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"More?"
It’s a word Lisa Antognini has uttered literally thousands of times, as in an offer of "second helpings” of any course on the prix fixe dinner menu at Fio’s La Fourchette during its twenty year run in St. Louis. In fact, my fondest recollection of Fio’s was not just the spectacular French cuisine, but the ability to get a little--or a lot--more of anything. No one ever left unsatisfied...any galoot critical of any connotation of "small portions" need only catch Lisa's eye and say, "more, please."
And so it was Tuesday night, the inaugural evening of a three night culinary adventure hosted by long-time friend Jonathan Parker of Parker’s Table. The words “culinary adventure” are used here deliberately: after Chef Fio and wife Lisa sold the restaurant in 2001, they moved west, hosting culinary adventure tours and dinners in the mountains of Colorado, and then in Utah near Zion National Park where the couple now live.
This time it was Fio who uttered those magic words, as he made his introductory comments: "Anything you'd like to have more of, let us know. We have plenty of food."
Parker recalled hosting similar dinners with the Antognini's in Clayton, in his prior wine shop and in much closer quarters. "We'd have tiny deuces crammed into the wine aisles," he said, "but no one seemed to care." His new shop in Richmond Heights (located "behind the Tip Top" at 7118 Oakland Ave) is large enough to host such dinners quite comfortably (see right).
The adventure started with a quintet of what the menu called 'palate teasers" (below). Chilled, poached mussels with dijon mustard sauce; crostini with fresh mozz, truffle oil, and basil; marinated chilled shrimp with ginger sauce; and crispy-peppered Kurobuta slow braised pork. The fifth teaser was a taste of marinated radish and celery, with horseradish and "a mystery fruit," a secret ingredient, in the sauce. Diners were urged to guess the ingredient--part of Fio's little adventure, we assumed--which was, in fact, pureed banana. We wondered why chilled mussels were not seen more often in this town...just as we asked for a few more. And that pork, with a smoked chili, grainy-mustard sauce? Kurobuta i's called "the Kobe beef of pork" for good reason. A little more of that, too, please...
A surprise intermezzo followed--skewered, chilled bay scallops interspersed with cloves of roasted garlic, napped with curry yogurt sauce, accompanied by bundled ties of thin cut, pickled "umami" zucchini.
The fish course, described as an "herb-crusted layered Scottish salmon and wild striped bass" could have arrived shingled or offset. What was served was the most attractive and tasty dish of the night. The respective fish fillets were rolled, encrusted, then poached (see below), the components either separating with the gentlest tug from a fork, or eaten in combination. A decorated herb sauce and Fio's award-winning crawfish étouffée shared the plate (the award, we were told, was bestowed in Mandeville, LA. No Yankee bastardization, this!)
Next up: 30-day aged organic beef tenderloin (below left) and a signature dish, a spinach, Brie, and pistachio lasagna, topped with twists of free range veal, surely the most decadent version of that dish in recent memory. On the rice vinegar-cooked carrot garnish, a "guess what spice?" query from Fio, but even he knew "nutmeg" was too easy.
Dessert brought another signature item (above right), a recipe Fio developed 20 years ago, a dish that emphasizes flavor and texture, the latter an important but often overlooked aspect in many dishes. The four-layer torte contained a crushed pecan and sugar base, white chocolate ganache, crispy pecan meringue, and toffee mousse. Fio called it a torte, but revealed that one former guest's description--Culinary Orgasm Cake--was probably a little more catchy.
A small plate of Swiss cookies and tartlettes (left) wrapped easily for enjoyment with coffee on a reflective morning after.
This type of dinner--expertly prepared but not overwrought in presentation--hit superlative notes for the 23 guests in attendance. I hadn't been on Fio's mailing list but I am now, and sufice to say, the next time Fio and Lisa visit Jonathan Parker (below), Relish readers will get plenty of advance notice.
