Wood-fired wonders at Firebirds Grill

The Ranch Rings and chile-rubbed Delmonico steak at Firebirds. (And you'll know where you are 'cuz it says so on the plate.) (Credit: Jessica Bratton)

Head way out west, and you'll slowly see the landscape change from packed city skylines and towns stacked on top of each other, to a much more spacious panorama of open prairies and valleys and big skies littered with mountainous backdrops.

By the same token, stop in at any restaurant or shop, most especially in the state of Colorado, and you'll see that open countryside relocated indoors, where vaulted ceilings and cavernous dining rooms are the norm.

And though we're stuck in one of the more claustrophobic states, where traffic is a way of life and you can't hit a bar without bumping into five acquaintances, there is a new restaurant in the area that provides plenty of elbow room and a bevy of beef worth the bucks.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill has a very Aspenesque lodge feel to it, replete with exposed stone walls, an oversized fireplace and mahogany furniture. The national chain recently opened a new joint at Center Pointe Plaza, so we stopped in for a look-see.

The oversized bar area greets guests as they enter the establishment through large wooden doors. Behind the bar is a beautifully color-coded selection of bottles that seemingly cascade from top to bottom, just above the bartender's reach.

Our foursome sat in very comfortable chairs at a large table by the window (with electronic blinds drawn), and looked over the one-page menu, which featured 10 different steak options, as well as "Aspen Classics," like the buffalo meatloaf ($16.35), pecan crusted trout ($18.55) and coconut shrimp ($18.45).

Starting out with appetizers, we chose the Ranch Rings ($7.25) and Lobster Spinach Queso ($9.95), the latter coming out a bit gelatinous on top. Had it sat in the kitchen window a minute too long? Worried I'd be jumping into a cold dip, I flinched and grabbed a chip.

Pleasantly surprised, the dip was plenty hot and offered a kick, thanks to the pepper jack cheese. There was also plenty of nice-sized chunks of lobster. However, it seemed the onion rings suffered a wait, as they were cold.

After flagging down a waitress, we sent the rings back, and a piping hot order came back minutes later. The batter was sweet and crispy, with a nice roasted garlic dressing, and all was forgiven as we gobbled them up.

With a couple rings left on the plate, our entrees came out rather quickly. After shuffling some plates around, I was eager to dive into my chile rubbed Delmonico ($19.95), coupled with a cheese, butter and sour cream-loaded baked potato ($4.55 when sold by itself).

The steak was cooked precisely medium, with small chile pepper accents both under and atop the meat. There was considerably less fat than I expected, which was a nice treat, and went great with our bottle of Estancia Pinot Noir ($34) we'd ordered.

Around the table to my left was the sesame encrusted salmon ($19.65), topped with a ginger mustard aioli and served with thin, fried leaves of spinach that disintegrated upon contact with the tongue -- pretty cool.

The baby back ribs ($19.95) were scrumptious as well, served dripping in a sweet java barbecue sauce, alongside thick cut steak fries and a very clean cider slaw, which was basically a cole slaw without too much sugar.

In all, the service suffered from a few glitches, but we left satisfied and filled with great food. Firebirds certainly has the potential to become a local fave, with plenty of space for diners and little room for improvement.

FIREBIRDS
Center Pointe Plaza
1225 Churchman's Road
Newark, DE
302-366-7577

www.firebirdsrestaurants.com

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun-Thu
11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri & Sat

Cuisine: Steakhouse/Grill

Dress Code: Smart Casual

Prices

apps: $7.25-$12.95

drinks: $6.25-$10

entrees: $16.35-$36.95

Payment: MC, Visa, AMEX, Discover

INSIDER TIPS

Call ahead?

For some reason, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill does not accept reservations, even for larger parties. We originally attempted a visit on a Saturday evening, but were told there was a 65-minute wait. We then went on Wednesday, called ahead to tell them we were on our way, and were promptly seated.

Dessert Menu

The best item on the sweets menu looks to be the Rocky Mountain Peanut Butter Pie ($6.95), with an Oreo crust, chocolate and peanut butter layers and topped with a warm chocolate sauce.

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