Restaurant Rave #1: Wildfire

As someone who enjoys eating ethnic foods (the more obscure the better), I typically avoid standard American restaurants—places where expensive steaks and seafood are served with potatoes and glasses of expensive wine. I am also the kind of person who would rather try a new restaurant each time I go out than return habitually to the same familiar spot. I am rarely so taken with a restaurant or a particular dish that I feel the need to return or recommend it to a friend. So it is particularly unusual for me to publicly extol a restaurant, especially one that is practically the definition of a classic chophouse.

But based on my two experiences at Wildfire (located outside Perimeter Mall), I do not hesitate to add it to my shortlist of favorite restaurants, and encourage everyone to try it for themselves. Minor disclaimer: The only food I have gotten thus far at Wildfire was lunch take-out, so I cannot vouch for table service. Nonetheless, given the degree of care that goes into a simple to-go order, I am confident the servers are of superior quality as well.

The dishes I have eaten are the Char Crusted Turkey Burger and Lemon Chicken Breast. Without going into the details of their ingredients, I will just say that both were cooked perfectly, and flavored with just the right balance of seasonings. The wild rice side is also delicious; mixed with peas and other minced vegetables, it tastes rich and earthy, but not oily, as many wild rice dishes tend to.

Besides the outstanding quality of the food, the attention to detail in packing the to-go order was unexpected and impressive. The main dish and side are packed in separate containers (helpful, though a little wasteful and unnecessary), and the staff thoughtfully includes a plate, plasticware and napkin, and wetnap in the bag. A loaf of onion bread with butter is also complimentary.

I cannot rave enough about Wildfire; there are few restaurants that stand out in so many categories. Follow the link below to the website, where one can find a full menu and other information.


Wildfire Website