If North America had an official food, it would probably be the burger. Anyone who has travelled overseas will tell you that the hamburger, while apparently simple to put together for us here in North America, is more often than not mangeld or altered by foreign chefs to such an extent that it is often barely recognizable.
On the local food front, North Americans can choose from thousands of restaurants and millions of different burgers. Some are good, but some taste and look like cat food. It's a hit-and-miss situation at the best of times.
Well, listen up. The best burgers I have ever eaten--ever--are served up right here in Victoria. Where? At Ferris' Oyster Bar and Grill, that's where.
Over the years, I've eaten at Ferris' at least 20 times. While the menu boasts some excellent seafood choices (oysters especially) it's their burgers that rule.
On a recent visit to Ferris', my companions and I tried a few of their burgers (and a few oysers, too) and we can happily report that Ferris' reputation for burgers of excellence is secure.

First up was the veggie nut burger. It's not beef, I know, but veggie burgers can also be risky choices at some establishments.
The nut burger ($7.50) is served with fries (regular potato, sweet potato, or both) or salad. With sunflower sprouts, tomato, onion, pickle and the house sauce, the nut burger is a hearty meal that won't damage your heart. It tastes, strangely enough, like roasted nuts--which is a pleasant flavour for those who don't eat beef and don't want an approximation of meat as an alternative.

That's a good option for meat eaters, too, because the Ferris' burger is no shrinking violet or a mere two-ounce patty.

Weighing in at a colossal half-pound, the Ferris' burger is more than a mouthful. Add on the numerous toppings available (from bacon and mushroom to an exotic cambozola mousse) and the burger appears almost as big as human head. Be brave and order the "works" burger (cheese, bacon and mushrooms) or the cambozola mousse burger. But check the bottom of the menu first; additional toppings vary in price from 75 cents to $1.50.

"Being that cambozola is the best cheese in the world, it's an excellent choice," noted a dining companion, who later described his meal as "charbroiled perfection."

My "works" burger was also cooked to perfection (no nasty rare sections or bits of charcoal.) The bacon was crisp and the cheese was real, not that alien plastic-like stuff slapped down on far too many burgers--like an insult to the patty.

While we tried to stretch our mouths around the burgers, we took a few minutes to absorb the ambience of the room.

Ferris' looks like you might expect a New York bistro to look like; lots of exposed brick, funky paintings, a central bar and a back patio, with Ferris' menu painted on one wall and a thick curtain of vines on the other. In the summer, the patio is definitely a great place to chow down.

Another good point is that Ferris' doesn't try and put its diners to sleep with dozy music (Kenny G and John Tesh CDs are not in the rotation, thankfully) nor hype them up with artificial glee from servers and gimmicky interior design.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the oysters. There are freshly shucked, smoked, breaded and pan-fried varieties, plus eight choices for oysters on the half-shell, oyster shooters and oyster platters, too.

We tried the Texas, Rockefeller and Thai varieties. All were superb. The Texas ones delivered all the yummy oyster goodness as well as a little spicy kick. The Thai oysters had a nice ginger zing and the Rockefeller ones were quite simply delicious.

The final menu highlight that must be mentioned is the cioppino soup. This spicy bouillabaise with fresh local seafood and shellfish is a Ferris' favorite and makes a great meal.

To check out the Ferris' menu in full, log on to the Internet and go to www.ferrisoysterbar.com. Better yet, go to 536 Yates St., grab a table, and enjoy.