On the way home tonight, Gary and I decided to stop at Alameda's The Fireside Gastro Pub for a drink.
A gastro pub is defined as a pub that also serves gourmet fare, a few notches above your regular pub grub. And Alameda is happy to see the rejuvenation of The Fireside into a fabulous gastro pub.
"Gastropub (n). A new type of eating place bridging the gap between booze joints and upscale restaurants. These cuisine-conscious taverns started to appear about 15 years ago in England. Gasropubs have become the Anglo equivalent of the French braseerie, serving good food that's also a good value." ----www.FiresideGastropub.com
This place, formerly known as The Fireside Lounge, has undergone quite a transformation from the "rowdy bar into a chic cocktail lounge." It is the project of the proprietor and chef, Patrick Brown, a California Culinary Academy grad and San Francisco chef.
We settled in at a tall bistro table and chairs and were immediately impressed. High ceilings. Art deco bar with fabulous drop lights. The place was divided into three distinct areas ---the bar, the dining area and the sports section with pool table. Yet, everything blended seamlessly.
I was happy to see Malbec on the wine list --- I never see that in the many restaurants we've been to, ever! Cristi. who is part owner and who served nearly every one at the restaurant, said they also have 220 beers from all over the world. I don't drink beer, but that sounded impressive.
The menu was delightful and had so many things we wanted to try. However, since we've already had dinner, we settled on dessert.
We ordered a Granny Smith apple tart. Omigosh, was that ever tasty. The apple was sliced super-thin and layered in the chef's own home-made pastry that was so flaky and crisp it was like phyllo. That must have been the best apple tart I've ever had. Needless to say, we nearly licked that plate clean.
If you're looking for an alternative to the popular Forbidden Island Tiki Bar in Alameda, run, don't walk to the Firesound Lounge. It's a gastronomic discovery. We plan to go back and dine --- they have a macaroni and cheese entree that I must get next time.
Here's where you can find them:
The Fireside Gastro Pub --- proudly pairing artisanal food w/ international craft beer
1453 Webster Street, Alameda CA 94501
510 864 1244
www,FiresideGastroPub.com
By the way, I took this photo of the bar using my iPhone. No flash. Lighting at the table is by tea lights. Not bad for a camera phone, eh?
;)
;)
