Kingfisher Seafood Opens
Kingfisher Seafood spins up in Fairhope: Although Saturday night is not ‘a fit night out’ for man nor beast, that’s when Kingfisher Seafood, Fairhope’s newest dining spot, holds its second ‘soft opening.’ Colleen and I are fortunate enough to be invited. From visiting this Louisiana seafood restaurant and meeting its owners previously, my hunch says, ‘good dining experience’ ahead. After all, Kingfisher’s owners are not rookies; they’re the same people who run The Chimes and Parrain’s, popular restaurants in Louisiana. Looking at the menu, we see a lot of tempting choices.
We start with appetizers of Crab & Brie soup for Colleen and char-grilled oysters Black Jack for me. For my main course, the Ponchartrain speaks to me: Panéed drum topped with crabmeat and caper-hollandaise sauce. Colleen generally avoids fried dishes and has never been a big fan of catfish. So, what does she pick? Fried shrimp and catfish with jambalaya and fries. Go figure. Sometimes, I guess, you have to live life on the wild side. 
When my oysters show up, just the appearance tells me it’s going to be good. Perfectly grilled and served with pepper jack cream sauce, crumbled bacon and pickled jalapeños, the oysters are excellent. I even eat the jalapeños, something I normally don’t do (yikes, is it possible that my love of Louisiana seafood means I’m turning into a Cajun?) One sip of her Crab and Brie soup and Colleen calls it the best she’s ever had (and I must admit, it’s seriously good). Showing up next for both of us are dinner salads that are fresh, chilled and topped with delicious house-made dressings (these don’t last long). 
Our main courses do not disappoint. Fresh as can be, my fish is wonderful. With one bite, I’m confirming that Ponchartrain goes on my ‘would definitely get this again’ list. After trying her catfish, Colleen remarks how good it tastes. Both of our entrees are perfectly prepared and A+ delicious. And don’t overlook the hush puppies, which are excellent.
We note, too, no shortchanging here–you get so much food on the plate that you may be asking for a to-go box. As full (and happy) as I am at this point, I should call it quits. But when word surfaces of a brownie topped with ice cream and praline sauce, I cave. Just like all the other courses, it’s an absolute treat.
It’s not just that the food and service are top notch. All of the staff are welcoming and inviting. Debra, our server, does an excellent job taking care of us. For this being a soft opening (when restaurants try to work out their snags and mistakes before opening to the general public), we are impressed at how smoothly everything happens. Our meals don’t take long to come out, so we know the kitchen crew is on top of their jobs. It’s obvious that Kingfisher’s owners have gone to a lot of work to create a great dining experience, both with all the work rebuilding what used to be the old Wintzell’s restaurant (which was in falling apart condition), as well as training staff. The atmosphere is classy and inviting, but we like that it’s not over-the-top fancy. You can bring the whole family and not have to take out a home equity loan to pay for it. 
The beautiful hardwood floors (repurposed from an old hospital) add character. Is there anything we’d be critical about during our soft opening experience? Not an easy task. The place is packed and people are excited to be here. With the additional theatrics of multiple loud crashes of thunder and lightning along with torrential rain, there’s definitely a lot of noise inside as well as outside. That’s as close to a critical comment as either of us can make. The fact is that–soft opening aside–our first meal at Kingfisher is better than good. It’s outstanding. You know you’ve had a great experience when you talk about friends you want to meet for a meal here.
Kingfisher expects to open to the public at 805 S Mobile St this week. Regular hours are SUN-THU 11am ‘til 10pm and FRI/SAT 11-11. Six and a half years have passed since Fairhope residents had a restaurant operating at this location. They’re getting an all new place complete with dining under the trees outside that–based on our experience–promises to make eastern shore residents thrilled to have Kingfisher Seafood as a part of the community…
