Chez Fonfon

To celebrate my wife's first Mother's Day, I told her we could go anywhere she wanted for dinner. She chose Chez Fonfon which is located in the 5 points area in downtown Birmingham. It is a casual french bistro owned by renowned chef Frank Stitt. That means that almost anything you order will be delicious, but oddly enough most people rave about the burger more than anything else. The Hamburger Fonfon was named one of the best 33 burgers in the country by the food and travel website, Thrillist. Here's what they had to say about it:

"Chez Fonfon may be a classic French bistro, but it plates an All-American caliber burger. James Beard Hall of Famer Frank Stitt grinds boneless chuck in-house to form his 8-oz. patties that get no seasonings other than a pinch of S&P. The sole frou-frou touch comes from Comte, but the cheese's nutty-sweetness melts into the beef, amping the patty's flavor. Topped with grilled red onion, lettuce, tomato, and pickle, it's hard to believe this burger could've started with escargots or foie gras paté."

It is easily one of my top 5 burgers in Birmingham, and therefore one of the best in Alabama. 

We arrived a little early hoping to beat the crowds. Chez Fonfon does not except reservations, so it pays to eat a little earlier. If you arrive and there is a wait, there's always an opportunity to get a drink at the bar while you wait for a table. 

Once we arrived at around 5:30pm, there was already a 45 minute wait. We took a seat at the bar and I had a beer while my wife enjoyed a non-alcoholic rosemary soda drink. I can't remember the exact name of it. 

My wife ordered the Hamburger Fonfon, and I wanted to try something new. I decided on the steak frites. 

We enjoyed finishing our drinks and chatting about what it's going to be like to be parents and how different that will look. Before long, our food arrived. 

Hamburger Fonfon:

Steak frites:

Everything was delicious as always. The hamburger was juicy and tasted like a grilled burger. The steak was perfectly cooked, and had a homemade salsa verde which was tasty. 

After dinner, we knew that we had to get a dessert. They very strategically place them by the front door as you come in, so you start thinking about them pretty early. 

We decided on the chocolate caramel nut tart. 

It was very good, and surprisingly the caramel was the main flavor with a slight hint of chocolate. It tasted very similar to a Skor bar, if you've ever had one of those. 

As with any restaurant owned by Frank Stitt, I suggest going at least once to try food that takes local ingredients and turns them into french masterpieces!