Restaurant: Chez Fonfon, Birmingham, Alabama
Okay…I admit it. When I go home to visit my parents, a beautiful French restaurant is not the first place we’d normally go for dinner. Honestly. French cuisine, while amazing and what most chef’s will be classically trained to prepare and cook, is not something I am overly familiar with. I’ve eaten at one other French restaurant that I can recall, and that was Bouchon in Las Vegas.
But there is a story as to how I ended up sitting at a small round table with my roommate, my parents, and a nice couple my parents know through their work. And it all started with James Beard.
Now…there are words I never thought I would be typing…but this is the pure and simple truth. I was glancing through the 2012 James Beard Award nominations and ran across a restaurant that my dad had mentioned having lunch at a couple times with a rep he works with at his office. Interesting. So, I mentioned on Facebook that I was incredibly jealous that he was getting to eat at Highlands Bar and Grill, as it was up for a James Beard Award under the amazing skills of Executive Chef, Frank Stitt, who has received many accolades over the years for his restaurants and food.
This…is how it started. My dad mentioned to the rep, Mr. Davis, that I had actually heard of the restaurant and the chef and had been singing the praises of both. Before I knew it, a couple months of planning, and I was set to be in town and have dinner at Chez Fonfon, a sister restaurant to Highlands Bar and Grill, which was opened in 2000 by Chris Mancill, Frank Stitt and Pardis Stitt. This restaurant has more of a cozy, casual French bistro flare to it and serves up classic, hearty French fare to match the beautiful decor. Yes…Chez Fonfon boasts authentic French with its French Belle Epoque café tables 100 year old etched glass door from Lyons. It really feels like you’re in the heart of Paris, Lyons or Nice, settling in to enjoy a little atmosphere and some great food.
So, that’s how I ended up here. And now that I was here…I was ready to see what Frank Stitt and his kitchen staff could do for me – a gluten-free vegetarian.
I can tell you one thing…they handle food allergies quite well. Upon settling in to eat, the waitress was informed by myself of my dietary restrictions. She immediately had some suggestions as to what I could eat for an entree. I already felt comfortable there. So, the table ordered an appetizer of Escargots with Parsley and Shallot Butter ($8.75) and I set myself to deciding between having the chef create a delicious veggie tray or whether to try the dish on the menu that is both gluten-free and vegetarian. Decisions…decisions.
In the end, I kept to the menu. We actually had quite a variety going on with the orders from the menu. Mr. and Mrs. Davis both ordered one of the fish dishes that was a special that night. My mom decided on the Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Sauce Rémoulade ($14.75). My roommate and my dad both got the Trout with Brown Butter, Capers and Brabant Potatoes ($18.75). And, like I said…I kept to the menu and ordered the Omelette with Zucchini, Tomato, Basil and Comté ($13.50).
I love omelettes. I eat them a lot. I wish I were better at making them at home, because I would do it more often. But mine turn into a egg scramble mostly…so getting a delicious omelette when I eat out is always awesome.
With the food prepared, the waitress began to bring out the plates. All of them were fine-tuned and beautifully plated. There was a place for everything.
My omelette came complete with a salad of greens and pommes frites on the side. It was a large plate of food, but I was hungry and ready to dig in and see what Frank Stitt and the kitchen crew were made of. After all, it’s not every day that I get to taste food prepared by such a highly regarded and chef.
The Omelette with Zucchini, Tomato, Basil and Comté was, in a word, delicious. The eggs were prepared to the perfect airy fluffiness and stuffed to the max with the delicious cheese and vegetables. It was silky rich and just…amazing with every bite. There was no skimping on the filling in this omelette. Each bite was full of every vegetable inside and it was seasoned to perfection. Nothing bland about this egg dish. Not at all. The salad was lightly dressed and delicious. It paired really well with the omelette. I often found myself scooping up some of the greens onto the fork with a small bite of the omelette. They paired very well. And the pommes frites…just what I would expect from a French bistro. Crispy, salty, and perfect. But between the omelette and the salad, I was well full, so I only sampled from the pommes frites on my plate.
Everyone else was very content and quite pleased with their decision for dinner. Every plate was cleaned. The rest of the table enjoyed desserts, but there were no gluten-free options for me to have, so I passed. It’s okay though, because my mom had baked me up a gluten-free brownie at home, so when I got back to their house, I dug into that and washed it down with some vanilla almond milk. Not very French…but heavenly to me. It was a perfect way to end a perfect dining experience.
So, was Chez Fonfon everything I hoped it would be and more? You bet it was. The service was fantastic. Our waitress walked me through what would be safe to eat. The food was fresh, warm, delicious. The atmosphere was buzzing. The place was crowded with a line waiting when we left. That speaks very highly of this restaurant, which I was told turns tables quite steadily throughout the night. I can see why. And my company at that French bistro in Birmingham, Alabama…was the icing on the cake. A perfect meal in a perfect setting.
And all because of James Beard.
And my dad…for arranging to make it all happen.
Chez Fonfon…you deserve every accolade written about you, your chef, your food, and your sister restaurants. Because of the meal I had was any indication of what else is offered at the other establishments…then you’re really at the top of your game. Birmingham, Alabama is lucky to have you.
French food in the heart of the South. Yeah…that’s the life. And it is très délicieux!
The Celiathlete 