There are times when you stumble into a restaurant when everything is perfect. Our visit to Fia was that. We were a party of six and when they sat us in the bar area with a curved couch for three of us and three chairs...for the other three, I was dubious. I wandered into the dining room, and all of the tables were taken and the vibe in the bar area was much more alive. Let’s see how this would work.
The server arrived. Our initial impression was extremely positive and over the 2.5 hours we were there, she only got better. We ordered drinks, wine (glasses and a bottle) and some water. I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio, which I thought was OK, nothing special. Then we moved onto the food.
For an appetizer we shared the Charred Octopus and the Mussels. The octopus was a single tentacle sitting atop roasted red pepper, olives, and capers. It was almost fork tender, with great flavor and the addition of the Mediterranean vegetables was great. The Mussels were the hit of the night. The were large, meaty, plump, perfectly prepared and unlike most kitchens that just dump them in a bowl, Fia arranged them in a concentric circle on the plate. Visually and culinary perfection.
For our entrée we all ordered the Bronzini. The filets were moist and the skin was crisped to perfection. It arrived with some julienned fennel on top.
This is where the restaurant has its only failing. The protein is sans anything, no potato, no vegetable, just a lonely protein on a plate. They do have five sides to choose from a la carte. We ordered four of the five.
The Crispy Brussels Sprouts were delicious, great flavor and crisped on the exterior. The Heirloom Carrots were a half a dozen orange and a few purple carrots. Make sure you grab one of the purple carrots, they were incredible. Th Grilled Mushrooms included a large bowl of a various species, each with a different flavor, a really great combination. Lastly, we had the Fingerling Potatoes. These were served smashed, and like the other sides, they were delicious.
I was curious on who was overseeing the kitchen, there was real talent back there. A little research gave me the answer. The chef’s resume included a stint at Bacchanalia.
Overall, the night was near perfection, from the room, to the service to the food. What I thought may have been a fluke during the evening, may turn out to be standard operating procedure. Once word gets out on how good Fia is, it will be impossible to get a reservation.More