Wow, what a way to celebrate an anniversary.  Saturday night my husband and I dined at Fond Restaurant in Philadelphia.  We were escorted through the restaurant, whisked through the kitchen where the whole staff stopped to welcome us, and into their rear courtyard.  It was so romantic, a single table for two with candles, Tiki torches and twinkle lights hanging from the trellis walls in a beautiful garden atmosphere; a great way to spend a few hours alone and no restaurant noise.  As we looked at the lush vegetation I noticed out of the corner of my eye, a fig tree.  Well you know what they say, everyone in South Philly dreams of having a fig tree in their backyard….of course I started craving figs and was hoping they would magically appear on the menu.

Our feast began with a spicy watermelon soup shooter; it was room temperature, spicy and delicious.  It was clear Chef Lee was going to take us on a very special Culinary Anniversary Adventure.  For our first course I was tempted by the seared foie gras, rich and creamy in texture served with micro greens and my hubby tried the tuna crudo, which was served in a flavorful broth and much to my delight, figs were on the menu…sautéed skate with lemon cream cheese and diced figs…yum!  The skate was so crispy it resembled crunch-like potato chips.  The figs were warm and a perfect contrast to the refreshing and creamy lemon cream cheese.
For dessert we decided on mascarpone cannoli served with butterscotch semi-freddo and apple compote.  Chef Jessie emblazoned Happy Anniversary, in chocolate, across our plate, which added a special touch!
Please contact Chef Jacquie at (610) 506-6120 for more information on the available culinary tours.

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