The Fat Hen

Maggie Books
September 7 2007

When I told my sister, and soon to be frequent eating companion, that I would be a restaurant critic her first response was, “Start with the Fat Hen.” That seemed easy enough. If you keep up with new up and coming restaurants, you’ve heard of the Fat Hen. It’s the restaurant that too over John’s Island Café, revamped it and now serves Southern cuisine with a French flair.

The first thing I noticed was the parking. It can be a challenge if they’re busy, but believe me the food is a worthy cause. The building itself isn’t the most prestigious looking, but when I sat down I understood the vibe. Imagine eating yummy traditional Southern food in a French country home. The casual South meets a refined French bistro on the table. Next to the tall, thin-stemmed wine glass is a mason jar for water and it all sits on a butcher’s block table top. It adds a certain funky flair to the French pictures on the walls and to the wine and specialty drink lists written on chalk boards.

The menu is anything and everything. On my first visit I started with the fried green tomatoes topped with goat cheese and diced bell peppers. Delicious, crunchy and I tasted the tomato not the batter. Then I settled for crab cakes while my friend chose the bouillabaisse. The crab cakes were how I liked them, made with all crab and golden brown. Personally I’d rather not have specks of veggies in my crab cakes; I’d rather take out those pieces of orange and green and make more room for crab. The perfectly portioned crab cakes are served with fries and fantastic bleu cheese cole slaw. If you don’t like bleu cheese (like me) you haven’t had it like this, and you haven’t lived until you’ve had it. My friend’s bouillabaisse is a good example of the Southern-French fusion. Instead of her bouillabaisse (a mixture of seafood in a broth) being in the traditional tomato base, it was topped with a light garlic butter sauce. It was stunning to look at and satisfying on the way down.

I already knew what I wanted for my second visit. I had been eying the brisket on my previous visit and was determined to try it this time. I started with escargot, one of their specials of the night, and was sadly let down. Instead of tasting the snail, all I got was the butter sauce they sat in. Disappointing, but not a night killer. My dinner companion, who wishes her alias to be Frank, was there for the mussels. For weeks she had been hearing about the different sauces and how delectable they were. She decided on the Marnier style (the small portion is perfect for one person) and happily slurped them down. My brisket was gorgeous. With an amazingly deep, saturated reddish color with an aroma that could wake anyone up, I dug in. I first tasted sweet, then tang, and I swallowed a heat that stayed in my mouth. I watched Frank as she tasted, “It’s got good legs.” I had heard it on one of those popular food shows and had been saving it to use during a critic moment.

No restaurant can pass on just appetizers and entrees; it’s all in the desserts. Even if you’re full to capacity, take a break and fit in dessert. On my two visits I tried lemon sorbet, fluff mud pie, and two types of cobblers. There should be medals for restaurants with fantastic cobblers. The first time I had a peach cobbler, made from local grown peaches, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. On the second visit Frank was presented with a blueberry cobbler à la mode. Both were gooey and wonderful. The mud pie, always a crowd pleaser, is thick and decadent meant to be eaten slowly and perfect with a cup of coffee.

The Fat Hen is a great restaurant for families and business friends alike. A bar menu is also available and stars the selection of mussels, but other dinner items are available. Lunch is 11:30-3:30, but I’ll be going back for brunch on Sunday (9am-3:30). Go out and enjoy a night of good food, drink and company at a casual and inviting country home.

The Fat Hen
3140 Maybank Highway
John’s Island
(843) 559-9090
Closed Mondays
www.thefathen.com