Fio Antognini, a man who always lived life to its fullest, has died. His wife and partner, Lisa, notified friends in St. Louis yesterday of his passing on May 23.
Fio and Lisa opened Fio’s La Fourchette in 1982 in what was then Westroads Shopping Center, where the Saint Louis Galleria now stands. Some people wondered if the couple from Switzerland would make it—dinner was expensive, a minimum of $25 for a five-course prix fixe meal. They certainly did, eventually moving to a location closer to the heart of Clayton, in the old Famous-Barr building on Forsyth.
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Fio fed his customers well indeed. Even the low-calorie options, such as venison with a chunky pineapple-ginger sauce, were delicious. Eating at Fio’s was always an occasion, even though the service was less stiffly formal, as the atmosphere might have implied. Serious, fabulous multi-course meals with small servings were the norm, so as not to tax the capacity of diners before dessert. If a dish evoked a particular compliment from a diner, there was always the offer of “Would you like a little more?” Always. Not just for fat cats or regular guests or, heaven help us, restaurant critics. That’s hospitality.
The other “always” were the soufflés, the signature dessert of the restaurant. There were three kinds on offer. One was chocolate—because Swiss equals chocolate, of course. The other two varied from night to night. Many patrons couldn’t visit Fio’s without having a soufflé.
This spring, I was in communication with Fio and Lisa, as I was writing a book on now-gone St. Louis restaurants. There were plenty of stories, of course. In 1984, Yul Brynner was in town for four weeks as a revival of The King and I was at the Fox Theatre preparing for a Broadway run. The actor was so pleased with Fio’s La Fourchette, he returned every week while in town.
An even more dramatic moment happened one New Year’s Eve when, the couple wrote, “the power went out just after the second seating. The fire department wanted us to evacuate the customers, but we convinced them to allow us to continue by candlelight and flashlights. (They made us have several staff members stand in the dining room with fire extinguishers in hand.) It was quite a challenge operating with no electricity, but there was gas for cooking, and we made it happen. The guests loved it.” I’ve always suspected those firefighters received soufflé on another night as a thank-you.
While running the restaurant, Fio was a member of a champion skydiving team. When he and his wife closed the restaurant, in 2001, they ended up in Utah, where he continued to skydive, in addition to biking, running, and rock climbing. He also founded Fio’s Culinary Adventures, hosting catered wilderness dinners for clients from around the globe. The couple occasionally returned to St. Louis to cook for longtime friends and to host private dinners.
Lisa reported that Fio fell while preparing a rock-climbing trail, which others could one day enjoy. He was 63.
