A recent quote from 30A.com:

 12/10: Fire's fresh seafood taco may be the most delicious thing I've ever sampled on 30A. You can grab two for lunch every Thurs for just $7! (+$3 margaritas)
 

Happy first anniversary to Fire Restaurant

Written by Debbie Wheeler
July 17, 2008
 
Happy first anniversary to Fire Restaurant
 
Fire restaurant celebrated its one-year anniversary July 13 with a small soiree to say "thank you" to all the locals who have helped sustain it. The 30A Posse turned out in force for the event, including Ladie Bea and Wayne Carlisle, Jim Ross, Susan Thornton, Nancy James, Tony and Mary Derck, Susie Munz, Redd and Paul Vizard, Sandy and Paul Luchtefeld, Dana and Tom Saffel, Toni and Ray Wheeler, Steve and Karen Wagner, Sherry and Mike McCarty, and Joe Serrato.

Fire: A Warm Spot in Grayton Beach

33 Clayton Lane, Grayton Beach, 231-9020
Hours: Lunch 11:30-2 p.m. T-F
Dinner 5:30 p.m. T-Sat
Sunday Brunch 11 a.m.
    

By Bruce Collier November 15, 2007 Issue

The decision to eat at Fire was made almost at the last minute. We were scheduled to eat elsewhere, but switched off and took our chances without a reservation. Fire is located on Clayton Lane, which you may not know, but if I told you it’s on CR283, one block north of CR-30A, it should be more familiar.

Fire occupies a building once used as a catering business and kitchen. The place has been redecorated to accommodate diners, with a number of small, separate rooms, like a house. The walls are painted in earthy tones, and hung with abstract art and Belle-Epoque beverage posters. Wine racks sit along the walls. In the back is a large bar area, with televisions that are kept at a low volume level. Soft, jazzy music floats through the other rooms.

We were seated and given menus. The tables and chairs are of polished wood, and comfortable, with cloth table linens. Wine glasses stand at the ready, to be filled from a list of bottles or wines by the glass. Fire also has a short list of red and white wines at quite affordable prices, plus daily specials. There’s also beer, and some wine-based mixed drinks.

Our server told us that the menu varies seasonally, and that the chef sometimes changes things up daily, so what we had may not be available when you go. The organization of the menu is basic: starters, salads, and entrees. Desserts are recited at meal’s end, or at the beginning if you need to plan ahead.

My friend chose the day’s soup — smoked cheddar with pickle relish. I chose a seared Asian-style tuna, served with lettuce wraps and daikon/carrot slaw. The salads looked interesting, but we also wanted to try a selection of house dips. We ordered a trio of those, and asked the server to hold off entering our main course orders. We wanted to do a literal gut check after the starters before ordering a salad so as not to waste.

The dips came on a large plate, with endive, toasted pita slices, and corn chips in Christmas colors of green and red. We got olive, apricot habanero, and red pepper and peanut cilantro dips. They were variously creamy, salty, sweet/hot, and tangy, and made a very decorative display.

The soup had a true smoky cheddar flavor, countered by the tangy relish. My tuna was rare and tender, and filled several crunchy lettuce packages for dipping into the soy ginger vinaigrette. Other starters were flash-fried calamari, panko-crusted oysters, smoked salmon crepes, and a Gorgonzola filo with mushroom carpaccio. Despite all that we had eaten, we felt the need of a salad.

Fire offered four salads that night: grilled romaine, roasted beet, mixed greens, and pineapple with bibb lettuce. We chose the last. The lettuce came with wedges of sweet grilled pineapple, shredded cheddar, spiced walnuts, and a light buttermilk dressing. It was plenty for two.

The night was chilly, and the kitchen was roasting pheasant, so I got that. My friend chose a parmesan-crusted veal cutlet. Other entrees were pork roulades stuffed with duck sausage, seared scallops, butternut squash and shrimp fettuccine, grilled tuna, blackened tuna, and braised short ribs. All came with imaginative sides, such as celery root remoulade relish, roasted pepper and tomato rice, Swiss chard cake, anchovy pepper and sweet potato croquettes, and cassoulet.

As we had asked, our server kept the meal leisurely, appearing regularly to refill water, pour wine, and clear away. When the entrees came, we were ready for them. My pheasant was plump and tender, with a date compote. It sat on a mound of pureed cauliflower (easily the best way to serve that vegetable), with crisp “walnut-scented” shoestring potatoes. My friend’s tender veal was topped with roasted mushrooms and a lemon beurre blanc. Her side was a truffled pasta “mac and cheese.”

After all this, we weren’t stuffed, just satisfied, and ready to tackle dessert. On offer was a molten chocolate-chipotle pepper soufflé, a devil’s food cake and cheesecake “sandwich,” key lime torte, honey or vanilla bean ice cream, and sorbets. My friend got the soufflé and I got the sorbets, possibly because we wanted the order to rhyme.

The soufflé was melting hot, and tasted like spicy cake batter — that’s a compliment. A pile of real whipped cream cooled things off. My three sorbets were melon and Gewurztraminer, persimmon, and plum with sake, served in little martini glasses. All were light and refreshing, but the persimmon had the strongest fruit flavor. The melon got a touch of spice from the Gewurztraminer. The plum in sake was more like a sushi-bar cocktail, and a good finish to the meal.

Hospitality reigns as king at Fire Restaurant

Written By Deborah Wheeler
August 28, 2007

In the South, hospitality can determine who is popular or not; and it can make a business, or the lack of it can break one.

Lisa Hinds was so impressed with the hospitality, service and food she discovered at Fire Restaurant in Grayton Beach that she chose it as the setting for her 50th birthday party.

Two-dozen women showed up at Fire for the celebration Aug. 25, which provided two of its private dining rooms for the event, with a reception and pre-dinner mingling in one and dinner in the other.

Hinds knew the first time she visited Fire that was where she wanted to have her big celebration, even though the restaurant had been open only seven weeks.

“The owner of Fire, was so pleasant and such a great hostess with great food, I wanted to welcome them and introduce the community to them,” said Hinds.  

With five different dining rooms plus a separate bar area in back, Fire is easily able to accommodate private parties, which are welcome.

“I want it to be a favorite of locals. I want it to be comfortable and so that we get to know the locals by name, as well as welcoming to visitors,” the owner said.

Although the owner and executive chef Carl Schubart are New Orleans natives, she prefers foods served in the wine country region of Napa and Sonoma Valley. "In California’s wine region, dishes aren’t served with rich sauces"

“We came up with a menu that allows the star of the plate to shine. We don’t mask what is there with rich sauces.

“Our food is fresh when you order. Several of us have gardens, so vegetables are also fresh,” she said.  However, sometimes a New Orleans flair might sneak in.

Menus will be seasonal and change twice yearly, with lighter fare for the warmer months, which also allows Darr to buy fruits and vegetables in season.

In the restaurant’s beer and wine offerings, there is also a heavy American leaning. Wine selections from California, Oregon and Washington State are plenty, with some Italian and French selections.

Bottled and draft beers are offered in imported or domestic varieties. The specialty is Lazy Magnolia from a small microbrewery in southern Mississippi.

For those special parties or celebrations, Fire will prepare special menus.

Hinds chose a pineapple salad for her celebration. She left the details for a light dessert and three entrée selections up to Fire. Hinds said she was pleased with the outcome.

For more information, see www.restaurantfire.com.

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire - Restaurant Grayton Beach

August 17th, 2007 Categories: Restaurant Reviews, South Walton Living

New Orleans loss is South Walton’s gain as Fire Restaurant has transplanted from the Big Easy to Grayton Beach. This outstanding little restaurant excels at both lunch and dinner.

Fire SignThere is a lot of restaurant competition in the little hamlet of Grayton Beach. At last count there are about a dozen restaurants in this tiny community, and many of them are very good. I’m hoping that the people who have homes in Seaside, homes in Watercolor and homes in The Lake Place in Grayton and others will support this unique little restaurant as often as possible.

Fire opened in New Orleans a few months before Katrina and then reopened fairly quickly after the storm, but the unsteadiness of the market took its toll.

So the owners, who vacationed here, took nine of their employees and came to Grayton Beach. And boy are we glad they did.

There’s a great little bar area with flat panel televisions for sporting events and enough tables/seats for about 30 or so people. There are several small dining areas if you want things a little more private.

The upbeat attitude of the waitstaff is a real positive, but the food is the real star of the show. The unique Dip Trio is an excellent starter. You have the choice of six dips in which to choose your trio. On a recent lunch excursion Vicki and I were with our clients and friends, Laura Blumberg and Ruth Horn, and we started with the Apricot-Habanero, Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Peanut Cilantro and Sun Dried Tomato dips. The really fresh chips and grilled pita bread are excellent accompaniments.

Ruth and Laura went with the delicious chicken salad with cucumbers, avocado and crispy won tons. Vicki had the Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato and Fontina Napoleon - this dish was slightly heavy on the fried side, so be forewarned. I went with the Peppercorn Crusted Tuna, Olive Salad, Crumbled Feta and Herb Vinaigrette Salad - excellent. We finished with the cheesecake with a passion fruit drizzle and four spoons.

On a recent dinner outing with Richard and Dee McNeese, we had another memorable dining experience while mixing in some Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon with our fare. We started with the trio again, but this time went with the Olive, Roasted Garlic-Feta Hummus and Caramelized Onion as our three choices. The other star appetizer of that night was the Cheesy Biscuits - Phyllo Wrapped Gorgonzola and Fig Gastrique. I know they don’t look like biscuits, but boy were they good.

The star of the main course was Vicki’s dish - the Pan Seared Diver Scallops, Crispy Eggplant, Mascarpone-Arugula Risotto, with Roasted Red Pepper-Black Olive Relish. That’s a long description, but this dish kicked in beautifully with both the Chardonnay via the Scallops and Mascarpone Risotto while the Roasted Red Pepper and Olive Relish unleashed the Pinot Noir.

There is also a really unique, interesting and memorable dessert at Fire - the Chocolate Gateau. It’s what you want in a Gateau in that the chocolate crust is slightly crispy, the interior cake is moist and the liquid filling oozes out, but the catch is a little habanero is thrown in the filling leaving an after burn that shakes your nerves and rattles your brain - Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire.

This restaurant is well worth the support of locals and visitors alike. You won’t see Fire just driving down the road, so you have to look for it just a bit in Grayton Beach just north of the four way stop (opposite direction of Red Bar). Visit them online at www.restaurantfire.com or call at 850-231-9020.