In Los Angeles, Veggie Burgers With Real Veggies Still Appeal

Synthetic meat imitations are widely available, but our critic still loves a classic plant patty.

LOS ANGELES — For every hamburger in this city, there exists an equal but opposite veggie burger.

The glistening smashburger, slippery with fried onions. The ample bistro burger pooling with juice. The diner burger peeping from its paper wrapper.

Many of these are now built with industrial meat simulacra made from pea and soy proteins, which tend to produce deep-brown patties that can look and feel the part — that can bleed imitation blood, even. But their faint thrill has worn off.