Fire & Ice

Let’s hear it for stepping out of our comfort zone!

Okay, my comfort zone.

When a dear (and dare I say “old”) friend asked if I’d like to join him at Fire & Ice today, I jumped at the opportunity without a thought.

Fire & Ice is an interactive restaurant. In the center lies a huge, round, flat grille. It’s surrounded by a bar-like structure that extends the full perimeter of the grill with space between the two of them for the cooks. At the back of the restaurant is a “marketplace” area filled with raw foods that range from veggies to meats to seafood. There are also salad fixings and different types of pasta. Another section has a myriad of sauces and a few spices.

Think of it as the biggest stir fry you’ve ever seen!

Anyway, you grab a bowl and fill it with items from the marketplace. Then you get a small cup and add in what you want for a sauce. The key to all this, in my opinion, is to start small and start with the sauce. Most people go straight for the food and then pick the sauce they want. That’s all well and good, but I like my way better.

Then you take your bowl and cup (and one of those little moist towelette packets) and bring it over to the bar surrounding the impressively oversized flat wok. A member of the staff is there to guide you to your spot in “line.”

Yes, I know. How can you be in a line if you’re in a round?

Stay with me.

One of the cooks takes your food and sets it up in a wedge shape in front of you on the grill. When it is full, it looks a lot like the wheel from Wheel of Fortune, but with food!

I went up twice. I tried seafood, veggies, and noodles with a hoisin garlic sauce and then chicken, veggies, and noodles with honey garlic. I probably could have gone for a third option, but my poor friend would have to roll me back to the car.

I should note that there is also a menu if you don’t want to customize a stir-fried dinner. Also, there’s no senior discount, but you can save a lot of money if you go there for lunch! (Wed-Fri from 12pm to 3pm)

Where was I?

Ah yes. Why is this stepping out of my comfort zone?

It’s in Boston.

Boston!

If you’ve ever driven in Boston, you already understand. If you haven’t, have someone else bring you.

Seriously, driving in Boston is a practiced skill. And don’t get me started on Storrow Drive!

I’ve driven in Boston once. I will never do it again.

But, when you’re with someone that knows the area like the back of their hand, you can ignore the insane traffic and actually enjoy the scenery.

Oh, and the architecture.

So, for the first time in forever, I enjoyed a ride to Boston. I had full faith in my friend’s knowledge of the area and didn’t think twice about where we were walking.

I just enjoyed it.

And the company.

And the amazing food cooked on the largest flat wok I’ve ever seen.

Llivin la vida Llama!