The 'George Hamilton' at Byron, Soho

Note: My dining companion for this meal was Marcus, who writes Ain't No Picnic, a blog dedicated to all things hamburgers. Keep track of his blog; he has plans of opening a proper burger van in London sometime soon.

The outlook is positive. Burgers in London are getting better. A culture seems to be developing and people are taking hamburgers more seriously. No longer will pre-ground, frozen and cheap meat on a crap bun with watery vegetables be accepted; it's an insult to all of those who dedicate their lives to making great hamburgers, documented by people like George Motz and written about daily on A Hamburger Today. If you read my post on Goodman which I published last week, you'll have read that I found what I would consider to be the best burger in London. That isn't to say though, that there aren't contenders (Hawksmoor being an one that comes to mind initially, for the price point). In fact, I'd be willing to state that one could separate the burgers in London and rank them by style, using the AHT guide as a point of reference. Goodman, therefore, would be the best Steakhouse/Fancy Pants burger in the city. Byron, which launched a two month trial of using 'American' (read: orange, plasticky, essential on a burger, 'Kraft Single' style) cheese would, in my opinion, come under 'Fast Food Style' and would easily come out on top. A regular visitor to Byron, I have enjoyed their burgers in the past, but moaned about the mealy and overly-floury bun to anyone who would listen. Using cheese supplied by Cheese Cellar, the 'George Hamilton' as it is colloquially known promised to make a good burger even better, but would it make up for the loss of the short-lived Big D? I had to find out.

Courgette fries (£3.00). This choice drew an excited exclamation of "good choice!" from our waitress. One bite and I couldn't believe I'd never tried them, despite visiting on numerous occasions. Clean taste of frying, the crispy and well seasoned courgette chips were a welcome side. A better bet than the skin-on chips or the meek fries on offer. Seriously moreish.

Cheeseburger (£7.25). The standard Byron patty comes topped with two slices of 'American' cheese, which is nicely melted and has a mild, creamy flavour. The good quality meat is well seasoned and has a nice charred flavour, but as Marcus pointed out, there's no way you will get an even cooking when using this technique. A flat-top griddle would insure this, but is it worth sacrificing the beautiful smoky flavour of the coals for a better crust? I'm not sure. One thing I am sure of - and I'm sorry for going on about burger buns so much - is that the bread is simply not a good enough match for the filling within. The quality of the meat demands a better bun, or at least one which is steamed after toasting, by putting a lid or an upturned bowl on the buns whilst they're on the grill. Ultimately, it's not enough to detract from a seriously enjoyable burger experience, but it's a gripe that is ever-present, though the average customer probably doesn't study types of burger buns (Martin's Potato Rolls would be exquisite with this burger).

Oh yeah, and another thing: the pickle spear. Slice them so that they're round and put them in the burger. People that don't like gherkins can pick them out. They're essential.

Autopsy shot. Perfectly medium-rare, as requested and appropriately juicy. Good grilling skills on show from the kitchen.

One last delicious morsel.

The total bill for two burgers, two root beers, one shared bowl of courgette fries (I'm so glad they don't call them zucchini fries) and one espresso was £24.75, and we added £3.25 for the service, which we were told is distributed between the front of house and the team in the kitchen, quite sensibly. This brought the total up to £28 for the two of us, a few quid shy of the final bill at Goodman a few days earlier. Was the burger at Byron as good? No, but nearly. If they can sort the bun out and the issue with the gherkins, then it'll certainly be up there, and the introduction of the American cheese is definitely a step in the right direction. Right now, I will just repeat what I've said before: Byron is head and shoulders above anything else as widely available in the city, and is a good option at the price range.

Outsider Tart, Chiswick

Outsider Tart on Chiswick High Road, W4: 'outsiders' as in the two guys who started it moved from the US to London (and also a play on Outsider art, perhaps?). Noticing that there wasn't, at the time, any decent American-style cakes or desserts, they set about opening Outsider Tart. Originally baking in a kitchen at Frith St, Soho and selling at farmers markets on the weekend, they moved to a new shop in 2009; they still sell at some farmers markets, though.

The shop front.

Some products on the counter. Brownies in the foreground, sausage rolls (vegetarian; turkey; pork) in the background. There is space for six people to sit inside and enjoy some of the baked goods, food and a bottle of Jones Soda. Most of the people coming in when we were there were taking things away.

Raspberry layer cake. I think it was raspberry, anyway. We didn't try it, but it goes for around £3 for a huge slice. Next time.

Chocolate buttons, for baking. As well as oodles of desserts, there is a considerable wealth of baking supplies available, and also American groceries (at eye-poppingly inflated, transatlantic-shipped prices).

'Outsider Tart' tote bag.

Pulled pork in ciabatta (£6). Pork shoulder, cooked for seven and a half to eight hours, then easily forked apart. Incredibly tasty, especially compared to the travesty that is the version at Bodean's. The bread is also a huge success. At first glance, I thought the ciabatta would overwhelm the filling, but this was no ordinary ciabatta. Wonderfully chewy and considerably crispy, exhibiting the freshness of the bread.

Another angle of the sandwich. It was huge, by the way. Well worth the six pounds paid for it.

Whoopie pie with peanut butter filling (£3). Cupcakes are "so 2009" apparently; whoopie pies are the big thing in 2010, with Outsider Tart as one of the pioneers of them in London. See also: Hummingbird Bakery (where they are smaller and not as good). There were three varieties on offer when we went in: the peanut butter filling, original (buttercream) filling and a carrot cake whoopie pie. We tried the peanut butter and carrot cake, missing out on the original as it had sold out. The peanut butter filled whoopie pie was moist and the filling was perfectly judged, with just enough sweetness. The bits of chopped peanuts added a nice crunch. The carrot cake whoopie pie was also a triumph in baking. A well made carrot cake sandwiching a just-sour-enough filling. These are as good, if not better, than the Wicked Whoopies I had in Freeport, Maine last summer.

Kahlua and pecan chocolate brownie (£2.50). The texture was perfect: crispy top, soft and gooey filling. The chopped pecan nuts delivering an earthiness to compliment the hints of coffee from the Kahlua, which didn't taste boozy at all. A really good brownie, but it was overly greasy to be honest. Look at that brown paper bag - it's like it was carrying a Philly Cheesesteak or something.

For anyone who is a fan of good service, great baking and American classics, Outsider Tart is a must-visit. Go get a pulled pork sandwich if they have it - the food changes depending on what they feel like making -  an A&W root beer (£1.50 for a can), a whoopie pie and chat to the lovely staff. A great way to spend an afternoon.

Note: They should get some IBC Root Beer in to make me even happier with the place, but that's an aside.

Outsider Tart

83 Chiswick High Road

Chiswick

London

W4 2EF