chez fon fon

always good. themenuat fonfon changes little during the year, though they have nightly specials. the food is of the high quality that one would expect at a frank stitt restaurant and the wait staff is professional and experienced. they have a good, if not extensive wine list. it can be very loud so would not be considered intimate.
a family favourite. kids are treated with respect. there is a bocce court behind the restaurant with which the family can play while waiting on a table.
good and dependable restaurant.

safety in numbers. with so many reviews of chez fonfon available, i can only add that the reviews are collectively accurate. the categorization of the restaurant as a $$ romantic place is not. at best one can say it is either cheap, or romantic, but not both. while there aremenuitems for under $10, these are either petitmenuitems that are small even by appetizer standards, or grandemenuitems like a burger or a salad. if you wish to enjoy some of the more romantic-dinner-out selections from the grandemenuyou are looking at $20 for the highly touted trout with beurre braun. the grilled salmon, pork medallions, and two specials were $22-25. and then add sides and you are looking at $30 for an entree plate. it is unfair to welcome folks into your restaurant expecting applebee's prices only to be left with a choice of making a dinner out of 3 shrimp and a few shreds of lettuce, or breaking the bank. fonfon is a $$$-$$$$. the other less-than-romantic feature is the loudness that is addressed in previous reviews.

with that said, the food is superb. i made a meal of the fruits de mer from the petitmenuand the fonfon frisee salad, also from the petit menu. the seafood salad was minuscule, but delicious. the shrimp was cooked to perfection, the mussels small, tender and tasty, and the crab preparation was respectful of the subtle taste on the crab. it was three medium shrimp, 5 dime-size mussels, and a tablespoon of crab, over shredded iceberg lettuce, all of which would have fit comfortably in a tea cup. the salad came dressed, which i usually don't like, but in this case it was perfectly dressed with the most delicious gorgonzola dressing i've ever eaten. the walnuts were lightly salted and perfectly roasted. except for the beets (which i hate, so that's on me) this was perhaps the most delicious salad i have ever enjoyed. my date had the shrimp remoulade salad from the grande menu. it too was delicious. it featured 5 good sized shrimp in a subtle (compared to arnaud's version) remoulade sauce, over iceberg lettuce. add two glasses of wine to the three salads and a cup of seafood and you are looking a $60 before the tip.

as for service, it was polite and attentive. was our guy rocking the "hey man this is an impressive french restaurant attitude" just a bit? sure. but i rocked the "i am not particularly impressed by french restaurants" attitude, and we got along just fine.

in the end we had a great time exploring a new restaurant, enjoying the wonderful tastes, and the lively atmosphere. if you want to bulk up, whisper sweet nothings into your date's ear, or feed a family on a budget, look elsewhere.

terrible service. the good food was over shadowed by the terrible service, which might have been the worst i've ever experienced. our waitress was point blank rude to the point i could feel my heart rate getting higher with every visit she made to our table. by the end of the night when we asked her to describe the desserts, she pointed to themenuwe were looking at and said, "they are listed right there", then proceeded to list them verbatim from the menu. out of all of frank stitt's restaurants, this one is my least favorite. there is something off about paying a couple of hundred dollars for dinner alongside paper place mats. the food was good but so many other great restaurants in birmingham, i will make a point not to go back to chez fon fon.

voila, compliments to the chef. i thought this would be a stuffy french farts place but the place is pretty causal. as a chef i want intriguing food and this fits the bill. ask a waiter to explain what's on themenuor you'll never get the whole experience. everything ordered was well presented and tasty. the hamburger was fantastic with the appropriate condiments. fries were crunchy with a good crisp. the salmon serving size was large, cooked to perfection and served with a delicious vegetable medley. the deserts, carrot cake and caramel cream, were not great but will be back to try more! cia

i tried the hamburger fonfon. it was a decent hamburger, but not worth the hype. i saw some other entrees on themenuthat i would like to try, so i will be back.

yes the burger is good. but it is just a plain burger and you put together your own toppings. not sure if it's worth the hype it receives though. everything on themenu(except the burger) somehow manages to be light yet filling. i recommend coming during lunch for the lunch prices. they are much more reasonable and appropriate for the quality. their mixed drinks are pretty bad but the wines pair well with the dishes.

what a wonderful experience!! the setting is fresh,,the staff was friendly and very helpful. the burgers were spot on, i also had the crab cake which was crisp and flavorful. also the potato leek soup was so tasty i wanted more. themenuwas large and will be back to try them out!!

veal shank. they have a few newmenuitems as of lately. went out on a limb and had the veal shank. excellent dish, literally so tender i cut it with a fork. highly recommend


-----29 sep, 2013-----

delicious! dined here tonight for the first time. everyone was super friendly and welcoming. had the trout almandine. simple, unpretentious yet so elegant. like they weren't trying to jazz up the fish yet handle it just right to let the natural flavor shine through. brent was our server and he was great! really guided us through themenuand helped me make some difficult decisions. food was great as well as the service. will be back soon!

a memorable lunch at chez fon fon.
our waiter offered delightful descriptions ofmenuitems. the grilled trout and shrimp with avocado salad were both splendid. our service was notable. the lemon torte with meringue torched and the dark chocolate pudding completed a great meal. we will come again soon.

am i in epcot?. my rabbit was delicious, though i think i would have been very happy with any of the entrees on themenuthat night. i branched out and tried the fortified wine which was good, too. desert was a chocolate and nut tart that was ok, but i wouldn't get it again. the service was good, and they even graciously accomidated me changing tables from the bar side to the main dining area (i felt like i was sitting out on the stoop). it was a good experience over all, but i just wasn't feeling it. it felt like a theme restaurant. like i was in france-land at epcot. it's sort of self-consciously frenchy. i would skip it next time, if it were my choice, but it's a good place.

food good/drinks poor. my wife and i have now gone to highlands twice and as of last night, chez fonfon once. all three visits were the same. food was ok/solid, but it was not even close to what you would expect. chez fonfon food was actually an 8/10 due to better pricing , but i guess i expected more. the food at highland was about the same for a much bigger price. it was good not great, but way overpriced giving it a 6/10 due to paying more than fonfon for the same quality. the drinks at fonfon were 3/10. we each split 5 cocktails, and only one was great. i will say the atmosphere was quaint. we got there early so no wait, but we have seen before where the wait was 2 hours. i can't imagine waiting 2 hours for that. the waiter was nice enough and not slow, but he wasn't very knowledgeable about themenuor drinks.
we actually went over to bottega for drinks and dessert which were fantastic. just to prove we do like a few of stitt's restaurants. i take bottega and bottega cafe over highland and chez fonfon anyday. i waited until we went to these places 3 times before writing a review to be fair. i realize some nights restaurants are just not on their game. i think 3 times is atleast enough to give a review.

oui!. it's just french enough, with an excellentmenuand simplicity of flavors. i love this place. lunch is the best time to go: it's more reasonably priced and just as delicious as dinner. we always let the waiter pick our cheese plate. i like to let them feel some power :) also, try the escargot - just try it. it'll make you feel like slapping a beret on your melon and giving attitude. the meals are not massive, and i always feel satisfied. i particularly like the fish for my entree, but nothing has ever disappointed me. the croque monsieur and the croque madame are also on my favorites list. oh, and at least once, sit outside (in the back) - it's a unique area.

$20 a head lunch. was in the mood to overpay for lunch today. gorgeous day to sit out on the patio. i had the award winning hamburger. price is up to $12.50 now. good but not worth it. there are many better burgers to be had in town for much cheaper. had a side of greens with bleu cheese that was delicious. guest had the shrimp and avocado salad and raved about it.


-----02 may, 2011-----

good lunch spot. never have had dinner here, but like dropping in for lunch on occassion.menuis diverse and food is fresh. service just okay. not cheap, with tip, $15 a head, which makes it not a steady place for lunch, unless, i guess, you have a bunch more money than me.

food and wine was good. could barely understand themenusince it was mostly french so i didn't know i was ordering a grilled chicken salad, but it's not your average salad this one was great and the walnuts made it taste even better

unimpressed despite press. 6/10 rating.. it is an understatement to state that chef stitt is accomanied by good press. its almost as if he's on staff at southern living. however, the opinions of others may get me there, but they stop the moment i walk in. the hostess was courteous and polite, but my inability to hear her was a clue to one important element of atmosphere that would be lost for the night. it was so loud that i felt like i had just left a rock concert after the meal. the server seemed to know hismenuand the routine, and his timing was ironed out. therefore, it was clear to me he was not new. however, he was negligent, abrasive, inattentive, and unprofessional. the lamb was wild, fatty and clearly a cheap product. the sauce was good and complimentary. didn't quite wow, but could have if the lamb itself weren't so terrible. didn't order a bottle this night, the by the glass wines drew attention after the martini. they were a good value and although the list wasn't as good as i remembered highland's list being in the past, it was more than respectable. the atmosphere was european and very bistroesque, but cold and that coldness due to lack of anything but hard surfaces obviously caused the unbelieveable noise levels. i'll return, but won't be excited about it and will hope for a better experience. perhaps stitt should go for less press so expectations aren't high. this time the press wasn't warranted.
service 5/10
taste 6/10
plating 7/10
atmosphere 6/10
value 8/10
overall 6/10