FIRE

Visited last Thursday for wife’s birthday. We did the kitchen table, we had a good time. The staff is super friendly and inviting, we got to watch all the prep which is what my wife is into. The food was outstanding, we did the pre-fix menu, our favorites were the shrimp, seafood bisque, the halibut, the caviar taste course, the pudding dish with the seaweed was amazing, finally the duck or the beef cheek both were fantastic, we each got one. The cocktails were very well made and delicious. We would love to go back again

Such an incredible experience. Each course was so unique, played off the fire theme and activated all the senses. We did the wine pairing with the menu and that was really an easy way to totally enjoy each course. I LOVE the open kitchen, seeing how the magic is done. Chef Grant was there and WOW was it amazing to see him and his team in the kitchen working together. Thomas was our server and he was absolutely amazing!! He made us feel like true VIPs. Everyone we interacted with was friendly, thorough and knowledgeable of the dishes and wine. Thomas knew how hard we worked to get a reservation and how much we enjoyed everything… when we were walking out he was waiting by the door with a SIGNED menu from Chef Grant. The fan girl in me was totally overwhelmed with happiness. Thank you to all of the fire team, for a fire experience! 🔥

Both the atmosphere and service were 10/10. The presentation of the food was unique and interesting, but found the flavours lacking a little bit in some of the dishes, particularly for the seafood courses. For a restaurant centered around fire, I expected more punchy fire and smoke flavours. There were still some standouts like the sweet potato course and the dessert.

I wanted so much to like this place. I took my husband here for his belated birthday. The scene at the kitchen counter was truly a sight. All the different fire based foods. But what lacked was the flavor of the foods. Several of the dishes seemed uninspired. The only two dishes that seemed like the parts were purposefully put together was the last two - sweet potato and a dessert. Otherwise, several of the items looked good but tasted like separate entities that had nothing to do with each other. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance around the halibut twice wrapped by seaweed husks. But the flavor held none of the seaweed, it just tasted like underseasoned halibut with a great texture. Overall- visually pleasing but disappointing

We had a fun experience seated at the kitchen counter. Aside from the quality food and friendly service, I enjoyed a delicious nonalcoholic drink with hibiscus and ginger. With high rents on Fulton Market, restaurants tend to favor popular concepts over taking big risks. Fire offers something unique at an approachable price point. Glad we came here before it closes.

FIRE: A Flicker, Not a Flame We dined with high hopes, our appetites keen, At FIRE by Alinea—a polished scene. With dishes that danced in a dainty parade, A smoked sweet potato, delightfully flayed. The prawns were perfumed, the duck kissed with oak, Each plate a small poem (or a stylish joke?). The Maitake mushroom? A smoky delight. But most other bites? They just… weren’t quite right. The drinks were fine, though $17 each? That’s less of a spritz and more of a reach. A “mocktail” for twelve? Oh, bless this bliss— It mocked my wallet more than it did fizz. Then came the check like a plot twist surprise: “$860”—I blinked at my eyes. Four friends, two hours, no full bellies fed, A salad might’ve left me better bred. The service? Polite—but no sparkle, no fun, Like culinary schoolbots all set to “stun.” No warmth, no joy, just stone-serious grace— A tasting menu with a poker face. And here’s where my generous spirit deflates: I usually tip more than twenty percent rates. But that was pre-baked in, and then—get this fact— They taxed the tip too. That’s a twenty-buck whack. I paid fifteen in tax just to cover their fee, Which meant not a dime went to service from me. So FIRE, you’re sleek, with a Michelin name, But next time I’ll pass on the tip-tax flame. You dazzled the eye but forgot the heart— A beautiful show, but lacking in spark.

Absolutely could not recommend Fire more! Two of us went and sat at the bar and enjoyed the beautiful ambiance and watching the kitchen work its magic! Service was 10/10. Everything we ate was incredible and unique. Presentation was also top notch. I would definitely do the wine pairing too! It was very reasonably priced and I would happily buy any bottle that I tried! Definitely best wine pairing I’ve experienced. Hope to go back again soon!

Atmosphere and service were good. Plating and presentation of food is special and detailed; however, we weren’t impressed by the food and the flavors definitely need some adjusting and improvement. Also, the place needs better ventilation. Will not order again.

Hate having to say this, but Fire was disappointingly mediocre overall, despite the excellent service (which has been with all of our Alinea related experiences). Love the idea of what this could be as a concept, but felt it was subpar in execution/taste/presentation given the price. Overall ambiance was relatively standard for a Fulton Market restaurant, although we did get center counter to have a front row of the Chef's working incredibly hard to make the meal enjoyable.

Love the concept of cooking everything in fire/smoke/wood. Food and drinks were overall good but you can tell they just opened as they have some kinks to work out. First course which was actually 3 courses was super tasty and great presentation. That bisque was unbelievable. The halibut was extremely underwhelming as it was just straight up bland. The next 2 dishes with the mushrooms and the truffle pasta were on point. Both the beef and duck were good although I think the duck was worth the up charge. In my opinion the star of the show was the ember ice cream. Tastes like a campfire. They had a palate cleanser that was a smoked pomegranate ice cream with pistachio oil. Was super excited to try it since it sounds like a great concept, however the execution was overpowering smokiness. If that was fixed it would be awesome. Pairing menu was good nothing crazy. Disappointed that 2 of the courses had the same wine pairing.

We really enjoyed our meal at Fire. The service was exceptional, the maî·tre d was incredibly friendly and really elevated the service we got. The ambiance with the warmth off the open fire in the kitchen set a really nice mood for an intimate dining experience. Overall the food was incredibly delicious and we could really feel the hearth highlighted in each dish. The highlight for us was definitely the smoked ice cream, which may have forever ruined every other ice cream for us going forward it was that good

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Fire. Service was exceptional, the food was good, as was the wine pairing. The real standout for me was the lobster bisque that was one of the components of the first course, it was amazing. Overall the food was good but not exceptional, hence 4 stars.

We were excited to try this new concept from The Alinea Group on a Saturday night and came to celebrate my birthday. All the courses are centered around wood-burning cooking - even the dessert! The space looks similar to Roister (it's predecessor) but the experience is much more elevated. The tasting started off with carabineros (prawns) cold smoked, steamed, and in a bisque. The presentation was great but flavor wish the prawns lacked flavor and the bisque was texturally a bit grainy. The courses did get better from there. I loved the super flaky and buttery kombu steamed halibut and the cast iron maitake mushroom that came next. The beef course with beef cheek, puffed rice and turnip three ways was probably my favorite dish. The beef was cooked perfectly and so tender and the turnip was great. The dessert courses were unique as well. I loved the log scorched ice cream which had so much smoky flavor. I've never had anything like it and it was a great way to end the meal!

Plutarch once said, "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." Well, I'm pretty sure Grant Achatz took that literally because at Fire, not only is your mind kindled, but so is just about everything else. Between the blazing grill and the flame thrower-size butane torches, I'm surprised my napkin didn't come out charred! This new concept, located in the former Roister space, is a fiery love letter to all things flame. Each dish carries the essence of fire--whether it's smoked, charred, scorched, or kissed by embers. The results are as dazzling as they are delicious. What Set My Soul (and Taste Buds) Ablaze The Carabineros (Spanish prawns): Cold-smoked over juniper branches, these prawns were smoky, tender, and perfectly balanced with the salty umami of soy and the freshness of shiso. A delicate powerhouse of a dish! The Beef Cheek: Sous vided in spices and crusted with puffed wild rice, it was a rich, smoky celebration of everything fire can do to meat. The Sweet Potato: Fire-flashed and paired with smoky Autumn Crisp apples, it was as comforting as sitting around a campfire--if that campfire also happened to serve Michelin-level cuisine. And the Ember dessert? A sweet, glowing homage to the theme with scorched dairy, hazelnut mole, and banana nectar. It's the dessert I didn't know I needed. The Atmosphere Watching the chefs tend to the roaring hearth felt like watching a symphony conductor orchestrate flames. The open kitchen and glowing firepit set the tone for an experience that's primal yet refined. It's rustic elegance at its finest, with flames playing a lead role in every moment. Why You Should Go If you've ever thought, "I love my food grilled, but could it also be poetic?" then Fire is your place. Achatz has created a space where each dish doesn't just feed you--it tells a story of transformation, of heat, and of flavor. Final Verdict: Whether you're a die-hard foodie or just someone who appreciates a good flame-kissed meal, Fire is a blazing success. Leave your fire extinguisher at home--you'll want to soak in every charred, smoky, delicious moment.

FIRE, the new spot in the West Loop by the ALINEA Group, has a unique concept centered around wood-burning cooking. The space is stunning, and the smoky flavors are creative, but my experience was pretty hit-or-miss. The prawns three-way dish, which kicked off the meal, was my least favorite. Beautiful presentation but my prawns were super fishy, and the soup tasted like bathwater--I could barely eat it. On the bright side, a few dishes were fantastic. The table-side seared mushroom and truffle sacchetti dumpling were amazing, and the smoky ice cream at the end was a fun, delicious finish. Unfortunately, other courses didn't land. The cheese course was overly salty, the halibut was odd tasting because of its preparation, and I wasn't into the beef cheek (though I'm not a big beef fan). The non-alcoholic cocktails were awesome--and my group really enjoyed the wine pairing. Good portions for $65! The service was top-notch. Our waiter was super friendly and knew the menu inside out. Overall, I'm giving FIRE 3.5 stars. The concept is cool, and the good dishes really stood out, but I'd only come back if they made changes to the menu since I really only enjoyed 4 of the dishes.

A long-time fan of Roister, I was intrigued by their new concept, FIRE. My party of 4 enjoyed our experience on a recent Saturday night. I appreciate other reviews I've read, but personally, it's all about context and expectations. Service was professional and informative. Presentation was solid, with some courses presented with energy and zest, and the team approach to service. My group ordered drinks a la carte versus the wine pairing, so my comment on cocktails is there were a variety of wines, spirits, cocktails, and mocktails. The Hibiscus Bliss is a refreshing n/a drink that I recommend. Foodwise, everything to me ranged from creative to outstanding. The 1st course of 3 prawn-based items really set the stage. The highlight was the Bisque, which was so smooth and flavorful. The next course (Halibut) included the purple shell mussel broth set-the textures were the star there. The top 3 items to me were: Saccchetti-think of a deconstructed French Onion soup with a crafted pasta "pocket"-so good! Next would be the Sweet Potato-I suggest tasting from the top center and working your way outward to begin with the headline ingredient, then to experience the creamy and light apply flavors. Finally, the Ember, an inventive ice cream option to close the courses had great texture-crunch, temperature-cold but not dense. Hazelnut, banana and maple syrup on top were great. I look forward to the evolution of this restaurant and recommend to anyone who wants to experience a tasting menu experience for the first time or appreciates the Alinea Group.

We had the good fortune to both be in Chicago and get a table shortly after The Alinea Group opened Fire in the restaurant formerly known as Roister. We loved Roister--the food and the vibe--and were simultaneously disappointed at the loss and excited for the new concept from Chef Grant. We absolutely loved it. We sat at the counter watching the chefs prep and cook our amazing tasting menu. Original both in presentation and deliciousness we had an amazing meal and an incredible experience. Though Roister will be missed (particularly the fried chicken!) FIRE is an incredible new experience that can't be missed.

Chef GA and the Alinea group is at it again with their latest avant-garde experience with Fire. The moment you walk in the door, you are overwhelmed with various scents related to different herbs and incense, and the smoking is from the hearth that is visible to most of the patrons. (good or bad depending on your olfactory sensitivities, I loved it). Right off the bat the service was impeccable, with the timing of seating us down, to the synchronized well oiled machine of plating the various courses. I don't wanna go to in depth to the actual meals, but I can say that each one was more unique and different than the last. I highly recommend the wine pairing if you drink alcohol, but I've been told that the nonalcoholic cocktails are also very good. I have to say, though, I can tell the sommelier really put a lot of time and effort to figure out the right combinations that Would amplify the food with the drink appearing. Everyone was incredibly kind and well-versed in both of food and drink, and it was a truly unique and wonderful experience. The intangibles were out of the park, and it was just as much about the experience as it was about the food. *of note: I went with three family members, and one of them who has a very heightened sense of smell, and overly sensitive taste to potent flavors did not necessarily enjoy some of the dishes. Be aware that this restaurant is trying to push the limits on him sensory experiences, so someone who may be easily affected by these things may not have the five star experience that I had.

TLDR: Got to go to Fire on only its second day of opening!! Chef Grant Achatz does it again with a beautiful tasting menu with "fire" or elements thereof incorporated into each dish. With an open kitchen where you can watch the magic happen, Fire was well worth the visit. SETTING: my partner and I are visiting from NY and had a reservation at Roister. We received an email a week before that we could change our res to Fire (the new restaurant) or cancel. We of course decided to change the reservation and are so glad we did. Arrived on Thursday night at 8pm to a fully packed restaurant. It was a bit chaotic (but as mentioned it's only the second day this restaurant has existed, so that's to be expected). The interior is dark, sleek, and minimal with seating in the front and back separated by a big open kitchen with kitchen counter seating. FOOD: The food was damn good!!! I particularly loved the creativity of the prawn three ways - as my partner remarked it was some of the best prawn he's ever had (and I agree). There was a chestnut filled purse shaped pasta which was just so savory, and decadent, thinking of it now my mouth is automatically watering. There was a maitake mushroom dish that might be my favorite vegetarian dish I've ever had at any fine dining restaurant. I don't know how they pulled so much flavor out of that one mushroom piece (with cabbage), but it was heavenly. Finally, the ice cream dessert. I think I set a record for how quickly I shoved that down it was so so good!!! The two dishes that were a bit of a miss for me (and why this review is 4 stars rather than 5) was the sweet potato and halibut. The halibut was a bit bland and underwhelming, and the sweet potato never came together with the other elements of the dish for me. Everything else though was crème de la crème (5/5), incredible. SERVICE: service was a bit slow but again this is their second day, and they were jam packed, and towards the end of our meal, service was flowing nicely !! VERDICT: 100% recommend coming to try Fire. I have no doubt this will be another successful endeavor by the Alinea Family Group, and the food really really shines, with its creativity and balance. I'm so glad we got to try Fire!!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at FIRE! I thought the new concept was awesome and the use of fire in each course was noticeable and tied in to the dish well. The prawns course was visually appealing and a great start to the meal! The sachetti was another favorite and the beef was perfection! We were celebrating my sisters graduation and thought it was so cute they gave her a little toaster marshmallow. Definitely looking forward to the menus to come and the only reason I'm giving 4.5 out of is because I love Next and st. Clair Supper Club more.

Appearance by Chef Grant: CHECK! Wobbly Table: CHECK! Servers' Butts and Crotches: CHECK! ‍ Fire replaced Roister (almost overnight?) and is the most 'affordable' Michelin-like experience from the Alinea group. We enjoyed most dishes, enough so that we'll return next year after the menu resets. The courses are paired down to match the $120/person price and still, they're pretty delicious... Excellent beef cheek with turnips 3 ways, amazing Comte cheese pre-dessert, and a delightful final dessert (no take-home gift for this meal). Unfortunately, the set-up here is still all Roister-style, meaning side-by-side tables squeezing out a maximum return. Consequently, this means servers have to squeeze between each table, so diners keep getting their elbows and shoulders hit with butts and crotches, constantly interrupting their meals; it's surreal, kind of gross(!!!) and unacceptable even at Denny's, let alone here. (Sorry, this really annoyed me as you can tell.) We also had a wobbly table, but didn't want to ask to fix it on-the-spot. It was really noticeable and at least an acknowledgement of our drinks shaking around could have been made... Hopefully they repaired it later, LOL! Finally, Chef Grant was there, which was awesome; he was in the open kitchen flaming the wrapped leaves of the halibut dish. He never really even turned our way (the dining room), but perhaps that would have helped him spot the problems? Who knows, but we appreciated this new Alinea-inspired experience and would recommend it. HINT: Sit at the kitchen to avoid dinner interruptions.

I was excited to try the new Alinea concept, so I got a reservation the first few weeks it opened. There were some pros and cons, but I think the cons are largely due to the fact the restaurant is so new. Pros: Service was fantastic. Everyone we interacted with had a great attitude, and our server was knew a lot about the wine pairings. We sat at the kitchen table, and it gave a fantastic ambiance. A little hot though so wear layers you can take off! The Sacchetti was my favorite, and the beef cheek was a close second. The dessert was AMAZING, could have taken a whole carton home with me. Plating on the dishes was impressive, but not surprised given the Alinea brand. Cons: I did not feel like the tasting menu in its entire + the wine pairings was worth $500 for a couple. The fish was halibut. It wasn't bad, but it was cooked in a leaf. When they pulled off the leaf to reveal the halibut, it was stuck to the leaf. They had to give it a few quick tugs to get it out, and it took half the fish with it. It also left ash from the charred leaf in my lap. Obviously the plating was also ruined, but my husband's came out fine, so I got to see what it was supposed to look like. The first dish was prawn 3 ways. Prawn isn't the most exciting to begin with, and I would have liked to see more of a variety. I also left the meal feeling slightly hungry still, which was not ideal for a meal of this price. Overall, I liked the vibe and some of the dishes. I'd wait until they work out the kinks before going back.

What used to be Roister is now Fire, the latest restaurant concept by the Alinea group, which features an affordable tasting menu comprised of dishes that all embody the use of fire. It's a unique tasting menu, and I appreciated the innovative takes on each dish, but unfortunately many of the dishes were either way too salty or way too sweet, like the cold smoked prawns, the prawn bisque, the broth of the sacchetti dish, and the beef being excessively salty, and the two dessert dishes being overly sweet. If they had balanced the flavors better, then the tasting menu would be a sure success, but I think they'll still need to work on refining these flavor balances some more as they continue to develop as a restaurant. That's not to say that there weren't any standout dishes - the kombu cured halibut was cooked perfectly (though the accompanying chawanmushi custard was again on the salty side), and the juniper perfumed tails with the honey glaze was absolutely delicious. Maybe I would wait a couple of more months to let the restaurant and menu develop before visiting again, so hopefully things will improve.

Dined at FIRE with my fiancée about a month after it opened. $115 for an Alinea Group tasting menu is an absolute steal. This dinner featured some of the best dishes I've ever had. The bisque, maitake, truffle pasta, sweet potato, and ice cream were our favorites. Another review called the ice cream dish mind blowing. I couldn't agree more. Oh yes, and we sat at the kitchen table and had a front row seat to watch Chef Achatz prepare our dishes (no extra charge for the kitchen table seating as of right now). Truly a once in a lifetime experience. I am not a food critic or a professional chef, but I've been to a lot of excellent restaurants around the country, several of them Michelin starred--some of them three Michelin starred--and this meal is up there with the best I've had. I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but to bash this restaurant and Chef Achatz's masterful creation is like bashing 90s Michael Jordan. Oh and if someone offered you the chance to watch Michael Jordan court side in the 90s for around $100--reverse adjusted for inflation--that would be a ***cue Larry David*** prettttty good deal. And you can essentially get that experience here at FIRE. Highly recommend booking now. Thank you to Chef and the FIRE team for an incredible experience.

Some dishes weee good but most are overly complicated and the flavors do not mix well. The wine pairings are nice but all in all I would say it is well over priced. Food is salty. Nothing spectacular. Fire is not incorporated nearly enough into the menu.

We had high hopes for Fire. Although the service was exceptional, the food was so disappointing. Some of the dishes were so salty that we couldn't eat them after one taste. Not one person at our table could eat the cheese and sweet potato course. The flavors were so confusing. The Ambience is seriously lacking as well. The only thing they got right was the wine pairing. The bill for 4 of us was over $1000 and we left hungry.

A little disappointed. I don't expect to love every dish, but I do expect to like more than not and that wasn't the case here. Regarding the food, I echo a lot of the other reviews. The service was friendly but food runners often seemed uncomfortable delivering course descriptions. It's also a pet peeve of mine to pour my own wine and that happened several times.

Our first restaurant experience by the Alinea group did not disappoint. Excellent service and the food was delicious with earthy and complex flavors. Highly recommend the wine pairing and sitting at the counter for the full experience.

Came for dinner with some friends and our table was not ready so we had a seat at the bar for drinks. The female bartender with the bobbed short, thick curly hair at the back bar did not acknowledge our presence and then when she saw us sitting there, looked away yawning. She picked up a box and proceeded to knock over a few bottles into the walkway, where the other patrons were and did not apologize or basically acknowledge she had done that. Thomas was great and the meal was not my favorite- very salty broth/roux, cheese dish had an uncooked sweet potato in it which was not good. Dessert was similarly lackluster. Overall disappointing and would not return.

Service and presentation are exceptional, the dishes are very creative and highlight the transformative effects of fire....but the dishes left me wanting for the most part and the open seating takes away some of the surprise that makes the elaborate dishes so special.

The service and ambiance were very nice (we sat at the kitchen counter). The wine pairings were excellent. Although the menu was very creative there were a few misses. The shrimp course was tasty and the presentation was very original. The mushroom course was a Grifola frondosa (Hen of the Woods) that I felt was over worked...first confit, then seared with a hot iron and basted with an odd tasting syrupy emulsion that really didn't add anything to the presentation or the flavor. As a dedicated mushroom hunter and mycophagist I firmly believe simplicity is the key to capturing the umami of mushrooms. The beef cheek had an odd texture that was somewhat disagreeable. The vegetables served with it were the best part of the dish. The sweet potato with Delices de Bourgogne was very nice...very creative. The dessert was excellent: a smoked ice cream with hazelnuts and maple syrup. Overall a very good meal, but not among the best...yet.

Please understand that I am writing this review because I WANT Fire to be the restaurant I think It can 100% achieve in being. The concept that the Alinea group is aiming for is something I think could be wildly successful if they can just deliver on the food that the concept is aiming for. I've been to a number of Alinea groups restaurants (multiple times) and loved them every time i've been. This however, was a big miss in the dishes that were provided and the concept they were aiming for. Overall Summary - There was only (1) dish that evoked any sort of sense/flavor of open fire cooking, smoke, or char. Almost none of the other dishes felt at all like the concept Fire is proposing. In all honesty, most of the dishes felt like bad interpretations of Next-style dishes. They almost all had flaws to them and felt quite overpriced for what you received. If you are trying to create a concept based on open fire cooking, than give me dishes where I can taste or experience the fire/char/smoke. The only dish I could honestly say i truly felt what the concept was advertising was the Ember (Ice Cream) dish. There is something seriously wrong with a concept menu when the very last dish is type of representative dish i was looking for the entire time. My party left feeling let down and slighted by the food that was provided (and the portion sizes overall). Everything else about the dining experience was top-notch just like every other Alinea restaurant. I truly hope Fire can keep modifying the menu and become the restaurant that i think it has every possibility of being. The main takeaway from my dinner tonight was that there were so many chances/opportunities to deliver the concept proposed and they just kept missing the mark in both execution and concept. MY THOUGHTS ON THE DISHES (see photo of menu) - *These next (3) dishes are all presented on the same plate as essentially one plate of food* COLD SMOKED SPANISH PRAWN - This was actually one of the better bites of food the entire night. My only criticism was that it had zero smoked taste to it. So all i can really say about it is that it was a pretty decent amuse bouche. But had little at all to do with the concept. JUNIPER PERFUMED TAIL- It tasted like a very fresh/sweet/succulent prawn tail that was quickly seared. But that's literally all it tasted like. It didn't taste like any of glaze or ingredients and we didn't really get any sort of juniper scent. It just tasted like a very fresh cooked prawn, that's it. BISQUE - The Bisque was a very rich seafood bisque that was quite tasty. But they gave you basically two sips of it and again, had zero relation to the concept. HALIBUT - Overall the Halibut lacked any flavor (they were also served lukewarm) and was marginally helped by adding some of the shellfish custard on top of it. Why in the heck serve bland, lukewarm steamed halibut at a restaurant devoted to fire cooking??? SWEET POTATO - Instead of searing the sweet potato why not roast them in the open fire hearth!? In my version of the dish, they added a sliced 'smoked' grape but I couldn't taste any of the smoke. Adding a sliced grape just added a bizarre texture to the dish. It threw off the balance completely because at some point you just got a big bite grape. Which, who the heck wants a big bite of grape and sweet potato in a dinner they are paying $110 for. This dish was legitimately unappetizing, ditch it. MAITAKE - This dish fit the Fire concept well and wouldn't need much tweaking to be a mainstay. I think they needed to be much more aggressive in the sear from the cast iron in both the Maitake and the Cucumber, it would fit the concept well. However, I also felt like the portion size for this was quite stingy. Given how inexpensive most of the ingredients are for this dish, it felt like a cheap move. SACCHETTI - The ash cooked leeks/burnt onion additions to the tea gave it a very nice smoky/charred flavor. Sadly though, the way the pasta was stuffed and cooked, it made eating the pasta quite awkward. The top of it was almost crisped/fried and the bottom was sitting in the tea. So when you went to eat it, picking it up didn't quite work because the bottom was falling apart. Then trying to cut it was difficult because the top was fully crisped. Overall i think this dish 'could' work, but they really need to go back to the drawing board on it. BEEF - This was a great example of method ruining a great ingredient. The cure they used on the cheek completely overwhelmed the flavor of the cheek itself. Instead of the opportunity for intense beefy flavor of the cheek, all you tasted was cure. It was more akin to an over-cured corned beef than a tender beef cheek. The only 'smoky/toasty/ element was the sesame seeds. The parsnip puree was loose and tasted quite unappetizing. EMBER - This was the only dish I can honestly say they executed perfectly and fit the concept.

My partner and I celebrated my birthday at Fire. We had a spectacular experience from the moment we stepped into the space. Our server, Jacob, was warm, friendly and playful with expert descriptions of all dishes. His suggested cocktail pairings were exceptional and added a great deal to all courses. My partner loved the wine pairings! The food was brilliant. Every single course was incredibly imaginative and delicious. Some highlights for us were the Carabineros, maitake, beef and ember. The Carabineros consisted of a cold Spanish smoked prawn bite, a prawn served on a hot rock (so creative) and a sumptuous cream soup. The presentation was gorgeous and the aromas surrounding the bites added so much to the flavor. The maitake mushroom presentation was a showstopper! Chefs cook the dish, at the table, with a hot iron that's been sitting in the hearth. So much fun and the flavors went beautifully together. Finally, we thought the ember desert was wonderful. Light, Smokey and sweet. What a treat! We felt like Fire was a value! The artistry, ambiance, technical precision, warm personal service and DELICIOUS flavors were exactly what one would expect from an Alinea group restaurant. We will be back soon!!

while the service & presentation of each dish were very good, the overall execution & tastes / flavors were solidly...meh. disappointing given the hype / alinea grp lineage and previous excellence of roister in this same space. might give the next menu a shot, might not

Very fun dinner. Everything is cooked over fire. It's kind of Alinea Light. The halibut and sweet potato were so good. Wine pairings worked well.

Congrats to Chef Achatz for the single worst meal of 2024. I've had some poor experiences at Next but this blows all of those away in being a uniquely awful meal. Most of the courses are inedible and yes, the single course that does have smoke/fire flavors is beyond overpowering and simply not good. In fact, the Alinea group should strongly consider renaming this bustling new restaurant to, "Simply Not Good". 0 stars if it were an option.

lackluster food, not very creatively presented - most dishes had the same flavor profile service ok ambiance - perhaps sprucing up the place would help - it looked like they just plopped down fire in the old roister space with little regard. very disappointed

A fun dining experience. You get the fire touched notion in every dish. The final ice cream dish is kind of mind bending and lovely. I thought it was all very creative and thoughtful. The staff is quick, kind and thoughtful.

This a big disappointment. The concept was well advertised but none of the courses bothered tying the concept to the dish. There is lack of passion in cooking and service and it seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Someone made a decision to replace Roister with this, and hope they can sleep at night with that.