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Chef Lee Styer talks Fond, opening August 31
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Chef Lee Styer talks Fond, opening August 31
Last week we shared the menu for Fond, the almost-ready Passyunk Avenue BYOB from a team of Philly fine-dining vets. Today, Meal Ticket touched base with chef Lee Styer, who'll be running the show with pastry chef Jessie Prawlucki and former Lacroix captain Tory Keomanivong.
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Styer, who last worked as a sous chef at Le Bec-Fin along with Prawlucki, says that opening his own place has long been a goal � but this opportunity (1623 E. Passyunk Ave.) came about rather quickly. They were introduced to the 35-seat space (formerly Clementine's and Lynda's Mediterranean) just recently by friends Corey Baver and Lynn Rinaldi, owners of the Ave's successful Izumi and Paradiso. They didn't think much of it at first, but then "the three us started talking more," says Styer. "We ran some numbers and actually took it seriously, and said, 'Let's do it. Let's give it a shot.' It wasn't really planned out ahead of time."
It may have come to fruition fast, but don't think that'll translate to anything other than quality � the trio's pedigrees speak for themselves, what with the chefs' LBF chops and Keomanivong's stint spearheading the FOH show at the Rittenhouse. (Meal Ticket was lucky enough to have him guide us through the cheeses during a visit to Lacroix awhile back, and it's an understatement to say that he killed it.)
Styer's menu comes off refined, too, with dishes like yellowfin crudo with gazpacho consomme and pork with maitakes; they plan on doing three specials a night, too. But the chef stresses how casual Fond will be. "We definitely want to fit into the neighborhood," says Styer of the booming corridor. "We don't want to be stuffy. Though we all come from well-rounded French backgrounds, we don't want a stigma of [people thinking] this'll be the same thing as where we came from."
If all goes as planned, Fond will open to the public on Monday, August 31.
Lee, Congrats and best of luck to a great nephew. I was so happy for you when your mom told me. Have a wonderful grand opening I will be thinking of you. Maybe some day I will get a chance to dine at your restaurant. Love Always, Aunt Karin
[...] of Le Bec-Fin) and former Lacroix captain Tory Keomanivong. For some background, check out our recent chat with Styer, as well as his opening [...]
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