After our evening of delicious cocktails from Grain Store, the hunger pangs kicked in and it was burger time. A quick Google, revealed that sort of nearby (if you don’t mid a brisk thirty minute walk), a burger place neither of us had heard of was getting wonderful reviews. To Big Fernand, pronto!
A French burger restaurant, Big Fernand is big on quality ingredients and freshness. There are several tempting combinations on the menu, or you can custom-build your own burger.
It was My Partner in Crime’s second burger of the day, so he thought he should change things up by ordering a lamb burger. L’alphonse as it’s called is a lamb patty with Tomme de Savoie cheese (a French Alpine semi-firm cow’s milk cheese), grilled aubergine, coriander and homemade mayo. It was delicious. My PiC loves anything with coriander on it, and the lamb was succulent and juicy.
I order Le Bartholomé, which has dry-aged beef patty, Raclette cheese (semi-firm cow’s milk), smokes streaky bacon, caramelised onions, chives (which I exchange for tarragon), barbecue sauce and homemade cocktail sauce. She is a beauty. The meat is high-quality with plenty of smoke and flame and grease. Rookie error in ordering tarragon – I was thinking it would be a bit béarnaise-like as it mingled with the other sauces, but it was a little overpowering. This burger impresses me. If I had to be extra picky, I’d say the weak point is the bun. Gimme that shiny, shiny brioche. Big Fernand definitely serve up burgers to eat again, and again.
The chips are pretty good too. They have a dusting of homemade seasoning which liven them up. The French Gallia IPA is also a good drop to wash this feed down with – better than the Gallia Blonde which my PiC orders. I give him some IPA because I am nice… Ha!
Big Fernand also has a lovely long room upstairs that can be used for functions. If burgers are your thing it would be a great venue to hire for a party.
Friendly staff make the evening a complete success. I love evenings like that!
