Firefly is an establishment that exudes class. From the carefully curated beer and wine list and housemade cocktails, to the sophisticated renditions of home-cooked classics, Firefly is definitely the type of place you take someone you want to impress…
Located in Dupont Circle but away from the noise, Firefly is just the right place. The philosophy behind the restaurant is a classic approach influenced by fresh, local ingredients, including an all-American wine list. I, for one, really appreciate when a restaurant embodies the local movement, and I was very impressed.
To start, I had the City Beautiful made with Grey Goose, cucumber shrub, and Prosecco. The cucumber shrub was executed perfectly, and had the perfect amount of sweet versus tang from the vinegar. The cocktail was the perfect sipping beverage, and paired nicely with all courses of my meal. One thing to note about Firefly’s drink list is that it typically carries Omission Lager, a beer brewed using a process that removes all traces of gluten.
For the first course, I ordered the baby kale salad with dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sliced apple, almonds and a custom vinaigrette. Typically the dish is served with a brown butter-cider vinaigrette, but I can’t eat dairy, and they were more than happy to make the dish accordingly. I also snacked on the charcuterie plate that featured wild boar Italian salami, la quercia prosciutto, Hudson Valley duck prosciutto, and Olympia Provisions’ saucisson sec. The kale salad and charcuterie served as a well-balanced first course.
Next up came the market fish, which happened to be salmon served atop a green lentil stew. The salmon was perfectly cooked, crispy skin and all. The crunch of the skin added a beautiful texture to the buttery salmon and the creaminess of the lentils. My guest ordered the vegetable lasagna, with eggplant, roasted red pepper, spinach, Portobello mushrooms, fresh ricotta, and San Marzano tomato sauce. The dish was so unique – layered vegetables took place of the noodles, which surprisingly emulated traditional lasagna to a tee.
As a side dish, I ordered the caramelized Brussels sprouts. Slightly sweeter than traditional preparations, the sprouts were a nice pallet cleanser in between bites of my entrée.
The lion’s share of the dessert menu was actually gluten-free, which was something to note about Firefly. Whenever I can eat the dessert, I have to order without fault. That time I stuck with the seasonal blood orange sorbet, which was a light and pleasant ending to a filling meal.
Firefly is a breath of fresh air in the restaurant scene. It can be rare finding a restaurant that is the complete package of ambiance, service, and quality of food, but Firefly is it.