On the advice of a friend, we decided to try LeGrand Kitchen, located at 4226 Granby Street near…read morethe foot of the bridge in the heart of Norfolk.
The atmosphere here has quite a flair. Not overly dramatic, but it's definitely a vibe.
Allen, the bartender, greeted us warmly as we settled in at the bar, our favorite perch in most restaurants.
My wife perused the drink menu and decided on an Old Fashioned. They do it correctly here, using a mixing glass to properly combine the ingredients before pouring it over a large cube of ice. She thoroughly enjoyed it. Little things like that get my attention, and it was an early indication that the rest of our evening was going to be memorable.
We indulged heavily in the appetizers, starting with LeGrand's rendition of a Wedge Salad with bacon, cheddar, dill pickle ranch and fried pickles. The pickle influence was a welcome twist. Everything was fresh, delicious and incredibly well balanced, and the dressing complemented the ingredients perfectly. We really enjoyed this salad.
Next up were the Smoked Wings, tallow fried and served with Vietnamese-style ranch, pickled vegetables and fish sauce caramel.
This was an amazing dish.
I generally like my wings spicy, but I didn't miss the heat at all with this version. They were perfectly crisp on the outside while remaining juicy inside, and the pickled root vegetables were a wonderful touch.
My wife ordered the Berkshire Heritage Pork Chop from Twisted Willow Farms, served with garlic-fried Carolina rice, haricot vert and harissa carrot purée. I knew how good it was by the stingy offerings made by my wife. Just kidding, but she really did enjoy it very much.
The pork chop was cooked perfectly, with the fat properly rendered and slightly crisp. Everything was beautifully seasoned, and all the components worked together exceptionally well.
I opted for the LeGrand Burger: double patties, American cheese, pickled lettuce, jalapeño, griddled onion and roasted shallot mayo on a Big Marty bun.
Every so often, I encounter a burger that requires nothing.
Please bear in mind that I am a self-proclaimed Condiment King. I LOVE ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise on my burgers. I didn't even bother asking for anything extra to put on this wonderful creation. Everything was incredibly well balanced and delicious.
If I have one complaint, it's that they don't offer French fries with the burger. But in retrospect, I didn't really miss them.
And I love my fries (or, as my wife calls them, "ketchup conveyance vehicles").
This was probably the best burger I've ever eaten.
Check out LeGrand Kitchen. You'll be happy you did, and you can rest assured that while enjoying some seriously good food, you're also supporting our local restaurant community.