards. This could have been due to the giant truffle burger and pile of fried potatoes I scarfed down, or it could have been some level of gluten. I didn’t get sick, sick. But I did not feel well, either. Was it worth it? Hell, yes. Will I do it again? Probably not.

I look at my bun swap as I would scaling Mt. Everest. It was amazing, but I see no reason to put myself in danger for the experience again. Umami Burger is truly one of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life. But nothing is so amazing that it’s worth ripping my villi out by the roots.