It's not often that I find myself in the company of great food, wine and friends all at once but this past weekend I did. I embarked on a trip to the St Louis area in a town called Edwardsville, IL to take pictures of some of the staff at Fond Fine Dining and Township grocer where I found just that...great food, wine and friends.
Although I had never before met anyone at Fond or even stepped foot inside their fine restaurant I was greeted by some of the most friendly people I have ever met. Owned by Amy Zupanci, who is the incredible genius chef, Fond embraces the type of comfort food forgotten by other five star chefs. Her take is simple; provide the freshest, locally grown fare and and turn it into the finest food anyone's mouth has ever eaten. Her restaurant is a space that reminds me of a French country home, beautiful but simple. Just by looking around you know that the food is going to be spectacular. And it was.
Paired with her manager, Stephen Cox, the establishment hosts a level of sophistication in their wine and spirits that compliments the perfect execution of the exquisite food. I have met many people in the restaurant business over the years and none of them have welcomed me like Stephen and his staff. I felt like I was eating at a family gathering and felt welcomed as if I was his own family. So to these great new friends, tonight I raise a glass of Las Rocas, Garnacha 2006 in honor of their accomplishments and for welcoming me in such fine fashion.
I had the pleasure of enjoying the market menu with the the finest of company that night, after the shoot, where we experienced the talents of my new friends and their wine pairing. Never in my life have I tasted food so remarkable it gave me pause while eating and pairing it with perfectly selected wines made it simply orgasmic for lack of a better word. I was in heaven and still am reflecting on the gravity of such an incredible night of great food, wine and loving people.
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