Thrillist Philadelphia
Monday August 31, 2009
Fond
1617 E Passyunk Ave, between 11th & 12th and Tasker & Morris; South Philly; 215.551.5000
In the restaurant game, co-workers always cook up plans to flee their employers and "open our own place", but usually get distracted from that goal while having sex with each other in the walk-in. Making a backroom-hatched scheme a reality, the trio behind Fond, opening tonight.
A collaborative project from three restaurant industry vets who worked alongside each other at Le Bec Fin and Lacroix while dreaming of running their own joint, Fond's a dark green- & beige-schemed 35-seat BYO hung with cherry wood-framed sepia-toned photos, snugly nestled in a storefront along the suddenly booming East Passyunk corridor, with catch-all "American Contemporary" offerings changing from season to season, like an edible Sixers coach. In addition to daily specials, staple apps on the opening menu include steak tartare w/ caramelized onion, quail egg, & Gruyère; grilled asparagus w/ arugula, "5-minute egg" & sherry-roasted shallots; and crispy veal sweetbreads w/ heirloom tomato & pickled red onion, which has obviously been out partying with the shallots. Entrées run from fish like pan-seared halibut w/ sweet pea ravioli & lemon brown butter, to meatier options like grilled flank steak in Bordelaise; pork chop w/truffled maiitake & Jersey corn; and chicken breast in roasted garlic sherry jus w/ fingerlings & piperade, which is what his bandmates douse Ian Anderson in after a particularly sick show.
Harnessing her extensive pastry chef experience, one of the owners crafts all Fond's desserts in-house, including Irish coffee soufflé glace w/ whiskey caramel & butterscotch shortbread and dark chocolate tart w/ passion fruit custard, also exactly what any good entrepreneur-to-be leaves on the walk-in wall.
Open for dinner 5:30-10pm Mon-Sat -- click here to view the opening menu details
