1.26.2008

i want more.


okay.  so right on the heals of my last blog, i have an entry about a place dan and i checked out last night:

wildfire

this place has a special GF menu that you can check out here.  i have to say that my dinner was super good.  since it was our first visit, the manager stopped by and offered us a free appetizer and we enjoyed 2 skewers of deliciously grilled, bacon-wrapped scallops.  the accompanying apricot sauce is not GF, and i don't eat meat (just fish), so i had my 3 scallops naked.  i have to say, they really didn't need anything as they were quite tender and tasty.  
for dinner i ordered the portabello mushroom and goat cheese sandwich off the GF menu.  it was SO GOOD.  we're talking a wonderfully seasoned mushroom cap with a cupcake-style swirl of goat cheese on top, and tart, tangy roasted red pepper slices and bits of some green (arugula?) all on a soft GF bun.  on the side i ordered herb-butter broccoli which came out as this massive spear laid in a small dish with a delicate butter sauce and tasty seasoning.

i shared this side with dan who ordered the red skin mashed potatoes (also GF).  those were quite delish as well.  dan got his meal from the regular menu and enjoyed a nice bit of steak with grilled shrimp skewers and it must of have been pretty tasty because he ate the whole thing.  i wound up taking 1/2 of my sandwich home only to eat it a few hours later because it was such a treat.  i haven't had a sandwich in almost 6 years!  but even if you scarfed down a sandwich yesterday, you'll still love it.  we enjoyed all this mingled with some nice pinot grigio and talks about things that made us laugh.

the atmosphere of the place has kind of a cool 1940s vibe to it with old pictures blown up on the walls to drive that idea home.  we were lucky and wound up against a wall in a booth, where we could see the crowded main dining area packed with tables and chairs and people and wait staff winding about carrying heaving trays on their shoulders.  they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. but dan and i tend towards quieter places and so our out-of-the-way location was much appreciated.  

reservations:  YES yes and yes.  i made ours on opentable, where you can earn points towards dinging dollars and such.  i had this pegged down a week in advance, although if you make yours on wednesday you'll probably get something decent.

cost:  with appetizer, dinner and no wine, plan on it running around $40 per person.  my sandwich only came to $10 and our app was free, so we made out with a smaller bill.

info:

wildfire
159 west erie street
chicago 60610
312.787.9000

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