DINING OUT: Fireside by the River

Baldwinsville restaurant serves a flair for the fancy in a welcoming atmosphere

By Julie McMahon

 

Fireside by the River

2347 W. Genesee Road, Baldwinsville, N.Y., 13027

315-303-0779

https://firesidebytheriver.com/

Wednesday – Saturday, 4 – 9 p.m. • Sunday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 

 

For a higher-end menu served in a welcoming, even somewhat casual atmosphere look no further than Fireside by the River in Baldwinsville.

We were seated immediately at our reservation time on a quiet Wednesday evening. We dined at a booth in the large bar area and the bartender was our server, but none of that took away from making this a high-quality dining experience.

We opted for the warm bread ($3) to start off the meal. This was served with a cinnamon rosemary honey butter that was divine. The crunchy bread was itself really delicious, but the soft butter had exceptional flavor, a little sweet, a little herbaceous. Don’t pass on the warm bread.

We started with two cocktails: a spring mule ($15) and a lavender lemon drop martini ($15). These were good, exactly what we expected them to be. The mule was very much a mule, with the strong flavor of ginger beer and subtle vodka. This mule featured very light hint of cranberry juice. The martini had strong flavors of lavender and lemon with sparkle sugar around the rim. This was nice and sweet, with the fragrant lavender the prominent flavor

We could not taste much alcohol in either. These were good if a little pricy.

Then came our appetizers, a wedge salad and seafood bisque.

The soup was a shrimp and blue crab bisque ($12), with a strong seafood flavor, especially the crab. Fireside was very generous with the shrimp and crab meat, and the bisque itself had light tomato flavor. This was served nice and hot in a large crock.

The wedge salad ($14), a personal favorite, was really good. It came with smoky bacon, tangy blue cheese, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes and frizzled shallots, a very well-executed combination. There was a good taste in every bite. The salad was well dressed with blue cheese; some bits had more dressing than others, making it a good balance overall. The dish did seem to be missing the drizzle of house-made balsamic vinegar as advertised, which would have added to the flavor, but it was completely fine without. This was also a generous portion.

As we started our meal, we appreciated the atmosphere. Fireside is made up of large dining and bar rooms. It was quiet on a Wednesday when we went, and our server was working the bar and some tables. She was friendly and attentive, and chatty at all the right moments during the meal.

We got a kind of rustic wine bar vibe overall from the place. Tan and brown furnishings accentuated wood logs and stone fireplaces. Jazzy, slow music played, including Lake Street Dive, Leon Bridges and Etta James. We got the sense this is a classy joint but very approachable.

For our entrees we had the Fireside chicken and sirloin.

The roasted chicken ($28) was a nice menu item, named with a nod to the restaurant, that certainly highlighted the chef’s capabilities. The chicken was thoroughly cooked but tender and juicy, outside was lightly charred which gave extra flavor and texture to the dish. The highlight was the mouthwatering sauce: a whiskey bacon glaze doused the entire plate and was truly heavenly.

The chicken was served with a vegetable medley and a heaping pile of mashed potatoes — the veggies and potatoes all absorbed the glaze and were very tasty. Green beans, carrots and zucchini all snapped when bitten, indicating their freshness and how they were steamed to perfection. The mashed potatoes were basic, but did the trick effortlessly, complementing the rest of the dish.

I found myself thinking about that glaze afterward and wanting more.

The prime 8 oz. top sirloin ($36) had solid grill marks and nice caramelization. The char to the outside of the steak gave it a lot of texture and flavor. The cut of meat was trimmed so there wasn’t any fat or gristle. It was a very good steak, but in some ways dwarfed by the loaded baked potato we ordered with it. The normal sized steak, tender and juicy, was about half the size of the absolutely massive potato, loaded with bacon, cheddar and chives. Butter and sour cream were served on the side. We were given healthy portions of everything, but it was nice to have the dairy on the side to add as needed to the potato.

The steak was also served with the same fresh, delectable veggie medley that came with the chicken.

Both plates were really thoroughly composed, and all elements were very good.

As we wrapped up, we overheard some patrons at the bar discussing dessert — and we are crème brûlée fiends, so naturally we had to order our favorite.

This dessert came in a rather small but deep dish, with a few yummy berries. The restaurant used crunchy demerara sugar on the crème brûlée so it had a thicker layer on top. This tasted good and sugary, a little gritty to the tooth but in a good way, but didn’t shatter like a traditional crème brûlée. The custard underneath was very smooth and creamy. This was a little bit different than other crème brûlées we’ve tried in the past, but it was good, we’d order it again.

When the bill came to $145 with tax, we were not surprised. This was a little more of a high-end dining menu than is typical in Central New York, but relatively affordable for the quality of meal that we got, and comparable to other steakhouses locally.

We would recommend Fireside by the River, especially if you’re looking for some fancier, steakhouse options but you don’t necessarily want to get all dressed up.