This place still "too new to review" for 417 Magazine (hasn't been open a full month yet), but here's a quick first take: Yum. At a recent lunch with a former colleague, we had an appetizer dish of calamari. It was fried crisply, not too greasy, with four dipping areas (reminded me of the Kids in the Hall sketch of the same name; the sauces ranged from a sweet chutney to something that reminded me of aioli). Fueled with some Boulevard Pale Ale, we moved on to lettuce wraps. These were a bit heavier and more saucy than ones I've had elsewhere in town (mainly I'm thinking of Tong's Thai Restaurant): I chose a beef filling, which contained tender chunks of meat in a rich sauce that bordered on gravy. I thought I detected some peanut oil in there, which had a savory, comforting mouthfeel. The lettuce were leaves of Boston lettuce, which was great fun because that's the lettuce with pale spring green, velvety leaves. Softer than romaine, doesn't crack apart like watery iceberg. Delish. Filling. It's on the appetizer menu (at $7), but we had this for lunch. Went for a follow-up visit this past Friday for lunch, but the staff informed us the place was open only for dinner. Restaurants often work out such kinks in their first few weeks; it will be interesting to see what the long-term schedule turns out to be, and we'll follow up on that when we can. Another important detail: In a gesture of Vegas-like panache, Fire & Ice is to have one of those solid-ice bar surfaces that keeps your drink cold (hence the name). Can't wait to report on this experience (keep your eyeballs tuned to 417 Magazine or 417mag.com). -- Gregory Holman, editor, 417 Magazine
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