Firestone’s
Where the Hunger Meets the Food
A Restaurant Review
Like most people, when I think of the name Firestone, I think of, well, tires.
In fact, I stumbled upon info about Firestone’s”the swank eatery, not the tire business”when I was recently shopping the internet for, well, winter tires. But I’m sure glad I remembered the place”the swank eatery, not the tire business”the last time I visited Erie.
We stopped by on a Friday evening and the place was hopping. The place somehow seemed much larger on the inside than on the outside. Upon entering, there was a large crowd of people drinking and dining in what seemed to be off in the distance. Behind us, there was a beer and wine selection area where a group of well-to-do casually dressed men who could probably buy and sell me were socializing; so my dining partner and I quickly grabbed an available table and tried to fake fit in with the well-dressed, upscale clientele.
To start our meal we opted for the Charcuterie Board, a smorgasbord of tame and spicy cheeses, large salty Greek olives, sweet pickled red onion slices, sausage slices, tiny baguette pieces and spicy mustard”all great for making teensy sandwiches and acting like you’re a giant!
My dining partner chose the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich that consisted of a crisp, fried chicken breast, with a barbeque-like sauce, a slaw-like cabbage combination on a thick, warm roll. With a side of coleslaw. Though the sandwich was tasty, I felt it needed a little extra bbq sauce, which we ordered and it went down without a cluck.
Since I wanted something to gnosh on later at home, I decided to try one of Firestone’s gourmet pizzas: the Spinach Ricotta Margarita Pizza. My plan worked. As good as it was, with its spicy San Marzano Tomato Sauce, spinach leaves and melted slices of Ricotta Cheese, the full-size, thin-crust pizza was filling enough take half the pizza home and have it last for two additional days.
I had missed my traditional slice of pumpkin cheesecake in October as a way to compensate for not being able to trick or treat anymore. (I usually get my pumpkin cheesecake at Sheetz, but it’s still so good.) I had a chance to make peace with my palette when it was served as our dessert. Chilled, rich, creamy and topped with whipped cream, somehow we staved off eating it all at the restaurant and took some of it home”making it a truly pre-Christmas miracle!
To wash it all down, I tried a handcrafted beer, The Mad Elf, a holiday ale brewed with cherries and honey. With an alcohol volume of 11% (five % being the average), it’s small wonder that I felt my head could’ve bumped the bottom of Santa’s sleigh had it been Christmas Eve.
Do yourself a favor: Burn some rubber and visit Firestone’s next time you’re on Peach Street.
***Tony B
Firestone’s is located at 4823 Peach St., Erie. For more information call (814) 864-5640 or visit firestoneskitchen.com.
