Firebox Hartford

If you haven't tried Firebox in Hartford I have to ask why? It has just jumped into the number one position on my list of favorite places to eat. Kasey and John took us the to celebrate Al's 70th birthday and we were blown away. The food and service were outstanding. 

The concept is outstanding as well. giving jobs and opportunities to the Frog Hollow neighborhood and using locally sourced food, it is a win win proposition. 

You really need to have reservations.A parking lot and valet parking are adjacent to the building but parking is also available on the street, not that I would want to park on the street, there was a rather large group of kids and young teens hanging about and that made me just a little uncomfortable. 

We had early reservations, 6:15 and that was good, it got much busier by the time we left. 

The menu is not huge and on this particular night, there were no specials since there were new adjustments to the menu. The soup of the day was tomato basil and they had a soda of the day and a mixed drink of the day. 

I had checked the menu ahead of time and knew I want to order two appetizers instead of an entree. I ordered the Brussels sprouts and the cheese plate. Al ordered the ribeye steak, John the chicken and Kasey the soup and a salad. 

Our waiter was attentive and was able to guide us through the menu and the drink menu. We had some of their delicious bread to tide us over. 

I have to say, their Brussels sprouts are the best I have ever had anywhere, even my own. The presentation was cute too in a little cast iron pan. I threatened to take it home with me which our waiter found very amusing. 

The cheese plate included four selections, crostini, strawberries, grapes, Marcona almonds, and honey. It was delicious. 

Al's steak was cooked perfectly and those fingerling potatoes cooked in duck fat were to die for!! 

You would think that we would be too full for dessert but you would be wrong. I had heard from Kasey how good their desserts were and I had no intention of missing out on the pleasure. Kasey and John shared a berry short cake, we shared the lime curd. Oh my, the perfect dessert, light and not too sweet with whipped cream and fresh blueberries. With my cappuccino, it was the perfect ending. 

Perfection does not come cheap, Kasey had two of the drinks of the day and they were $13 each. The meal for the four of us ran over $200 without tip. Was it worth it, absolutely, I can't wait to go back there again.  Check out the Firebox menu here.