Decatur’s Fawn finds a groove with tightly focused wine list, seafood

Fawn underwent an extensive build-out to transform the space from a smoothie joint, and Koval and his kitchen team spent nearly two years coming up with the menu. Some of the most successful dishes have been in development since the beginning, Koval said, including the warm McIntosh oyster and the bluefin tuna bone marrow.

The oyster and marrow appear on both menus and made a lasting impression.

The oyster was a wonder, with rich, warm flavor and firmer texture from its light cooking, highlighted by a salsify and coriander espuma — a sauce that was light, creamy and tart all at the same time.

Credit: Handout

Credit: Handout

The marrow, served in a huge tuna vertebra, was almost a direct counterpoint to the friendly, inviting oyster. The gelatinous marrow was all clean salinity, with tartness from a yuzu vinaigrette. It was more like a raw oyster without the fat. I can’t say it was my favorite dish, but I won’t soon forget it.

Many of Fawn’s dishes require extensive prep but little labor to get on the plate, so the flavors tend to be deep and complex while the service is brisk.

Much of the fish is dry-aged, deepening the natural flavors and enhancing the texture, and Koval said many of Fawn’s ingredients are fermented in-house, including misos, garum (a fermented fish sauce) and soy sauce.

Snapper collar, one of the best pieces of fish you can hope to see on a menu, benefited from the deep umami of hazelnut miso and a beautiful coating of chopped hazelnuts. Decadent pommes macaire, a French potato cake, received a burst of flavor from house-fermented black garlic. And an excellent caviar service featured a haruki radish puree in place of creme fraiche, a quirky but tasty substitute.

Credit: Morgan Wagoner

Credit: Morgan Wagoner

The wine bar experience was elevated by bar manager Matt Watkins’ interesting, amaro-based cocktails and wine selection. The atmosphere was energetic, with an alt-rock playlist heavily referenced by the cocktail menu.

The wine list, which pairs well with seafood, features selections from regions with volcanic soil, such as Sicily, Greece and the Canary Islands, along with the U.S. West Coast. Almacita Brut Nature, a sparkling wine from Argentina, was delightfully dry, while a bottle of the Lemnos red from Greece nicely complemented much of the tasting menu.

There might not be a more engaging chef’s table in the metro area, but our visit in late April turned out to be only the fifth time the Fawn team had served it.

The meal mostly was wonderful, though a few dishes are still finding their sea legs. A crab ravioli had excellent flavor, but the pasta was a touch flabby, and the pure-crab filling could have benefited from some extra fat.

The menu’s piece de resistance, a tuna Wellington, was tasty, but the tender tuna wasn’t as beefy as I had hoped, and its exterior pastry wasn’t cooked to the crispy, burnished crust that I associate with a Wellington.

Credit: Morgan Wagoner

Credit: Morgan Wagoner

For now, the most successful side of Fawn is the wine bar, where diners can try new things with friends in a buzzing, stylish room. As more people discover the bar’s fabulous cooking and singular beverage program, demand for the tasting menu should increase.

I wouldn’t bet against Koval and his team, who constantly are refining the menu. One of its signature dishes, the warm McIntosh oyster, is a good representation of Fawn: unique yet approachable, sophisticated but warm and utterly delicious.

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