Colossal Crustacean Catch
Lobster and Shrimp BLT at Chez Fonfon just got bigger!
By Jan Walsh
Every summer one of our favorite lunches is the Lobster and Shrimp BLT at Chez Fonfon. Yet this summer, Chef Frank Stitt and team offer their biggest catch ever, with more pink protein and less bread.
This sweltering Wednesday calls for cool cocktails: Watermelon Margarita for Kev, and Bellini for me. The margarita is a marvelous mix of fresh, local watermelon, tequila, triple sec, and lime, served in a low ball over (just enough) crushed ice. And my Bellini is a pretty puree of local peaches mixed with sparkling wine. Not a fan of Mimosas or oranges, so I delight in this peach season refresher, especially given this year’s small peach crop after two late freezes.
As our server, Nathan, begins to describe the spécialité du jour, I interject with high hopes, “We made early reservations just for the Lobster and Shrimp BLT. I hope you have it?” He assures us they do and builds up the BLT as larger than in previous years with no room for chips or frites alongside it… as this dish towers over the plate.
First, we share a Tartine of Heirloom Tomatoes. Thick, beefy, juicy slices of Belle Meadow’s finest heirlooms crown, one of my favorite cheeses Capriole Sophia. This Loire Valley, ripened goat cheese blends beautifully with olives noire atop the toasty Hinkel bread, brightened with fresh basil. A smashing synthesis of acidity and creaminess… I should have ordered my own. To pair with our entrees, we select a bottle Crémant de Saumur Louis de Grenelle Brut Rosé. This 100 percent Cabernet Franc bubbly boasts bright notes of red fruit: strawberries, raspberries, and plum, dance with consistent effervescence, and is appropriately served: well chilled in a fine, thin rimmed Champagne flute. I so appreciate the proper temp and stemware. It makes (or breaks) sparkling wines.
In past years this BLT has been served in a soft, New England style roll. Yet those rolls would never hold this colossal catch. Instead, a slice of Hinkel’s toast is piled high with Applewood smoked bacon, crisp lettuces, along with large and small heirloom tomatoes, all entwining upwards to the crescendo of succulent lobster claws and large bites of Gulf Shrimp. The crustaceans are lightly dressed in a scrumptious, creaminess and finished with a tongue tingling, acidic splash. This new version is highly recommended! Catch it on Wednesdays while it lasts.
For dessert we share the Berry Trifle. Oh, my! Juicy local blueberries and blackberries are scattered in abundance with generous layers of lovely lemon curd. A fan of Fonfon’s Lemon Tarts? Order this dessert. Light and dreamy, yet custardy rich, peaks of diplomat cream are like eating Heaven! Dusted atop are whimsical, crunchy candied pistachios. And underneath, everything tastes prettier presented on a bleu plate.
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