To kinda go along with the theme of the times, I took your votes to heart and went to Fifi’s Bistro last week for dinner.
First off, it’s rare for me to go out on a Tuesday evening. It’s even more rare for me to drink on a Tuesday evening. But the most rare for me is to turn down a dinner invitation when a restaurant is offering ½ off bottles of wine (under $100). So I took the reader’s advice and my new shi shi haircut and headed out for dinner.
Fifi’s is located downtown on Eola Drive in between restaurants the Beacon and Graze. I’m not quite sure of the word to describe the decor. Posh? Swanky? Precious? Whatever the term, I adored the wash of pink, the dramatic window draperies, the classic dessert case, and most of all, the Lucite chandeliers.
For starters I had the Chick Pea Soup with Bacon special. I was envisioning more of pureed soup but instead got a Minestrone with a few Chick Peas and strips of Sundried Tomatoes. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, but the addition of the bacon made the soup a bit on the greasy side. My dinner companion raved about her Baby Lettuces salad and I have to admit I experienced a tinge of order jealousy. It was served with candied Walnuts, Boursin cheese, and a Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette.
I ordered the Capellini Pasta for my entrée. I don’t think that I’ve ordered pasta in a restaurant in quite some time, but I’m really a sucker for the addition of Peas in a pasta dish. (Alright, I also admit this was one of the cheaper options. I’ve placed myself on a restaurant budget.) The dish was quite good, but very rich. The pasta was topped with a large portion of roasted Chicken, a delicious Rosemary cream sauce, and a smoky Mozzarella that (thankfully) was on the lighter side of smokiness. All the flavors were spot on, and the Chicken was cooked perfectly. The portion size was above average, and I was happy to take home more than half my meal and have it the next night for dinner.
My veg friendly companion had the Butternut Squash Ravioli served in a Sage brown butter sauce. It was also garnished with a few crispy Sage leaves. One of my favorite flavor combinations, this dish was absolutely delicious and a big hit.
Every time I’ve heard someone talk about Fifi’s, dessert is mentioned at some point in the conversation. So I was thrilled when our server led us up to the dessert case and flipped on the lights so we could get a good look at our choices. Everything looked, um, fantastic, but I decided to go with the Lemon Chiffon Cake with a drizzle of Strawberry sauce. Wow is about all I can say. The cake was moist, light and fluffy with gentle hints of lemon. We also tried the Chocolate Lava-esque Cake that was smothered in Chocolate sauce with a scoop of ice cream on the side. Delicious but a bit too heavy for me after my entrée.
Above everything else, there is one thing that was lacking from the evening. With a name like Fifi’s, I was expecting an air of uncomfortable pretentiousness and conceit. Instead I got an unaffected and relaxed atmosphere. My overall impressions of Fifi’s are really very positive. The restaurant was chic, the food was good, and the service was flawless. Next I plan on trying lunch, the crepes look fantastic!
Almost forgot to mention the wine: We had a yummy Tempranillo. There are wine specials on all of the weekdays. Check out their website for more details.
www.fifisorlando.com
First off, it’s rare for me to go out on a Tuesday evening. It’s even more rare for me to drink on a Tuesday evening. But the most rare for me is to turn down a dinner invitation when a restaurant is offering ½ off bottles of wine (under $100). So I took the reader’s advice and my new shi shi haircut and headed out for dinner.
Fifi’s is located downtown on Eola Drive in between restaurants the Beacon and Graze. I’m not quite sure of the word to describe the decor. Posh? Swanky? Precious? Whatever the term, I adored the wash of pink, the dramatic window draperies, the classic dessert case, and most of all, the Lucite chandeliers.
For starters I had the Chick Pea Soup with Bacon special. I was envisioning more of pureed soup but instead got a Minestrone with a few Chick Peas and strips of Sundried Tomatoes. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, but the addition of the bacon made the soup a bit on the greasy side. My dinner companion raved about her Baby Lettuces salad and I have to admit I experienced a tinge of order jealousy. It was served with candied Walnuts, Boursin cheese, and a Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette.
I ordered the Capellini Pasta for my entrée. I don’t think that I’ve ordered pasta in a restaurant in quite some time, but I’m really a sucker for the addition of Peas in a pasta dish. (Alright, I also admit this was one of the cheaper options. I’ve placed myself on a restaurant budget.) The dish was quite good, but very rich. The pasta was topped with a large portion of roasted Chicken, a delicious Rosemary cream sauce, and a smoky Mozzarella that (thankfully) was on the lighter side of smokiness. All the flavors were spot on, and the Chicken was cooked perfectly. The portion size was above average, and I was happy to take home more than half my meal and have it the next night for dinner.
My veg friendly companion had the Butternut Squash Ravioli served in a Sage brown butter sauce. It was also garnished with a few crispy Sage leaves. One of my favorite flavor combinations, this dish was absolutely delicious and a big hit.
Every time I’ve heard someone talk about Fifi’s, dessert is mentioned at some point in the conversation. So I was thrilled when our server led us up to the dessert case and flipped on the lights so we could get a good look at our choices. Everything looked, um, fantastic, but I decided to go with the Lemon Chiffon Cake with a drizzle of Strawberry sauce. Wow is about all I can say. The cake was moist, light and fluffy with gentle hints of lemon. We also tried the Chocolate Lava-esque Cake that was smothered in Chocolate sauce with a scoop of ice cream on the side. Delicious but a bit too heavy for me after my entrée.
Above everything else, there is one thing that was lacking from the evening. With a name like Fifi’s, I was expecting an air of uncomfortable pretentiousness and conceit. Instead I got an unaffected and relaxed atmosphere. My overall impressions of Fifi’s are really very positive. The restaurant was chic, the food was good, and the service was flawless. Next I plan on trying lunch, the crepes look fantastic!
Almost forgot to mention the wine: We had a yummy Tempranillo. There are wine specials on all of the weekdays. Check out their website for more details.
www.fifisorlando.com
2 comments:
Great post! The place seems much friendlier now.
I loved this place too!!! Are you my long lost foodie sister?
Post a Comment