Win's: A burger with integrity

Win’s in Oxnard grills their “Billie” burgers for the true bun and meat aficionado. It’s a burger for purists who know that grease, fat and other heart-stoppers are synonymous with great flavor. In an age of soy, canola oil and fake meat, Win’s burgers serve as a beacon of hope.

This Oxnard burger shack is a lunch hour hot spot for anyone working near downtown. Around noon, dozens crowd the picnic benches or line up at the window while the guy behind shouts orders to the customers.“All right, come on, who’s next, what you need,” he rapidly shouts. If he could just fling the burger into your mouth to serve it faster, he probably would. The guy at the window keeps the cook running on a tight schedule as well by shouting the occasional

“Move it you lazy ass” with a half-grin on his face.

The cook laughs back furiously laying out rows of patties and buns on the hot stove. The guy at the window hands out the burgers in brown paper bag, or if it’s a big order, packs the brown sacks into cardboard box.The paper bags are soaked through with delicious grease. The grease (a.k.a: flavor) operates in every square inch of that burger, including the bun. The patty is topped with gooey American cheese. In an attempt to try and salvage some health value, the burger also comes with a slice of tomato and shredded lettuce. But these puny side garnishes get caught up in a tidal wave of juicy burger grease and are swept out into a vast ocean of cholesterol. Nothing is going to get in the way this burger’s flavor. NOTHING!

The sandwich comes with a Thousand Island dressing with a secret ingredient that gives the Billie burger it’s name and edge over the corporate chains. According to the guy at the ordering window, Billie was somebody the old owner new in Brooklyn, but that was all he was allowed to say. Usually stories about secrets, Brooklyn and guys named Billie involve the mafia, so it’s probably better not to solve the riddle of mysterious Thousand Island dressing.

Dream Job

I enrolled in journalism school with the hopes of becoming a war correspondent.
I spent four years in the Marine Corps before coming to school. The war in Iraq began close to the end of my enlistment. I served there for a few months.
My experience in the war and my interest in becoming a journalist led me to try and seek a career as a war correspondent. I would like to return to Iraq or even go to Afghanistan to cover the conflicts. I thought with my background and a USC diploma that I had a good shot of becoming a war reporter.
I want to be a print war reporter versus a reporter on FOX or CNN. Ideally I would like to be a reporter for a major newspaper or the Associated Press.
In a year or two I would like to be in a Baghdad hotel hunched over a typewriter or snapping pictures of everything I see. It probably seems bizarre to want to go back to the war, but it’s where I think I can do the most effective and truthful reporting.
After a few years as a war reporter, I would ultimately like to write fiction. Creative writing is another joy of mine and another reason I entered journalism. I knew I like to write and I thought becoming a reporter would help me refine my skills.