Hot off the Fire

New management and menu at the Firehouse Cafe add spice to this popular pub -- especially if you like it fast

by Margaret LeRoux

Firehouse Cafe One Exchange Place, Worcester 753-7899 Mon. 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Tues. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Wed.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar Handicap accessible

My great aunt Margaret was the restaurant customer from hell, one of those demanding ladies who requires no less than excellent service. I remember being mortified as she instructed a waiter on the proper way to make tea. Great aunt Margaret always complimented good service, but she frequently noted, "It's so hard to find these days."

I felt her spirit with me during several recent visits to area restaurants, where meals were torpedoed by glitches in the dining room or in the kitchen. My dining companions and I have noticed mistakes that could have been avoided if there was a great aunt Margaret training the staff.

At the Firehouse Cafe, she would have instructed them in the importance of timing, so that all the elements -- appetizer, salads, and main courses -- do not arrive within moments of each other. Such was the case when a friend and I dined on the Firehouse's new patio a few weeks ago. We had great hopes since there have been a recent management change and a new menu at the popular watering hole. We liked most of what we sampled from the new offerings, dishes that feature tempura, pesto, and goat cheese. But during my first visit the staff hadn't nailed down the timing.

Among many pub standards, one appetizer caught our attention -- rock-shrimp quesadillas with spiced tomato and black-bean jam ($6.95). We ordered it along with drinks, a Tanqueray and tonic ($4) and the only micro-brew offered, Wachusett country ale ($3.50). We also ordered our entrees at the same time, which turned out to be a bad idea, we realized, when our dinner salads showed up before the appetizer.

Not a mistake of epic proportions; we noted that just two waitresses were serving the busy patio -- so we decided not to send the salads back. And they were very good -- at the Firehouse, you can choose from three: a garden salad; a Caesar; and the Firehouse salad, mixed greens with toasted sunflower seeds and blue cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette. The latter was my selection; and I'd just tucked into it when our appetizer arrived. The quesadillas were four flour tortillas stuffed with cheese and rock shrimp, fried, folded into triangles, and topped with the spicy tomato and bean jam. Surrounded by a bed of shredded lettuce and sliced olives and tomatoes, they were both colorful and delicious.

But we barely got to taste them before our entrees arrived. Because the tables were too small to accommodate all the plates, and because I realized something was either wrong with our order or in the kitchen, I asked to have the rest of the appetizer prepared for takeout without registering a complaint.

Our entrees, served in huge soup bowls, were chosen from the new bistro selections. We ordered seared spice-rubbed lamb chops ($14.95) and New England bouillabaisse ($14.50).

Our entrees were a hit and a miss: the lamb chops were thick, meaty, and grilled medium rare as requested. They were doused in a generous amount of Cabernet-infused pan gravy, which also soaked the accompanying blue-cheese-crusted potatoes and steamed green beans with slivered almonds. Less gravy would have made more of this dish, but it was tasty nevertheless.

My companion's bouillabaisse wasn't. Described as a "highly" seasoned tomato-vegetable broth containing mussels, scallops, chopped clams, and lobster, the stew was mild to the point of bland; there was supposed to be an aioli (garlic mayonnaise) crouton, but it was not included.

Firehouse's patio is so attractive, I recommended it to another friend on a hot afternoon. This time the crowd was sparse and the service friendly and efficient. I wish I could say the food was great, but shortcuts taken by the kitchen staff marred an otherwise good impression. We ordered guacamole dip with nacho chips and salsa ($4.95) and were disappointed in what had to have been canned guacamole: the texture was thin and runny, and the taste was tinny.

My spinach salad ($6.25), which was to include oven-roasted tomatoes, grilled portobello mushrooms, chevre, walnuts, and basil vinaigrette, could have been great, but canned tomatoes sprinkled with dried herbs are no substitute for oven-roasted; and the large, tough spinach leaves were difficult to cut without making a mess. A salad shouldn't have to be a challenge; how about baby spinach leaves instead?

My companion's selection was the fish-and-chips special ($6.95), a generous and crispy fried haddock fillet served with French fries, a cup of cole slaw, and tartar sauce that had clearly been out in the sun too long. We asked for a replacement.

Our dessert, described by our waitress as "awesome," was tiramisu ($3.95) served in a chocolate cup. It was good, but would have been better if not drenched with chocolate syrup. The total was $26.36 including tax but not tip.