Well Fed On the Town

From the website one might get the idea that only special thing about Firefly is the plaster cast of a tree, hung with lanterns, smack dab in the middle of the dining room. While the tree is pretty darn spectacular and the subdued lighting and decoration gives the place a warmth and coziness that many local bistros try and just fail to achieve. From the lit bar to the row of birches along the back wall and the IKEA-esque track lighting and finishing with the menu, Firefly is the perfect place to while away a winter afternoon.

After walking about a mile in heels to meet a friend for lunch there recently, I was thrilled to find it quiet at noon and even more thrilled to see that the menu was filled with comfort food faves. We had a hard time choosing, but in the end Patricia went with the “family recipe” chicken matzoh ball soup to start, the Cobb salad on our waiter’s recommendation, and the warm apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. I chose the mushroom caps stuffed with pesto and drizzled with balsamic syrup, the porcini and pumpkin risotto, finishing off with the Bartlett pear sorbet accompanied by a salty oat cookie.

While a trifle salty for my taste, the chicken soup was pronounced delicious. The matzoh ball was the lightest I’ve ever had, but not particularly tasty and it got left behind after a few bites. Patricia fished it out and drank the rest of the chicken soup from the bowl, proving that you just can’t take some people anywhere. The mushroom caps were tasty- the basil pesto was fresh tasting, touched with parmesan for a slightly rich flavor.

Patricia’s salad was a Cobb salad, plain and simple. The mix of Boston lettuce, arugula and spinach added a bit of tang, but other than that it was a salad. She’d also considered the Waldorf with poached shrimp and one of our neighbors had ordered it- we found it amusing that the green apple, rather than being served in chunks, was shaved into a plentiful coiling mass over the dish.

The risotto presented an interesting issue. I don’t have what one might consider a wide experience of the stuff, so I was a bit disappointed to find it chewy and underdone, but I kept eating because the flavor of the creamy sauce, and the generous dappling of roasted pumpkin, was all so well seasoned that I was able to ignore the texture of the dish (especially the one, lone slimy mushroom). When our server, Mike, asked how it was, though, I said something.

The response was immediate, swift and impressive. Mike said he would go to the back and taste the risotto himself. After a moment J.R., the assistant manager, appeared to see what the deal was. She asked if I wanted anything else (asking if I was a vegetarian, which was nice of her), and I confessed that I actually was rather fond of the risotto. J.R. apologized, cleared my half-eaten dish away and reappeared with a fresh dish of risotto soon after. The second dish, while lacking in pumpkin, was studded with mushrooms and the risotto grains were more tender. Patricia, who hadn’t been sure what the problem was in the first place was impressed at the change as well. I was not charged for the first portion, though I had eaten more than half of it. The staff was happy to wrap the rest of the second portion.

Sous chef Jason Mousseau is also the pastry chef and I have to say I like his style: dessert was delicious all around. While the menu includes old faves (a brownie sundae and a carrot cake with a topping of pumpkin cheesecake) the real draw are the fruit and ice cream combinations. The ice cream and sorbet were ideally paired: the apple crisp hot, studded with currants and topped with streusel that wasn’t too sugary and a small but flavorful scoop of vanilla. The three scoops of pear sorbet came with a salty oat cookie that was not overly sweet and just crisp enough to complement the sorbet. Both had a lot of flavor and were enough to share.

Chef Daniel Bortnick buys his seafood and veggies locally and in that vein the cheese comes from Cowgirl Creamery (a California based concern that has an outpost near Chinatown in DC) and ice creams are commissioned from Dolcezza Gelateria in Georgetown. Mike told us that as a result many Firefly customers went to Dolcezza asking for their sweet potato ice cream- which Chef Mousseau pairs with a pecan-bourbon tart. Definitely worth a repeat visit there.

While our experience was positive overall, and I plan to go again for happy hour to sample one of their gemstone-themed cocktails, there is one thing that bothered me, and that is the inclusion of The Wedge as an appetizer. Chef Bortnick has created a menu that is truly special without being too fancy-schmancy (I look forward to trying the “Urban Picnic” at a later date) but a wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with blue cheese dressing is not only trendy right now but hardly worth the $8 price tag. That didn’t stop others from ordering it, though, so clearly I need to get with the program.

The restaurant is part of the Hotel Madera, located near Hotel St. George and the newly opened Hudson. The closest Metro is Dupont on the Red line, and it’s a good walk from Georgetown, which makes it the perfect stop off for lunch or dinner after a day of shopping.

Signature cocktails are $12, appetizers range from $3 devilled eggs to $8 Oysters Rockefeller. Lunches go from $12 sandwiches to a $20 steak. Dinners range from a $17 baby spinach and onion casserole to a $27 grilled 8oz steak and sides are available (including their famous truffle fries). Breakfasts range from $7 oatmeal to $19 steak and eggs. There’s something for every budget and taste as well as a full menu of beer and wine. Happy hour is Monday to Friday 5pm to 6pm.

Reservations recommended.

Firefly
1310 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036