It’s food like this that brings customers to Firebox Restaurant again and again.
Firebox has been a leader in farm-to-table sourcing in the Hartford area, and judging by this pile of earth and accompanying sign, produces some of its own vegetables and herbs.
Let me begin by taking readers on a brief tour of the restaurant, the photos having been taken just before closing. This is the bar
and remainder of the front lounge,
this is an intermediate dining space,
and this is the nice rear dining area where we supped.
Firebox has an impressive wine list, whether one orders by the glass
or by the bottle.
The staff might even offer to decant your wine for you.
Good bread
and butter
will get you going. And doesn’t my dining companion look ready?
This vegetable (but not vegetarian) soup was simply lovely.
It’s hard to say which is more amazing, the cheese platter
or the charcuterie platter.
Mussels in a sausage and white wine broth were delightful,
as was an unusual fried calamari preparation
and a vibrant Caesar salad.
Entrées were as delicious as they were imaginative. There was a vegetarian pasta carbonara
and a vegetarian sunchoke dish,
as well as duck nicely divided in half for sharing,
Connecticut shad
and beef in a chimichurri sauce.
The desserts were as tasty as they were pretty.
Do these not look like the faces of contentment?
Firebox Restaurant, 539 Broad St., Hartford, 860-246-1222, www.fireboxrestaurant.com