Worth the wait
Even though it took Fero a little more time to open than the rest of the Pizitz Food Hall, the wait was well worth it.
Fero, the only fine dining, sit-down restaurant at the Pizitz Food Hall, officially opened in July. It has since received a positive response to its one-of-a-kind Italian food, “rustic with a modern twist,” as Nicky Vann, Fero’s executive general manager, said. The delay in the opening was largely due to construction and gave them more time to iron out decisions on the new restaurant.
“There’s a lot of love that’s gone into every single decision we have made,” Vann said.
So far, Vann said Fero has been popular to locals and Birmingham visitors, as well as large business groups. The space has a cool and refined atmosphere, with wooden table and chairs, along with low-lighting and candles. Vann said it’s a popular date destination, but it’s still casual enough for people to not be intimidated to come in. They also offer bar seating where peoaple can watch the food being made.
“People find us and wander in. It’s an adventure to come in here and try the food,” Vann said. “Plus it’s a little sexy, with cool lights, cool music. “
The restaurant specializes in offering updated versions of old-school dishes. All the pastas and sauces are made by hand with ingredients that are sourced within 20 miles of the restaurant.
“These are Italian dishes that have been happening for hundreds of years,” she said. “So we take new techniques and ingredients, and we get to play around with them.”
Vann said they encourage the Italian culture of family-styled food. They offer several sharable starters, including the crab toast, vitello tonnato, burrata, fritto misto and classic oysters. The menu is split up by starters, pasta, mains and vegetables.
“This is the only restaurant I’ve worked at where I eat there every day that I work,” said Seama Khan, assistant general manager.
A few of the popular dishes, Khan said, include duck breast, which is made up of potato risotto, castelvetrano olives and bone marrow; asparagus carbonara, made with tarragon, egg yolk, brown butter and hazelnut pesto; and free form ravioli, made from braised lamb, harissa and smoked ricotta.
Vann said her love for fine dining started with her interest in hospitality and the culture surrounding it. That’s why, she said, the entire wait staff was hand-chosen.
“This is a home, I wanted to know that I could invite all these people that work with me into my home,” Vann said. “I want customers who come here to feel warm and welcome and natural.”
When dining at Fero, Vann wanted to make sure each and every customer felt the genuine love for hospitality and the food that is served.
Despite the spike in Birmingham’s fine dining food scene, Fero is one of the few restaurants where the chef is not a native of Birmingham.
Chef Akhtar Nawab spent the last several years navigating his career as a chef in the fast-paced food scene in New York. He is the owner of Alta Calidad, Choza Taqueria and Indie Fresh in New York.
When he and other New-York-based chefs realized there was a booming food and beverage scene in Birmingham, the idea of Fero — which in Italian means iron — was born.
This November, Fero will be switching up some menu items to use seasonal fall ingredients, and will offer seasonal dessert and cocktail menus, in addition to more fall-driven recipes.
Fero is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m., with the same lunchtime hours on Friday but remaining open until 11 p.m. On Saturday, it is open from 5-11 p.m., and Sunday from 5-10 p.m. To learn more or to make a reservation, visit ferorestaurant.com.
The article has been updated on Oct. 20 to reflect Chef Akhtar Nawab owning Alta Calidad, Choza Taqueria and Indie Fresh, as well as the captioned name of Doug Hesselgesser, Fero's Chef de Cuisine, in the picture.