The Cattle Call – Brad Farmerie from Saxon + Parole
The Cattle Call – All the beef that’s behind the people who make & connect us to the Burgerverse.
Brad Farmerie’s “one-year” hiatus from college led to him moving to London and plunging head first into the culinary revolution taking place in the UK, earning his Grande Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu, gaining scars and kitchen experience in one, two, and three Michelin star restaurants, and seven years of near continuous travel.
Brad returned to the States to open the ever eclectic PUBLIC with design firm AvroKO in 2003 and followed this success with diverse projects like an Asian gin den Madam Geneva, the meat-centric Saxon + Parole, NY cocktail classic The Daily, and their first venture outside of NYC with The Thomas (Napa, California) just last year.
Farmerie has been named a “Rising Star” by Starchefs (2005), an “Emerging Tastemaker” from Food Arts magazine (2007), “winner” on TV show Iron Chef America (2009), “prince of porc” from whole hog connoisseurs Cochon 555 (2011), and “dad” by his children Bruno and Scarlet (ongoing).
Name: Brad Farmerie
Website: www.public-nyc.com
www.saxonandparole.com
www.thethomas-napa.com
Where do you live: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Favorite style of Burger: Something closing in on ½ a pound, cooked medium rare although I’m also a fan of the flat fella on a slightly squishy Martins Potato bun.
Favorite Childhood Burger: My brothers and I rarely got to eat fast food when I was growing up so I think that made me love the experience even more. I’ve been told that I used to hold the McDonalds burger bun up to my cheek to feel the warmth before ripping into it. Funnily enough, I haven’t eaten a McDonald’s burger in over 15 years.
Burger that haunts your dreams at night: This will sound like shameless self promotion, but the burger that I’m mildly addicted to is the one that we serve at The Thomas in Napa, CA. It’s actually a pretty simple burger but it took us a few weeks to perfect the blend of 3 different cuts from 2 breeds of beef, aged 3 different ways to make a burger that is just downright delicious. It’s one that I think about more than I should and is always my first meal when I roll back into town. Damn good fries as well…
What is the one Burger you’ve always wanted to try but still have not: Louis’ Lunch. Have to taste the history sometime soon.
The secret to making a great Burger: Season it sucka! There are so many good burgers that become forgettable slabs of ground flesh because the cooks can’t/won’t season it properly.
Under no circumstances whatsoever, what should NEVER be put on a Burger: Full body weight. Most folks don’t really understand the proper dynamic of a smashed burger.
If you could eat any Mythical Creature which would it be: Probably a chupacabras for no particular reason.
If you could have a Burger with anyone alive, or dead, fictional or real, who would it be and where would you take them: I’d probably fill all of Corner Bistro with late 80’s early 90’s punk/alternative/unique music scene like Jon Spencer, the Beastie Boys, David Yow from The Jesus Lizard, Pavement, and Fugazi and drink a ton of beer and consume a load of burgers while talking shit and working the jukebox.
Name one Burger in LA that for once, people should get off a plane and go eat instead of In-N-Out: I have a spiritual burger advisor that I consult when traveling (George Motz) and he sent me to Apple Pan on my first trip to LA and I would pass that rec on to anyone looking for both feel and flavor.
