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Restaurant Guide
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French
Deidre Schipani
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tyrone Walker
The Post and Courier
The Fat Hen shows its devotion to local foods with shrimp-topped fried green tomatoes.
French restaurants, once the highly sauced culinary playpens for expense-account diners, trace their Charleston roots to the more casual bistro models. Rue de Jean continues as a perennial favorite, and our appetite for its plats du jour, offered seven days a week, runs strong.
Fat Hen3140 Maybank Highway, Johns Island 559-9090 www.thefathen.com $-$$$ Neither a bistro nor a brasserie, the Fat Hen has the casual vibe of a mas (French farmhouse) that marries whimsy with humor. Chef-owner Fred Neuville has made some very good hires from other kitchens, so you can be assured that the backbone of French classics such as steak frites, moules mariniere, soupe a l'oignon and tarte aux citrons are mastered. Along with those same French sensibilities is terroir (a sense of place), and it is here you will see shrimp and grits with collards and butterbeans, Lowcountry oysters with country ham and fried green tomatoes. The Hen takes the familiar and with the clever conceit of its menu, gives it a twist. The kitchen keeps intact the integrity of both regional and classic dishes. A working chalkboard records the daily specials and pastas are made in-house. Prune your feathers with the Fat Hen or Blue Bird cocktails. Prepare to nest down with dessert or a glass of port and selection of artisan cheeses. The Fat Hen channels the informality of casual French dining with a serious attitude toward its purveyors and a genuine affection for its Lowcountry roots.
Hege's Kiawah Brasserie Francais Classique130 Gardeners Circle, Freshfields Village, Johns Island 768-0035 www.heges-kiawah.com $$-$$$ The exterior of Hege's speaks to the pastoral, coastal vibe. Its menu, however, harks back to French classics of the '60s and '80s restaurant eras — escargot in the shell, calf's liver with bacon, whole trout, and coq au vin. Along with these standard-bearers of French classicism are seasonal oysters, local shrimp, greens, cornbread, pecans and flounder. The accent on the menu is genuinely French but there is no haughty air, no pretension. The cooking bears the easy confidence of a skilled kitchen. Salads are crisp, the greens are varied, the breads are warm and desserts are made in-house. Peanut butter chocolate molten cake fits its vanilla creme Anglaise like a glove and the sweet and tart nature of key lime pie with raspberry coulis succumbed to a mantle of sweetened whipped cream. Hege's has concocted a winning mix: respect for the season and the ingredients, talent in the kitchen and a trained staff that takes its cues wisely from the diners.
La Fourchette432 King St., downtown 722-6261 $$ French sensibilities speak in a Gallic manner even before you set a foot in the "fork." With its exposed brick wall, and black-and-white floor, it has all the trappings of Belle Epoque Paris. Its menu is rich with bistro staples and its duck fat-fried frites are of local legend. The popular moules (mussels) are available in a variety of preparations and their fragrant broths are the perfect foil for the crisp and chewy baguettes. The richness of its pate is balanced, the beans in the cassoulet are tender and plumped, and the salade is dressed a point with a classic vinaigrette. Lamb chops marry well with their potato casserole accompaniment. The pork falls off the shank in a tender tangle of a proper braise, and the coquilles St. Jacques (scallops) float in a delicate cream sauce that finishes with the taste of the sea. Even French culinary legend Careme, the so-called patron saint of pastry chefs and bakers, would approve of the desserts.
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