An unlikely place for a hamburger

Chez Shaeffer By Chez Shaeffer
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on March 07, 2007 at 7:28 PM, updated March 07, 2007 at 7:46 PM

Before we get started...I usually include a link to the website or an online menu. Unfortunately, neither of these exist for Chez Fonfon, the sister restaurant to Highlands Bar and Grill and Bottega. Chez Fonfon is located right next door to Highlands Bar and Grill at 2007 11th Avenue South.

You know how, when you go to....say, the beach, you eat seafood. And when you go on vacation to maybe Memphis, you're going to eat bbq. Or when you go to...ok nevermind, you get my drift. So when you go to Chez Fonfon, you probably should get something besides a hamburger, right?

I was at Chez Fonfon last week with my co-workers for a birthday lunch. I was all set to order the trout with brown butter and capers* until three other people at the table ordered the hamburger. I said to the waiter "So what's the story with the hamburger? Is it really that good?" Our server, Geoff, started selling me on the hamburger. He had me at "we grind our own beef here." I ordered mine medium well and waited to be amazed.

This is where it gets difficult to explain just how good a meal is. When I have good food like the Chez Fonfon hamburger, I just want to gush "It was one of the best hamburgers I've ever had!!!!" and leave it at that. The hard part comes when I try to sell you on the food. To make you want to visit a place because I loved it so much I just had to tell you about it.

So here's the story on the hamburger: the meat had the most wonderful flavor. One bite was salty and juicy, while the next had a smoky, pepper flavor. The grilled onion that comes on the side adds the right amount of sweetness to it all. I actually ended up taking the top bun off and eating it with a fork. The whole hamburger with the bun is just too big to pick up and eat with your hands. On the side were salty, crispy "pomme frites." They had a fantastic flavor and came with ketchup and a honey mustard mayonnaise for dipping. The mayonnaise was probably for the hamburger but it was so great with just onion and tomato that I didn't add any more flavors to the mix.

Bottom line: if you find yourself at Chez Fonfon for lunch (I doubt the hamburger is on the dinner menu?), order the hamburger. If you're still not sold on the idea, try the trout with brown butter and let me know how it is.

* Brown butter is my latest favorite flavor. I realized three things from my own attempts at making brown butter: 1. It is more difficult to make than you might think. 2. When cooked long enough, butter will actually turn into black crispies that stink to high heaven and, as a result, will force you to leave the pan on the porch all night just to get the smell out of the house and 3. I am THROUGH trying to make sauces. Every time it just turns into a smelly disaster that tastes like paste. Seriously.

Lastly, I told my friends this story and they insisted I include it in my review:

Every now and again, I'll see something in a store or restaurant that I just fall in love with. It's usually something like a photograph, a sign, the fabric covering the chairs or, in this case, a table. The tables at Chez Fonfon are absolutely beautiful. I had decided I'd call once we left and find out where they came from and how to get one of my own. A very sweet and polite woman named Autumn answered the phone. I explained that I'd eaten lunch there, absolutely adore the tables and would like to know where I could get one of my own. Honest to goodness, Autumn was so sweet to me. I could tell she was trying to be as polite as possible without making me feel stupid for asking such a question. Turns out, the tables came from a cafe in France and NO, they do not have any extras for you to buy. Sigh.