Free State Kitchen

I've become a foodie. It crept out of nowhere. I was the child who ate bread and butter sandwiches and insisted the fish be scraped from my fish fingers. These days, though, I'm quite the gourmand.

A couple of weeks ago when the skies were grey and my mood was greyer, I indulged in some hearty comfort food at Free State Kitchen after seeing countless rumblings on Twitter about Liverpool's new burger joint. 

I knew I was on to a winner when the waitress promptly plonked a bowl of pretzels and a huge jar of pickles down on my table. As a vegetarian, going out for a burger is often something of a damp squib, but FSK's seasonal garden burger with rosemary chips had me at hello. 

Its simple, fuss-free interior compliments the food rather than detracts. I'm not a big fan of restaurants that focus more on their aesthetic than their menu. Nor am I a big fan of restaurants that claim to be American-themed, but only serve burgers. FSK serve cornbread, soda floats and real coleslaw. Amen to that.

FSK is a wholly worthy addition to Liverpool's impressive landscape of local eateries. So much so, I'm almost tempted to keep this place under my hat but in the spirit of championing independent businesses, I beseech locals and visitors alike to wrap their chops around an FSK 'handheld' and wash it down with a root beer as a matter of some urgency.