Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2023

(Opposite) The dining room at Frannie & The Fox (This
page, right): Market catch served with beluga lentils and
caper butter; (Below, clockwise): Roasted chicken breast
over heirloom barley, kabocha and oat streusel; Chef Paulo
Rossin, chef de cuisine and Italy native; mussels come with
pancetta, potato and creme fraiche.
before joining Makeready.”
Morton's passion for Italian foodways
was also a good fit for the Frannie & The Fox
concept.
“My wife and I traveled to Emilia-
Romagna (known for its gastronomic and
wine-making traditions) several years ago,” says
Morton. “Also Bologna and Modena, where I
went through the process of making balsamic
vinegar and parmesan. How they cook in Italy
was fresh in my mind and really helped shape
the concept here.”
On a second visit in April, Morton was
joined by Frannie chef de cuisine Paolo Rossin,
an Italian native. They spent ten days cooking
with a local chef in Rome.
The kitchen's marriage of Italian sensibilities
and ingredients from both local and global
purveyors were on display the evening my guest
and I sat down for dinner. Sources include
GrowFood Carolina, Kings Tide, Hunter Cattle
and a chef/farmer in Italy growing his own
wheat for pasta.
We shared several dishes from the “small
plates” menu: A fantastic confit potato with a
rich parmesan fonduta and herbaceous salsa
verde—a dish chef says exemplifies their philosophy
of making two or three choice ingredients
really shine.
Blue crab from Crosby's Seafood showed
up in fritters, blended with mascarpone cheese,
fried to a delightful crispness and paired with a
Calabrian chili aioli.
Blue Point oysters from North Carolina,
simply presented on the half shell with an herb
butter and preserved lemon, drew their distinct
flavor from the wood-fired oven.
Next, we sampled the apple panzanella, a
tangy kale salad moistened with a honey vinaigrette
in a novel presentation on melted taleggio
cheese—one of my favorites.
From the “large plates” section we sampled
the seasonal squash agnolotti, served with a
flavorful bacon-y guanciale jam (which can
be omitted for vegetarian guests.) The ricotta
gnocchi, another great meatless option, was
light and bright with wood-fired cauliflower,
brown butter and lemon.
We chose the Calabrese pizza from a list
of intriguing looking pies: the mildly spiced
sausage was offset by earthy escarole—an ingredient
that's very traditional in Italy that Rossin
insisted on highlighting in the dish. Molto bene!
Our finale: A decadent layered cake made
with pistachio flour imported from Italy, piled
high with buttercream frosting and paired with
a dollop of goat cheese gelato that added a
pleasant savory note to the sweet dish.
Cozy and cool, Frannie & The Fox brings
a new twist to the mix with an innovative menu,
on-trend venue, and unique touches that pack a
wow factor. •
Frannie & The Fox
181 Church St., Charleston
843-577-2644
Instagram @frannieandthefox
Frannieandthefox.com
November/December 2023 | 91