FOND philly food phun

YES, yet another month of non-blogging. Bad, TrifectaBAM bloggers. BAD.

HOWEVER, blogging returns, starting with a review/recap of one of the most satisfying dining experiences one can have in Philly: Fond BYOB in South Philly. Woooo! Just a warning, this is a comprehensive review and will be long (a DOOZY). Don't say I didn't warn you.

Anyway, I'm ashamed to say that I've actually been to Fond several times now and still have not blogged it. (tsk tsk tsk) My only defense is that for Fond, I always wanted to give the review proper thought, weight and accolades the restaurant so deserves... and with this very admirable thought in mind, kept pushing it off until I had more time. Well... FAIL. clearly. The good news is, I can say, without a doubt, that Fond is consistently AMAZING. So, at least we have that.

:: Fond ::
address: 1617 East Passyunk Ave, Philly
what we ate: everything on the menu (basically)
So, last week we managed to make our way down East Passyunk for a lovely Chef's Table dinner in the new garden at FOND. This charming table can seat up to 8 guests (maybe 10?) in your party and is in the private garden, which is tucked away at the back of the restaurant. You make your way through the main dining room, and stealthily slink through the kitchen and suddenly you're in a Foodie's EDEN.

Guess what? The only caveat about the Chef's Table dining experience requires that all guests in the party participate in the chef's tasting, but that is awesome. It's a really GREAT deal and a wonderful way to try the lion's share of the menu and I'll tell ya, everything is worth it on there. There are 5 or 8 course options. Of course, if you don't want to eat a 5-course meal (c'mon, weak. just do it), you can always take recommendations from Tory Keomanivong, who runs the front of the house, and will happily steer you to the right choice.

What is SO COOL is that Fond is a joint venture by 3 young, ambitious and undeniably talented people with  impressive pedigree: Le Bec-Fin and Lacroix... really?! Both Exec Chef Lee Styer and Exec Pastry Chef Jessie Prawlucki worked at Le Bec-Fin as sous chef and exec pastry chef, respectively. Plus, Tory had worked as captain at Lacroix for 4 years and had met Lee during his stint there.

What is very clear from this operation, is that Lee, Jessie and Tory are three friends who all care very deeply about their work and for each other, and it's apparent on every level of their execution. Doubly shocking is that they're so young (Lee is in his mid-20s!) and handling this business with the maturity and drive that is unparalleled.

And HELLO, it's a BYOB. You know we always love that.

Now, the FOOD!!


APPETIZERS
Crispy Veal Sweetbreads: creamy ricotta, caramelized onions, augula pesto
This is definitely a must try menu option. Even if you're not very adventurous and have no idea what sweetbreads (don't look it up!) are, these are very approachable for new foodie and simply put, taste INCREDIBLE. Not to sound totally cliche, but they really do taste quite like fried chicken...

I really love when you can trust the chef to pair flavors together that truly complement each other for the best possible taste/experience, and executive chef Lee Styer does this perfectly. With this dish, definitely make sure you get each component layered into each bite because it really does make such a difference. The creamy ricotta, sweetness from the onions, fresh bite from the pesto and of course the salty crunchy sweetbreads all combine to bring you flavor bursts of awesomeness with each forkful.  

Yellowtail Crudo: dried Mexican chili, jicama, cilantro
This yellowtail appetizer is a really refreshing and bright option on the menu. The crunch from the jicama helps to balance the spiciness from the chili and you can't help but think... ah yes... raw fish yummm melt in my mouth.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad: baby greens, smoked paprika yogurt, white anchovy
One of the best apps, for sure. You'll want to smother the roasted cauliflowers until they are coated with the smoked paprika yogurt. Do it. Don't be afraid. We won't judge you.

Seared Foie Gras: rhubarb-tonka bean jam, almond cookie
How much more decadent can you get than foie gras, right? Of course, right. But this seared foie gras is worth every calorie/dollar/mean look from friends you refuse to share with...

Since foie gras tends to be such a heavy flavor, it's really nice to have that sweet, fruity jam which really helps to cut into the richness... which, in turn, helps to keep you coming back for more. Waistbands beware.

Special Appetizers: Foie Gras Pate and Foie Gras soup
Fond also does daily specials, both for apps and entrees, and they consistently deliver in creativity and execution. So when we heard the specials included a foie gras pate and soup, we knew we had to try them. Besides, Foie Gras Pate - need I say anything else, really? It was served with a dijon mustard and toasted bread. Not too rich or overwhelmingly salty in any way. Put it this way, we had 2 plates of this and ate every last morsel of pate and had to get more bread!

The Foie Gras Soup was similar in creaminess to the mushroom soup that is on the regular menu, but of course you could taste the distinctive flavor of the foie gras, that was almost buttery, with a hint of sweetness and a whole lot of yumminess.

We found that there was actually a sweet, nutty, jam type coating on one side of the bowl. Going back to perfect complementary flavors, I was so surprised by how much scooping a bit of this jam with each spoonful of the soup made such a difference.

MAIN COURSES
Seared Skate Wing: meyer lemon risotto, edamame, soy brown butter
I love love love skate. It's amazing that it has so much flavor, is properly salty, and rarely has a fishy scent or flavor, or at least I've only had the good fortune of having well prepared skate. This is a dish I have tried a few times now, and it never fails to impress me. I'm a big fan of risotto and I love when chefs make a lemon risotto that is so tart and bright because it goes so well with fish - especially skate, which is usually a saltier fish. And brown butter really helps to temper the tartness of the lemon in a way that makes you really want to lick the plate clean. Don't do that, though. I mean, we're not really judgmental foodies, but ... too far!

Berkshire Pork Loin: white beans, pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, pork jus
This was our first time trying the Pork Loin and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan was it good. Soopah ventured to say that it was an unbeatable pork loin... I don't know if I've had enough Pork Loin to make such a BOLD STATEMENT such as that, but really... it is GOOOOOOOOOOD. The pork is tender and flavorful, while the soft beans and tart tomatoes all meld together in that delicious thing known as pork jus!

All Natural Chicken Breast: house-made pasta, summer vegetables, buffalo mozzarella, chicken jus
I generally shy away from ordering chicken when I go out to restaurants because ... well... I mean, you can imagine why, yes? Chicken is boring. Chicken is so often dry and bland. Chicken is for the non-foodies to order while their foodie friends scoff at their unadventurous spirits. BUT BUT BUT  (what what, in the ...heh) this chicken was none of those things.

THIS chicken was juicy and flavorful and tender.... mmmmmm. The house-made pasta on this evening was a pappardelle, which was wonderful with the mozzarella and veggies, and I remember it (vaguely), but yeah.. the chicken.. it was droolworthy chicken.
    
New Zealand Lamb Rack: eggplant caponata, pinenuts, spiced cracker, lamb jus
Rack of lamb is generally a fancier entree option, or at least it sounds like it to me, but often a risky choice as well. IMO, it's a meat that must be perfectly cooked in order to be enjoyable; there is so little room for error. In addition, putting together an original combination of flavors, that still makes the lamb the centerpiece, is quite difficult to do. Well, as usual, Fond delivers.

Each piece was super flavorful and didn't have a hit of gamey-ness at all. I actually think this is my new favorite regular entree item at Fond. I do acknowledge that this may be because I am just so impressed with good lamb.

Seared Yellowfin Tuna: Greek-style farro salad, feta cream
The tuna was a very solid dish. Good tuna, well-executed and nicely balanced flavors. I will say this is probably the only dish I can't feel myself getting super excited about. This may be influenced by my recent discovery that I don't really care for seared tuna, but I would generally say this was the least exciting item on the menu. Don't get me wrong - still excellent, but essentially, I would give everything else a try before ordering this one.

Heh, it is also a bit unfair because this picture doesn't quite do it justice... but... still, good stuff. YAY tuna.

DESSERTS
Somehow, some way, we always make room for dessert when we dine at Fond. I think there are very few places in the city where the starters, entrees and desserts are on a similar plane of excellence. There are tons of places that have extraordinary appetizers and/or stellar entrees, but totally forgettable desserts. Not so, here - the desserts at  Fond are unbelievable. GOOD WORK, Jessie!

Tahitian Vanilla "Cannolis": whipped mascarpone, red plum sorbet,hazelnut praline
Fond's innovative interpretation of the South Philly Italian favorite is so good even I like it (I don't usually enjoy cannolis much). The thin shell is made of hazelnut praline and it's so delicate, but is sweet and crispy enough that it holds the light whipped mascarpone perfectly. The plum sorbet adds another layer of tartness that keeps everything fresh.

Pistachio Tart: saffron ice cream, rose water honey, vanilla sour cherries 
Okay, this is where I go off and use superlatives and rave and drool and whine until I can have another bite. The pistachio tart is, BY FAR, my favorite dessert... of ALL TIME. Was that clear enough?

The tart is covered with pistachios and honey and is just heavenly salty sweet buttery in each bite. It's slightly chewy, but that's from the gooey honey coating the entire tart. The saffron ice cream has a really subtle saffron flavor, and really gives the tart great contrast. I could eat this all day long. AND I'm superduper excited to say that I've had it more than once and it hasn't failed me yet.

Sorbet Sampler: waffle cookies, peach, watermelon, passionfruit
Simple, delicious, refreshing, satisfying! The flavors are super fierce and distinctive. Eating the watermelon sorbet seriously felt like I was having mouthfuls of cold watermelon slices, which is amazing. I honestly can't remember if the first sorbet was peach, or something else, but it was delicious nonetheless. That much I do recall!

Mocha Mousse Cake: dark chocolate, coffee Chantilly, pecan crunch  
The mousse cake is everything that a chocolate lover would want: decadent, semi-sweet, crunchy with a hint of coffee... omg... and because it's largely mousse, it feels light (HA).  

I think it's truly incredible that each course at Fond makes everyone gasp and wipe their drool and keep coming back for more. It's really not surprising at all, though, when you think about who is running this place.

SHOWING PHILLY SOME LOVE 
If you know me, you're aware of how much I love supporting the awesome local businesses in Philadelphia. Philly locals have really been vocal about how great the dining options are in our fair city, and these days, I really appreciate that Philly is also getting sooooooooooo much love and national recognition. Fond was even recognized by the food critic Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post in this great article about Philadelphia dining. Check it out for a full backstory of the partners and Fond opened its doors.

Man, it's really a good time to be a Philadelphian - eating and boozing it up.


To sum up, go to Fond because:

• the food makes you want to lick your plate/silverware/table clean
• parking is relatively easy to find in the area
• BYOB
• the take reservations (!) (215) 551-5000
• these young, local Philly restaurateurs represent the next generation of food genius  

Seriously, Fond is my current fave South Philly spot, and definitely my fave BYOB of the moment. Go and I'm sure you'll experience the same.