Firewood Restaurant

Burgers: appetizers for pizza.

Firewood Restaurant

420 Main Street

Murphys, CA

Truth be told, I was a little leery of Firewood Restaurant on my first approach; I mean, the menu included everything from seafood pizzas to carnitas tacos to turkey burgers.  I thought, how could an establishment crank out Italian, American AND Mexican dishes with consistency in quality?  But after peeking in on what the diners were inhaling, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.

A buddy and I spent the previous couple of hours at beautiful Ironstone Vineyards, touring the grounds and taking in the beautiful scenery, and that kind of stuff always leaves me hungry.  I needed something carb-y, protein-y and substantial to keep me from dropping forty bucks on impulse purchases at the candy shop down the street.

My first choice had to be a huge slab of rare beef with loads of toppings, so their Bacon, Mushroom & Swiss Burger was an appropriate choice.  I noticed that pizzas with golded brown crusts were on nearly every table top, so we also chose the White & Green with fresh spinach, mozzarella, caramelized onions, and lots of roasted garlic in order to meet our daily requirement of vegetables (ha!).

At that point I was starving, so a wait of less than ten minutes seemed like an eternity.  When our order finally arrived, it was a feast for my eyes and my mouth.

Wood-fired pizza is special.  Its unique crust is crisp, chewy AND flavorful, reminding you that you’re not eating at Domino’s.  The fresh ingredients, specifically the roasted garlic and splash of lemon juice, took it over the top.  I inhaled a couple of slices before investing still-clean fingers in the juicy burger, dripping with melting cheese and tender, sliced mushrooms.  Crispy bacon?  Check.  Bloody beef as requested?  Yep.  I smirked at the fries that went largely ignored.

To-go boxes weren’t necessary.  I devoured half a burger along with half a pizza (less a slice or two – I swear!) and my buddy took care of the rest, saving our busser that much more trouble as he cleaned our table.  Aren’t we thoughtful?