I am met with the inevitable smirk whenever I suggest to out-of-towners that they might want to have a meal at Chez Fonfon, Frank and Pardis Stitt’s charming bistro next door to their acclaimed Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham’s Five Points South. I am expected to account for the name, which might seem frivolous and silly on first hearing. I used to say that perhaps in a discussion to come up with a suitable name for a French-style bistro, somebody said I dunno, let’s just call it something like Chez Froufrou, Fonfon – something like that and it stuck. That one didn’t seem to satisfy anyone so I did some research and found that there is a Chez Fonfon in Marseilles. When I tell those smirking people that I think it was named in honor of a famous French bistro, smirks disappear.

When they take my advice and eat there, any skepticism vanishes. Chez Fonfon is even more pertinent today since its neighbor, Highlands, has been closed since the pandemic. The Stitts have reopened Fonfon, Bottega, and Bottega Café, but Highlands, the restaurant that heralded Birmingham’s lauded modern culinary scene, has not yet returned. There are hopeful rumors circulating that Highlands may be back before the end of 2023.

I’m not dining out much these days. I find, though, that on those rare occasions when I can get away for a relaxing dining experience, Chez Fonfon is one of my go-to spots. When my friend, Anne, recently contacted me and asked if I might be available to have dinner at Chez Fonfon on a certain night, I replied, “Book it and I’ll make it happen.”

Not only was I able to meet Anne for dinner but, when I got there, my friend Deborah, who lives in New Mexico, was with her to surprise me. The meal with a friend had become a celebratory reunion with dear friends from Tuscaloosa days.

A few days after the Chez Fonfon dinner, I had a conversation with another friend who had just returned from her first trip to New Orleans. We talked about her New Orleans dining in classics like Commander’s Palace and Galatoire’s and even some of the newer places and agreed that, although the food is exceptional, it’s the quality of service that makes so many New Orleans restaurant experiences so truly unforgettable.

The same is true of the Stitt-owned restaurants in Birmingham where service is always impeccable, knowledgeable, and attentive without being obtrusive. I tend to always order fish at Fonfon and my Gulf grouper, with a rich sauce, field peas, and a corn and cherry tomato relish was the perfect plate for my taste. Anne and Deborah did not hesitate to order the crabcakes with seafood from the fishing village of Bayou La Batre on Alabama’s coast, garnished with butter beans, chives, and beurre blanc. A crisp Sancerre was the perfect accompaniment.

It’s impossible – or at least inadvisable – to have a Chez Fonfon meal without one of their famed desserts. Heeding the tradition of Carolinians and chef Bill Smith, formerly of Chapel Hill’s Crook’s Corner, who say that a citrus dessert is the proper dessert after seafood, I ordered a berry trifle with lemon curd. Anne and Deborah ordered coconut pecan cake and Basque cake. As always, the desserts were delightful and worthy of raves.

The meal was punctuated by memories of times past in Tuscaloosa and in Birmingham’s Southside. Five Points South is a historic part of the city dominated by Spanish Baroque architecture, hotels, and entertainment options. An extensive refurbishment was nearing completion on the centerpiece of the district, Frank Fleming’s sculpture and fountain, “The Storyteller.” As we left the restaurant on a steamy July evening, we walked across the way to pay homage to the fountain and the place, the site of many memories across the years.

I find that my own post-pandemic outings are fewer and farther between. Because of the challenges we have all faced, those times seem even more special when they happen. Being able to meet with friends again, being able to enjoy a relaxing and amazing meal, being able to breathe and laugh and remember past adventures – all those things make for an evening that will last in memory.

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On down the mountain toward the city center, about ten blocks south of the Stitt restaurants, is the Rotary Trail, a half-mile linear park built on a former railroad bed. At the eastern end of the trail, nestled beneath an overpass, is “Frank’s Table,” a sculpture by Gregory Fitzpatrick in honor of Frank Stitt. The table, in stainless steel topped by Alabama marble, incorporates iconography representative of honeybee wings. Its dedication reads, in part, “Frank’s culinary and cultural contributions to our community have provided a table at which we can all sit.”

Here’s to many more great meals at table with friends.