Although I don’t spend every week here at Wildfire researching new dishes, there are some weeks that I spend days on end planning, researching and developing what I hope will be a culinary “home run”. In this industry, that means a dish that really comes together from conception to prep. Then during staff tastings, the feedback is positive and servers can’t wait to talk about it at their tables. And finally, the guests, the most important piece, give the dish rave reviews and we start selling out night after night. That’s my personal “grand slam”!

I have a few dishes that we have created recently that just might be our next winners, and I am excited to share them with you!

Our first creation involves fresh squid, something we already use in house with one of our most popular appetizers, fried calamari. Most squid served in restaurants today is frozen. And just like with most food, we pay a little extra to get it fresh, but it’s well worth it. Lately, we have been receiving a number of requests for grilled or roasted calamari. This new dish starts with 5 ounces of fresh squid tubes, lightly seasoned with kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper, then roasted on a very hot cast iron skillet until caramelized on both sides. Next we deglaze it with fresh lemon juice, and add basil and parsley leaves and garlic butter. This is served on an arugula salad with grilled potato strips and Kalamata olives and lightly tossed in lemon vinaigrette. The calamari is tender and the flavors are simple.

The next new dish involves grass-fed beef. I’ve been searching for a good vendor for this type of steak for a while, and I finally found a source from our meat supplier, Stock Yards Packing of Chicago. The brand is Strauss and I must say that the quality is amazing. I am ecstatic about this delicious 12 ounce N.Y. Grass-fed Steak! So, we start by seasoning it with kosher salt and cracked black pepper and sear it in a 700° wood burning oven with a lemon until caramelized on one side. Then it’s flipped over and we add roasted shallot pieces and whole roasted garlic cloves, a sprig of fresh rosemary, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and roast it for another 3 minutes and deglaze it with beef au jus. Then we lightly brush it with garlic butter. It’s a rustic presentation and this steak just melts in your mouth.

People often ask me what to order when they visit Wildfire. My personal recommendation is to start with one of our signature seafood appetizers, then order your favorite cut of steak…take your time to savor it, maybe with a nice glass of red wine and one of our wonderful side dishes. The one thing I always say is ‘save room for dessert!’

Our desserts are decadent and on the larger side - definitely big enough to share. There is nothing better than ending a fabulous meal with chocolate. Wouldn’t you agree? So, without further ado, I want to talk about my final dish for this blog. Fudgy Brownies. That’s right, the rich and chewy kind with 3 kinds of chocolate. And our gluten free diners will be excited, because these brownies are made without flour and are gluten free! A square of this brownie will be topped with Homer’s Caramel Ice Cream, homemade salted peanut brittle, and topped with our own caramel sauce. Chocolate, caramel and salty peanut brittle….wow. This dessert will live in your memory for years to come!

The best part…all of these new dishes will be coming to your favorite Wildfire very soon!

From the wood burning oven~