By Taylor Dahl
After recently returning from a trip to Chicago, it was refreshing to visit Wildfire—a 40s style Chicago steakhouse that successfully offers the ambience of a big city eatery.
Located at Atlanta hotspot Perimeter mall, Wildfire is known for its food and likeness to Chicago. The exterior of the restaurant looked like it belonged in the windy city with its revolving door and modern architecture. However, I was hesitant about the quality of food once I saw the empty parking lot of Wildfire compared to the packed lot of its neighbor, Seasons 52.
Once inside, a burst of cold air gave me goose bumps and an unpleasant shudder. The frosty temperature inside was unwanted on a pleasantly balmy spring day. Besides the distracting temperature, the restaurant was very welcoming. The dining area was very quiet, perhaps due to the lack of clientele, but the ambience of the dimly lit room reminded me of my recent travels.
The waiters were efficient, circling tables routinely to offer service. Our drinks and a delicious onion roll were served immediately while my group decided on our lunch. The crab cakes appetizer was tender and refreshing, filled with onions, corn carrots and green peppers. The mustard mayonnaise sauce complemented the crab cakes with a spicy flavor that made me crave more.
When our friendly waiter came to our table for our main course orders, he said that Wildfire was known for its steaks, chops and seafood, but the lunch menu is famous for its salads. That perked my ears right up and I ordered Wildfire’s popular Chopped Salad. The salad was full of mixed greens, spit roasted chicken, avocados, tomatoes, blue cheese, bacon, scallions, corn, tortilla strips all tossed in a citrus vinaigrette dressing. This is the perfect lunch because the fresh vegetables (the tomatoes were exceptionally fresh) and the citrus vinaigrette dressing were refreshing and light. The blue cheese was an unexpected choice for this salad, but the flavor combination surprisingly worked. I ordered the small salad and it was huge—it could serve three people, so it’s a great dish for a small group of friends wanting to try new food at a low price. Our waiter also recommended the stuffed hickory burger. Wisconsin cheddar and bacon were cooked between the hamburger patties, which offered a thick and juicy taste, perfect for this spring lunch. The side of fries offered with the burger was crispy and not too salty. And finally, the Teriyaki Salad was another interesting salad combination. This salad offered a nice mix of greens, vegetables and grilled chicken, along with peanuts, cilantro, and an Asian dressing. The chicken had a mouth-watering teriyaki flavor.
The main courses came in proportions that were too big for lunch, but nice to take home for a late snack or dinner. I was so full that the idea of dessert was impossible; however, once the dessert tray found its way over to my table, the creamy key lime pie was impossible to resist—thank goodness for whole and half portions. With its creamy interior, the pie tasted as good as it looked. The graham cracker crust added a wonderful texture to the pie without overpowering the key lime taste.
Everything was cooked appropriately with just the right amount of seasoning, with most dishes offering a new flavor combination one wouldn’t normally try. If you love the upscale dining of Chicago, then this restaurant will be a trip down memory lane with a reasonably priced menu. And, if you’ve never visited the windy city, the experience of Wildfire will leave you craving the actual city and like any great trip, you’ll go home raving about the food.
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