Most of the time when I’m trying out a new restaurant in Portland, it is rare that I walk away feeling underwhelmed. The food here is just that fantastic.
But, this weekend we tried somewhere new with friends and it was just…meh.
Fireside has a cool ambience, but it just kind of felt like it was trying a little too hard if that makes sense. Perhaps it was the most quintessentially “hipster” wait staff I’ve ever seen in my entire life or the fact that our half hour wait quickly became an hour, or the fact that my burger was just so-so.
Whatever the case, I think if I were going back I would go just for drinks. My rhubarb gastrique was pretty fantastic and the lounge area was definitely cool.
If you do order dinner here though, you should try the grilled lettuce. I totally never would’ve ordered it, but after trying my friend Liz’s lettuce I was sold. SO good!
I hate when you’re brave and try something new and it’s just meh. But that lettuce sounds delicious!!
Will keep that in mind! I am beyond excited to check out all the eateries in Portland, it is one of the best food cities I’ve been to!
That lettuce does look delicious. Who would have known? That is a long time to wait though.
Darn, it looks like it could be a cool place too.
I remember we went to this place once in Minneapolis that I had been DYING to go to and it ended up being so overly trendy and snooty that I HATED it. I was so sad! What a bummer when that happens.
I always felt overwhelmed by all the food choices while living there. Yes, some of the greatest food I’ve ever tasted has been experienced in that fine city, but over all I felt uncool for most of it. ha! I miss it all terribly though.