Chez Fonfon (Birmingham, AL)

Chez Fonfon is not a typical Birmingham restaurant. But the master chef of this bistro, Frank Stitt, is not a typical Birmingham chef either. So far I’ve had the pleasure of dining at Fonfon twice, and each time I’ve felt like I’m 21 again, sipping French wine, downing mussels, and marveling at the great city beyond the cozy walls of New York’s Pastis. Fonfon is upscale, yet familiar. I absolutely loved the bar area—high stools and cute silver hardboiled egg holders. For dinner I was fortunate enough to taste a lot of my friend’s bites. On the starter front, we ordered escargot for the table. I’ve never been a fan of snails but this escargot was very tasty—bursting with garlic and oozing butter. I opted for the swordfish which was grilled perfectly and accompanied by a very light artichoke-caper sauce. I thought it was very pleasant, but it didn’t blow me away… probably because it felt too healthy! The coco au vin shined. I do not think I have ever tasted more tender a chicken. The red wine sauce was rich but certainly not overpowering. Desserts were a mixed bag—the German chocolate cake was moist but nothing special, the pot de crème on the other hand was velvet flawlessness. The cocktail list boasted fun drinks with silly names like “Orange Thing” and “Dijon Sidecar.” I downed an impeccable gimlet—tart and fresh. I enjoyed Fonfon so much that I petitioned my co-clerks to have lunch there the next day. One of my co-clerks raved about the Fonfon burger which I was especially eager to try because this burger had taken the coveted “Best Burger Birmingham” title this past year. Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed. It was a very good burger and there was nothing wrong with it per se. The burger itself was juicy and well seasoned and the veggies were fresh. But, in the words of my favorite blonde burger critic, Victoria, the burger was not burgasmic. I felt it missed that special umph that makes a good burger an outstanding burger. Altogether though, Fonfon is a fabulous place and I look forward to heading back soon! Note however—the restaurant does not take reservations and is extremely crowded.

Relatively Expensive ($$$). 4 out of 5 spoons!

Flip Burger Boutique (Birmingham, AL)

I really like Richard Blais. Scratch that, I love Richard Blais. For those of you with a life (which unlike mine, doesn't revolve around delicious food and television shows that revolve around delicious food), Richard Blais is a culinary genius. He won Top Chef all-stars, beating out Mike Isabella (of DC's Graffiato). He also has a burger place in both Atlanta and Birmingham. When I first learned that I was headed to Alabama for a year, one of my first thoughts was that I would get to try his burger place-- Flip Burger Boutique.

So with eager anticipation I headed there the first day I moved to Birmingham. It did not disappoint. It's super trendy looking-- red/black/white motif. Cool high booths and out door seating.

I ordered the nutella & burnt marshmallow milkshake and the "local" burger. This burger was perfect-- grass-fed beef, cheddar cheese, heirloom tomato, grilled vidalia onion, chow chow, and coca cola ketchup. Chow chow, for those of you who are wondering, is this very excellent Southern relish. Anyway, it was probably the best burger I have ever eaten, and it was huge. I ordered it medium rare (is there any other way?). It was oozing in flavor and juice. Tom opted for the captain crunch milkshake with peanut butter foam and the d+lux burger. The d+lux burger is a black diamond beef, seared foie gras, wild mushrooms, fried shallots, red wine jam, and truffle aioli masterpiece. I only had a bite, but it was pretty fantastic. The milkshakes were also amazing-- super filling and creamy. My nutella milkshake really did come with a top burnt level of marshmallows (which was awesome). Tom's milkshake was also awesome, especially the peanut butter foam. We also split some tempura sweet potato fries that came with chocolate salt and a side of truffle ranch dressing. I don't even like sweet potatoes but they were so delicious, especially with the sauce and the chocolate salt.

Ultimately, I cannot wait to go back!

4.5 spoons (the service was a bit slow). Moderately expensive (the burgers were slightly pricey, especially the $21 d+lux).

Bottega (Birmingham, AL)

Hi friends! I'm back and now in Alabama. I hope to update this a lot more. My new roommate & her boyfriend are not only super nice but also have some good recommendations that I will hit up and report on.

So I knew about Bottega before I came here as I had done some research on the "it" chefs in Birmingham. One of them is Frank Stitt. He's been nominated for a James Beard award a glittering 10 times and won for best Southern chef in 2001.

Unfortunately Bottega did not blow me away but I want to try it again because I didn't quite care for the things I ordered.

Starters: Yelpers described the parmesan souffle as "to die for," so I eagerly started with that. I thought it was "meh"-- it tasted like and somewhat resembled quiche. I don't like quiche but I suppose if you like quiche you would have thought it was good. I did like the mushrooms and prosciutto on the side. Tom started with the red snapper crudo. It was light and the fish was very fresh but I thought the mint warped the flavor. When I was little and misbehaved my mom use to punish me by forcing me to drink mint flavored cod liver oil. It was so gross-- and for some reason the mint on the fish just triggered that taste of the cod liver oil. Tom loved it though-- he called the crudo "beautiful" and "inspired."

Entrees: My entree was also relatively mediocre. I had the pork loin. I thought it was over seasoned (too much pepper for my tastes) and a bit dry. I really enjoy pork with an a jus sauce or a fruit chutney. This pork came with figs which were interesting but didn't really satisfy the craving for a sauce. The farro side was just okay-- kind of bland. But the polenta was divine-- creamy, cheesy, almost like grits. Tom enjoyed the lobster spaghetti with crushed tomatoes and hot chili. I had a bite and it was incredibly flavorful. I wanted more but Tom liked it too much!

Desserts: We split the gelato trio. Usually dessert is not my favorite part of the meal but this gelato was scrumptious. Chocolate Jack-Daniels, fig ricotta, and caramel. All were creamy. Maybe the best gelato I've had (at least in awhile).

I really liked the atmosphere-- very modern, Spanish/Italian feel. The service was a bit slow. They never gave us menus after they brought us our drinks-- I had to ask for the menus. Though I've noticed that about a few of the Southern restaurants so maybe it's just a culture thing?

In short, I wasn't that impressed but I'd like to try it again. And I'm still very interested in trying Stitt's other restaurants-- Highlands & Chez Fonfon.

I should note that Tom LOVED this restaurant and would have rated it 5 spoons (plus a bronze!). When I told him I gave it three spoons he threatened to "destroy me" with a counter-point in the comments.

Three spoons. Moderately expensive.