Bring on the butter, the bread,  and the real cream too. Forbidden foods? Renowned Twin Cities restaurateur David Fhima embraces them (and sugar and salt as well). It isn't exactly what you'd expect from the Executive Chef of Life Time Fitness. But Fhima's approach has nothing to do with pigging out--and everything to do with eating well.

The high-profile chef, with a history of epic successes and failures, recently returned to the local restaurant scene. He now serves up his "eating well" mantra daily at FACES Mears Park in St. Paul's trendy Lowertown neighborhood. And thanks to Fhima, Wayzata High School's lunch line will never be the same.

Fhima's philosophy was undoubtedly shaped by his upbringing in Casablanca, Morocco. At a very young age, he learned to butcher meats, clean fish, and prepare lentils. Meals were dictated by what was available at the local market. Nothing ever came out of a box or a can. Fhima says he developed a deep appreciation for food--fat and all.

"I firmly believe the only bad foods are the foods that don't come from mother nature. Our body does not care if we eat fat or if we don't eat fat. Our body cares about the quality of food that we put into it," Fhima insists. "We need to feed our bodies foods that are from natural sources that aren't processed. I'm talking about grass-fed meats and organic foods in many cases. These are foods our bodies will recognize immediately."

The Fake-Health-Food Trap

That means steering clear of diet drinks, sugar-free snacks, and Atkins-approved appetizers. Given their fat-free and low-carb labels, many consider these products bona fide health foods. Fhima blames the plethora of processed foods on store shelves, as well as aggressive marketing, for the confusion over what constitutes healthy eating.

"All of the marketing and all of the diet stuff have destroyed the word 'healthy,'" he says. "Diet foods are loaded with synthetic and man-made engineered products that your body doesn't recognize. There's nothing healthy about that."

So while you may be in The Zone and shedding pounds, Fhima believes dieters are in a constant state of deprivation. He says our bodies don't recognize unnatural ingredients such as additives and fillers, so our cravings are never satisfied. Deprivation leads to depression, and crashing is inevitable.

Then there's taste.

"How many people have you heard say, 'Let's sit down to a great diet meal together?'" Fhima says and laughs.

It all comes down to our relationship with food. In the land of concrete shakes, baconators and supersized everything, convenience and cost have trumped taste, Fhima says. Americans cut corners instead of truly celebrating and savoring food. He's talking about pleasure--eating slowly with all of your senses and being satisfied with smaller portions. (You know, the reason why French Women Don't Get Fat.)

"We need to feed our stomachs and our souls," Fhima insists. "If we like something, we need to eat it, but that needs to be coupled with personal responsibility. When you have a personal relationship with food there is a much higher level of respect for food, which results in respect for your body."

Fhima, FACES, and Fitness

Despite his strong feelings, Fhima doesn't want to cram his philosophy down anyone's throat. Still, many are "eating it up" every time they place an order at FACES. His secret: presenting familiar American cuisine that utilizes sustainable and organic ingredients--many of those coming from local farms, including grass-fed beef from Wisconsin.

"I want to promote eating well and eating good product," he says. "You do that by giving people food they recognize...and doing it really well."

The chef says he's traded in decades of cooking fancy fare like truffles and baby quail for more recognizable, everyday meals. The diverse menu at FACES includes everything from Monte Cristo and Croque Monsieur sandwiches to organic roast chicken and Asian tuna.

FACES is also home to a bakery and marketplace deli for orders on the go. Both rely on all-natural ingredients and unbleached flour for their products. Breads, pastries, and desserts are made with honey or raw sugar instead of refined sweeteners. The space also holds a bar and bottle shop, which features imported fine wines and a notable selection of organic options.

In addition to the daily restaurant demands, FACES supplies 17 Life Time Fitness locations with everything from breads to cookies and muffins. As Executive Chef, Fhima has spent the last four years developing menus that reflect his "eating well" model. "The goal at Life Time," he says, "was to create food that was very tasty out of real, natural and organic product...end of story, period."

David Goes to High School

Convincing health nuts and gym rats to eat well isn't exactly a stretch. But what about sending a message to picky teenagers who survive on sugary pop and Pop-Tarts? Fhima gladly accepted the challenge this fall and is now part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. The initiative provides schools, families, and communities with tools to help fight childhood obesity.

Fhima's part: providing Wayzata High School with 51% whole-wheat hamburger buns and sliced whole-wheat  and sourdough breads. FACES also delivers all-natural and organic pizzas for the high school's � la carte program.

"I was extremely interested in looking at pizza that was less processed," says Mary Anderson, who refers to herself as the "head, head lunch lady" at the Wayzata School District. "We are always searching for the best quality we can offer to our kids. If we can get that through local sources, that's really important to us," the Culinary Express supervisor says.

While many Minnesota districts are taking advantage of farm-to-school programs to provide fresh produce, Fhima admits his partnership with Wayzata High School isn't feasible for everyone."It's very difficult from a budget perspective, but the more schools that want to do this, the higher the volume, the cheaper it is to do," he insists.

The partnership isn't a cash cow for FACES either. Fhima says his business is barely breaking even on it. Still, the restaurateur is passionate about expanding the operation and is determined to eventually get on the menu at inner-city schools.

"We will," Fhima insists. "I never ever get discouraged. I am eternally optimistic...maybe to a fault. Maybe I'm a dreamer. Or maybe it makes me the right person for this job."

The former editor of Twin Cities Statement magazine, Lori Storm has been a producer at KARE 11 and is currently a freelance writer, field producer, and media trainer. Her last piece for The Line was a feature on a Twin Cities couple who import South African wines.


Photos, top to bottom:

David Fhima: The Moroccan-born chef learned about real food in the markets of Casablanca.

FACES Mears Park, in Saint Paul's booming Lowertown, is Fhima's real-food showplace.

The bar at FACES

Fhima firing up his cuisine

FACES fare: Sea bass seared in smoked butter with potato mousseline and a light teriyaki/sesame glaze.

All photos by Bill Kelley