A Fine Time At The Firefly Cafe
As a dedicated foodie, I’m always searching for a restaurant that hits my sweet spot of culinary satisfaction and surprises me — Firefly (map), in the Noe Valley section of San Francisco, does both. I happened upon my dining experience there by sheer luck. Along with my husband, Jon, I was visiting my stepson, Andrew, who had just moved into his new digs with his new girlfriend Lilly and they suggested we have dinner at Firefly, just down the street.
What they should have said was “just down the almost-pathologically-steep hill” that San Francisco is so famous for. I feel compelled to point out that this would not have been a problem had I been wearing Reeboks and not black, multi-strap, high-heel wedges bought in Berlin the week before. None the less, the aerobic ankle workout stroked my appetite, and I was in a mood to eat when we arrived.
According to the Firefly Restaurant Web site, the establishment was born out of Brad Levy and Veva Edelson’s dream of owning a place where “the food was great, the service attentive, and the atmosphere magical, where the employees were interesting and kind people, who were encouraged to be themselves and honestly offer a great dining experience.” From the meal I ate that night, I’d say they succeeded. Let me elaborate.
I began with the Spiced Yellow Squash Soup with Chive Blossoms ($9.00) and a glass of champagne to toast Andrew and Lily’s living together. Soups of this nature can be heavy on the palate, but this one struck the perfect blend of spunky spice and creamy sophistication.
Next up was the King Salmon “Mi Cuit” with Roasted Potato Pancake, English Peas, Nasturtium Blossoms and Horseradish Créme Fraîche ($24.00), which I shared with Andrew. The portion was generous enough to make us both happy, and the salmon, horseradish combination was a marvelous mixture of dense and light.
In a restaurant such as Firefly, it takes the will of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the tiny appetite of Kate Moss to resist having desert. I have neither, so I went ahead and shared something so rich with rhubarb and ice-screamingly intoxicating that I’m not kidding when I say I can’t remember the name of it. I looked on their Web site, but it’s not listed, so it must have been a special that night. But take my word for it — it was good.
While the richness of the food at Firefly makes it more of a special-occasion eat-out experience — rather than everyday dining one — the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant creates a relaxed and unpretentious place to eat weekday or weekend. And just in case you get too comfortable – or full, you can always hike back up that hill.
