Matt McIvor and his wife Jenn Infanto own Localite L.A., a public relations agency. They created a successful agency promoting many LA area restaurants and the pandemic hit. They immediately lost all of their customers and their livelihood. To make ends meet, McIvor pivoted and created a pop up business called Proudly Serving.
McIvor tested the waters by setting up an outdoor grill near his home. Lines quickly formed and he knew he could make a go out of it. Knowing that he couldn’t do it by himself, he teamed up with a friend that was also out of work and together they traverse LA and set up outdoor pop-ups at beverage establishments such as Select Beer, Project Barley, and Glendale Tap.
The day I visited, Proudly Serving was set up behind Select Beer Store in Redondo Beach. Select Beer Store is a purveyor of carefully selected craft beers from local, domestic and international breweries. McIvor manned the grill and his partner made duck fat fries and assembled the burgers.
A good burger begins with a quality bun. McIvor’s east coast upbringing leads him to use Martin’s Potato Rolls, an east coast staple for more than 50 years. He takes a scoop of ground beef adds sliced onions and smashes it on the grill. This nicely carmelizes the onions which makes them naturally sweet. The bun is pillowy soft and yet firm enough to not fall apart.
The PS burger has two patties, two slices of cheddar, griddled onions, pickles, and their secret sauce. The burger is juicy, but what I think elevates this burger is the use of pickles and their secret sauce. They also feature occasional specials such as the May special with cream cheese and sliced jalapeños. It was a mess to eat, but was it ever delicious!
Duck fat perfectly marries with potatoes to make the ultimate french fry. They end up extra crispy on the outside and velvety on the inside with an almost meaty taste. After eating them, I betcha you can’t eat just one!
Proudly Serving posts their schedule on their Instagram account. Follow them for the latest updates.
Proudly Serving: IG @proudservingla
Hi Bryan,
That “May Special” burger sounds YUMMY!!!!! Would like to try one and the “Duck Fat Fries” too!!
I like the “can do” attitude of the owners and good for them to find a way to make money and make good food.
Dean