Crafted with care

Lisa Konopasek, a regular customer at Jovalou Cuisine and Cocktails, snaps open a napkin as a server places a steamy plate of Atlantic salmon on her table. As she takes her first bite, the expression on her face indicates that it’s grilled to perfection, lightly seasoned with a cedar and citrus blend.

A friend sitting across from Lisa digs into her wings, one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant. She’s able to choose between 15 sauces and nine dressings, and Jenny, their server, helps her choose a perfect pairing.

Weekends generally find Jovalou, a trendy diner in Fairfield, busy. One of its many draws is the weekend special, the reason why customers Ralph and Melissa Barbre eat at the bistro nearly every Friday night it’s open.

“I can try a lot of different dishes,” says Ralph. “I don’t have to worry about looking through the menu and choosing. I love everything they create.”

Niki Casper, co-owner of Jovalou, started working in diners in Mill Shoals, where she grew up. At a very young age, she found herself washing dishes, waiting tables and doing whatever was needed. In her late 20s, she moved to Texas to help a friend open his own restaurant, and it was there that she began to see how the restaurant business worked and how, were she ever to open her own business, she wanted to run one.

Then, one day after returning to Illinois, Niki noticed a vacant suite on Main Street in Fairfield. Years earlier, she’d reflected that if she ever opened her own business, she would love to have a diner in that precise location.

She loved the porthole-shaped window set inside the recessed entryway of the old A-frame. “It had both a classy and a nostalgic look,” Niki says. Soon after, she signed a lease, and her family pitched in to help fix the place up.

Her dad had replicas made of some beautiful tables that Niki had found online, while her mom, whom Niki describes as “the queen of small touches,” arranged decor that, as Niki says, defined various spaces inside the restaurant. Everything came together to what can be described as atmospheric, unique, inviting and peaceful.

In choosing the name of the restaurant, Niki took the names of her two daughters (Livi Lou, as they call her, and Addison Jo), as well as her niece Ava, and came up with Jovalou. “It sounded French,” says Niki, “and I love French cuisine, so it was perfect.”

Customers rave over just about everything at Jovalou. The Burger of the Month is a huge favorite. Niki and her husband Michael have come up with nearly 50 varieties for it. The alfredo sauce is a standout. Red snapper with creole sauce, buffalo chicken, beef and noodles, pot roast — the list of customer favorites goes on and on.

“Even their vegetables are amazing,” says Ralph. “Niki and Michael put so much effort into everything, and their sauces and seasonings are the best.”

Niki agrees that she and Michael sink a lot of thought and time into crafting each menu item. “I can smell how dishes and sauces blend together,” she says. “I’m always adding depth and layers, and looking for the perfect blend of sweet, acidity and heat.”

Cocktails are also a big draw at Jovalou, and Niki and Michael are careful to use fresh ingredients, just as they do with their menu items. Along with their staff of seven, the couple arrange occasional brainstorming sessions to come up with new cocktails, which can also be enjoyed without alcohol.

Favorites include the Strawberry Basil Pineapple Smash, various flavors of mojitos, and the Pineapple Upside Down Martini. Lavender in season, fragrant basil, mint, rosemary and freshly squeezed lemon make their drinks stand out.

While the hours can be grueling, Niki and Michael own two more restaurants and are at work at one of them pretty much every day, all day. Niki says there’s nothing like watching her customers laughing and enjoying a family meal that she and her team worked so hard to make.

“It’s magical to know you’ve provided an atmosphere and food and laughter inside a place that you’ve created,” she says.