Fireproof short north

Look out Columbus, we have a hot new restau​rant in town and it's lit. 
Don't believe me? Check out the proof the below.

I had the pleasure of checking this place out, and wow this trendy restaurant & cocktail lounge did not disappoint one bit. It brings a hip yet calm vibe to the Short North which is exactly what we needed. 

Fireproof is run by the same owners of BBR & Dahlia, but will be offering a totally different experience at their new high-energy restaurant. The vision of this new trendy spot was to be more than just another place to eat at in Columbus, it set out to be different and unlike any other. I had the pleasure of meeting Fireproof's General Manager, Adam Solomon; who spoke to me a little bit about some of the things they wanted to do before opening Fireproof. They traveled to several states, cities and restaurants to really get the inspiration they needed and wanted before opening. A lot of planning and careful thought went into their menus and concept of Fireproof and it's clear that they didn't settle for anything less than their vision. Between their high-quality service, unique cuisine and inviting interior design, this place is next level. 

Let's talk cocktails

Highly impressive. So many creative cocktails on the menu, it was hard to decide which one I wanted, so naturally I had to try a few. You guys! These completely blew my mind. I loved them all, but I think the Butterfly Tea Lemonade completely stole my heart. After ordering it, I found out that they actually hand squeezed several lemons just to make this drink! They also put butterfly tea sonja orchid to compliment the flavor, and wow... simply remarkable.  [Don't worry, no butterflies were harmed in the making]. My next favorite was actually (surprisingly) the Sapphire Saturn. I'm not typically a gin person, but whatever they did to that cocktail made me ginuinely thankful I tried it. It had just the right amount of tartness! The Prickly Pear Margarita was also a favorite, it was an elevated version of a margarita, and it was on fire...could it get any cooler? Speaking of cool, the Spanish Old Fashioned came out legit smoking.... All of these cocktails were so delicious in their own ways, you really can't go wrong with any of them or the other drink options on their menu. 

Butterfly Tea Lemonade

Prickly Pear Margarita

Sapphire Saturn

Spanish Old Fashioned (with smoke!)

getting into the concept

In the conversations that I had with the General Manager, Adam, it was clear their standards were set high for how they want to represent themselves and what kind of experiences they want for their customers. As a local to Columbus, nothing makes me more eager to go somewhere than to know that the place I'm going to is trying to be the best they can be for themselves and for their customers. They believe in serving and creating nothing but the best and won't settle for anything less than that. Their tapa style menu, has something for everyone. Their portions are generously sized and can be easily shared with others. For me, I'm the kind of person who likes to try a little bit of everything. And at Fireproof, you can do just that. Try a little bit of a few different things, and you'll be fully satisfied. 

what's on the menu?

Whether you were to just look at the menu or try some of the tapas yourself, you would know careful thought went into the creation of each menu item. They listened to what the people of Columbus liked to eat, and put their own elevated twist on every single one of those menu items. Only the highest quality ingredients are used at Fireproof, not only do they locally source, but they also import some of their meats and vegetables from several places out of the state and country, because the flavor and quality from those specific ingredients can't be found or produced anywhere else. After what my pallet experienced yesterday, the uniqueness of their tapas are beyond next level, and the flavors are simply just one of a kind. The menu consists of tapas that ranged from snack, soup, salad, vegetable, meat and seafood items. 

I'll show you what I had

Let's make this fun. We're going to travel back in time and chat about all these delicious tapas. 

I'm the type that sometimes falls victim to ordering the same kind of food wherever I go. For example, if there's queso on the menu, no matter where I'm at...I'll probably get it. Except for this time, there was queso on this menu (which sounded amazing), but I let Adam surprise me. And I'm so glad I did. To be honest, I would've never thought to go for the pork belly. Why? Because of the fatty rubbery texture. HOWEVER, this pork belly was beyond amazing. In fact, I actually forgot it was pork belly because of its crispy ends and flavorful ​gochujang glaze that was lathered all over it. And I haven't even told you the bizarre part yet, Adam recommended that I paired the pork belly with the burrata and beats and it was phenomenal. The pork belly was more savory, while the burrata & beats were chilled and subtlety sweet. Every bite that I took had the perfect combo of all the flavors combined, and I loved every second of it. Obviously both dishes were great on their own, but they were a complete gamechanger together. 

2nd round

Alright after we ate the pork belly & the rainbow plated burrata (together), we had the Wagyu Dumplings with ponzu dipping sauce...[Ugh] that ponzu sauce was so good, my only regret was not drinking the leftover sauce out of the container. Right after my last bite, the Hamachi Tacos greeted me with their cuteness. I just can't help but say they were the cutest little things. Unfortunately this picture doesn't do the mini tacos the justice they deserve. Blame it on the Butterfly Tea Lemonade... [partially kidding]. Anyways, the mini's were made out of a crispy wonton shell stuffed with cucumber, confetti peppers, aji-amarillo andcilantro. Sound refreshing? They most definitely were.

3rd round

Elote & Crab Stuffed Piquillo Peppers. Can I just say wow. The presentation on both of these dishes almost seemed too pretty to eat. The spicy mayo and cotija cheese blended with the corn magnificently. And the Peppers? Had copious amounts of lump crab generously overflowing out of them and onto the dish. The lump crab was mixed with a 3 month manchego cheese, cream and roasted almonds. I'd be lying if I said I didn't drool all over again while typing this.

Elote

Crab Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

4th and final round

When I initially think tapas, I think super small portions... However, Fireproof had the complete opposite of that. A few plates and you're easily stuffed. Right after round 3, I didn't think I could possibly eat anything else. Until I saw the Wagyu Skirt Steak neatly dressed with chimichurri sauce and cooked to perfection, ready for me to devour.

Grilled Spanish Octopus

Accompanying the steak, was Grilled Spanish Octopus and Roman Artichoke. 
The octopus had a spicy orangecello to go with it. While the artichoke was grilled and marinated in chive oil. All were delightful.  I'm actually really proud of myself for trying the octopus! It was the first time eating octopus that way and it was a pleasant surprise.​

Wagyu Skirt Steak

Roman Artichoke

The service

I would also like to say the service was impeccable to say the least, everyone was so kind and so attentive. One thing I noticed while I was there, was that the servers brought over fresh silverware and plates after each round of tapas. Which really made the dining experience even more unique. After each round of tapas we were able to relax and enjoy our time while not feeling clustered or overwhelmed with plates on the table. With that said, the service truly did play a huge role in bringing the entire atmosphere and vibe of the restaurant and cocktail lounge together. And they did a great job doing it.

This is a place you will for sure want to check out! You'll have a good time no matter the occasion! 

Want to know more about fireproof?

Click below!

Fireproof's Menu