Best Sliders: Hot’s Kitchen

We would tell you what variants of burgers and sliders they serve at Hot’s, but between the time we write it down and you read it things could change a few times. It’s not that we’re on a deadline that far in advance, it’s that they change what they do constantly and unpredictably. There is a palpable excitement here, a sense of urgent experimentation, and it’s amazing that the quality is so consistently high when they’re always tinkering with the details. What we can say is that no matter how outlandish a combination seems, you should give it a try if your curiosity is aroused – they do many things and make few mistakes, and the odds are in your favor.

Hot’s Kitchen: 844 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach. 310-318-2939.

Runner-up: St Rocke, 142 PCH, HB. 310-372-0035.