If you ever are near the Salton Sea, go up Highway 111 about 15 miles to the Oasis Date Gardens. It's become a regular stop for us, often twice a year.
That date shake directly above came with our lunch order instead of afterward, as I'd requested, so it was starting to soften. Still. This is a milkshake that is much too thick for a straw. It's rich, and creamy, and utterly decadent. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
We drove there one day to do our annual date tasting and buying, and to get burgers. (It was a good time to leave the trailer, since the generator was 150 miles away, being repaired.) The little cafe offers salads, a variety of burgers and non-beef sandwiches, and frozen desserts. Once you've got your order, you can sit at tables inside or go out to the lush lawn and enjoy your food at a picnic table.
We have learned that their traffic comes in spurts, and when there's no crowd at the counter it's time to place an order. I got in *just ahead* of a group of a dozen people, placed our lunch order, and then visited the rest of the store. There are gift packages, not just of dates although those dominate. For instance, I also saw bottles of prickly pear syrup. The packages allow a choice of dates in quantities up to 10-pound boxes of various date varieties. There are smaller boxes, and date candies, and dates stuffed with walnuts.
There's a table with samples and descriptions of the different varieties they offer. There's a TV room with an informational video and informational posters. Their mascot, Raul Medjool, presides over that room.
Then there's the wall with bins of the dates for purchase. They provide bags and gloves. Please don't sample from the bins, and please do use the gloves!
If you ever get a chance to do a date-tasting, I recommend it. The differences are notable, and all the dates I've tried there are better than the dates compressed into a brick that I'm used to from my childhood. (No doubt those boxes suffer from age.) Over the years I've developed some favorites: medjool are the most popular for their size, and lend themselves to stuffing, but they're also the most expensive. Honey dates are a little less intense, just as firm, but a touch smaller and a buck or two cheaper per pound. Barhi dates are soft and pulpy, perfect for baking, especially if you want to make a paste. There are taste differences among the varieties that I have trouble defining, but they're noticeable. That said, all the varieties have good crop years and less-good crop years. This year's Khadrawy were good, but last year I skipped them altogether. This year's Black Khaisab are as soft and delectable as the best Barhi, and considerably bigger. I bought some of both along with my usual faves.
Our burgers arrived: two thick, juicy, flavorful bacon cheeseburgers with onion, lettuce, tomato and pickle. Mustard and mayo are provided in packets. Potato chips and a sample of date cake are included with the meal. My darling, who is from the Midwest, looked askance at the lettuce and said he wouldn't need a salad that day. I was elated, because the burger was exactly as I think a burger should be.
And they were good. No, they were excellent. The. Best. Burgers. I've eaten or even seen in a long, long time.
I said so to the women at the counter, and asked them to convey my complements to the cook. Better still (from their perspective) I put an extra tip in the jar.
The. Best. Burger. I've had in at least a year.
