Zax’s serves their mouthwatering burger on a pretzel bun baked at the famed Röckenwagner in Santa Monica. If you can’t get a hold of pretzel buns, use your favorite freshly baked rolls.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Scallion mayonnaise:
• 1 cup prepared mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green part only)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Burger and toppings:
• 2 pounds ground rib-eye steak
• Salt and pepper
• 8 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 8 slices thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, cooked until crisp
• 8 ounces caramelized onions
• 4 ounces baby spinach
• 8 slices ripe Roma tomatoes
• 4 buns, toasted
• 1 ounce scallion mayonnaise (recipe follows)

Method:
For mayonnaise:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

For burger:
Season meat with salt and pepper and form into four patties. Make a depression in the center of each patty with your thumb so burger will keep its shape better while cooking. Grill burgers until desired degree of doneness. Top with blue cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, sliced tomato, and baby spinach. Serve with scallion mayonnaise.

Wine Pairing:
An Australian Shiraz, an American Zinfandel or an Italian varietal wine like the Ponzi 2002 Dolcetto from Oregon.