Fire + Wine

Amazing!

Overall OK.
Wait: too long (90 min at 8 pm on a Sat night),
ambiance: very good, though a bit too loud @ 9:30pm
Food: OK, portions: OK
Service: good
Drinks: pricey for small sizes ($ 13 for 6 OZ of a mid-​range wine)
In our case 2012 Cleaver which retails for $ 16 a bottle)
We came all the way from Naperville but were a bit underwhelmed, though it looked like a local favorite with lots of friends enjoying a meal together (in groups of 6 – 8 people per table). We didn’t try any of their famous fire-​oven pizzas but the eggplant lasagna was quite good. We also didn’t get to try their zucchinis fries, because we had already had some as a snack at the Jameson Irish Pub (across the street) while waiting for our names to be called.

Perfect… Everything is Amazing.

By no means am I an expert on Italian food or anything like that.
But this is one of the best places I’ve had in terms of Italian food.
Been here several times and never had a bad experience with anything. The pasta is delicious and the pizza is very good too. I like that you can choose to do the whole tapas experience or have your own meal.
When you consider the quality of the food and the serving size, the price is really a bargain.
The biggest downside is the fact that they don’t take reservations and pretty much from 4:30 on, it can be a bit of a wait. However, you know that this is typically a good sign.
You can wait at the bar, while waiting for a table to open up. They have a decent craft beer selection and a very expansive wine list.

Awesome food & ambience. Restaurant uses local ingredients. There is usually wait here, they don’t take reservations.

Outstanding. Six of us went. Every meal was made and served to perfection. Our server, Renee, hit all of the marks. I had seafood risotto. The best risotto I’ve had in some time. Will I return? In spades!

Have been here multiple times. Every time the wait list has been poorly managed. This time I came for my birthday with my parents, sister, wife and daughter… For my birthday. We called ahead and they said there was no wait, we showed up 10 minutes later and they told us 1.5−2 hour wait. I told them I was frustrated and began to leave. An older woman who was managing the multiple teenage hostesses stopped me from leaving just to explain to me why I was wrong. She unnecessarily escalated the situation and ruined my birthday dinner.
Lack of respect. The seating/​hostesses are handled by children and it shows.

Thanks to one of our friends for taking our daughter for the night last Saturday, my husband and I were able to enjoy dinner at this lovely restaurant. Side note, kids are welcome and accommodated.
We arrived earlier to avoid the Saturday night crowd because they do not accept reservations but I did notice they had some kind of call ahead list. The atmosphere is cozy yet energetic. Our server Renee was awesome at suggesting plates as well as being attentive without being overbearing. We ordered the ricotta/​honey jar, arancini, shrimp/​avocado salad, lobster pappardelle special and nutella calzone. Everything was delicious. We were able to share everything and it was the perfect amount.
Looking forward to our return visit!

What can I say about our visit on Friday? I have so many great ways to describe the amazing hospitality we received from your entire team. The first impression of the restaurant was awesome, cozy but not cramped, modern yet rustic, lively and energetic. Even in a huge snowstorm, the restaurant was buzzing-that’s saying something! Amy, our server, was so sweet. She was incredibly accommodating, friendly and so genuine. Starting off our dinner with the signature martini was a great option, but once the bubbles arrived to the table, the true celebrations had begun! I have the highest of praise for the food, drinks and associates at Fire + Wine and I have already shared my excellent experience with many of my friends and will continue to do so for a long while.
My HIGHEST recommendation for Fire + Wine!

This place is where my husband and I go for most of our dates. We never liked to go to the same place on multiple dates, but Fire and Wine is always so much fun.
The food is superb. The Aricini mozzarella and zucchini fries are really good appetizers. We enjoyed their specialty pizza when we tried it, but we usually get a pasta dish.
We have never been disappointed and we always have great service. It can get very busy, so it’s best to go early. But, if you find yourself waiting in line, it’s worth it.

We ate tonight at Fire & Wine. We had a party of 9 and our waitress (Valerie) memorized all of our names. I had the seafood risotto. It was delicious. The service from Valerie was amazing. Great place!

Seriously… the food here is BOMB. My husband & I live nearby so we are lucky to get takeout here often :)
A few faves:
Black Pepper Shrimp: OhmyGod… truly perfect. Quality shrimp, small roasted peppers, polenta with just the right amount of creamy sauce. Everything I want in a dish is in here.
Meatball sliders: Tender meatballs with a lovely roasted tomato sauce on fresh bread.
Four cheese pizza: Great take on a rather simplistic pie.
Thoughtful food & cozy vibe if you dine in. Highly recommend, most everything that we have tried here has been great.

Could not believe how crowded it was at 6:00pm on a Friday night. I thought we were among the early diners. they said half an hour… an hour later… we finally got seated. the high top by the window is perfect, glad we escaped the booth, they look so tight. there were four of us and we ordered shirmp with polenta, shrimp with angel hair pasta, mussels, sopressata pizza, so spicy, short rib ragu and pork belly. yeah its a lot of food for four, but we ate it. all was fantastic, I would order any one of them to eat by itself for dinner, except the pizza way to spicy. I would like to go back and try other things on the menu, probably a weekday because the crowd and wait are the only turn offs.
drinks were fantastic and they have a decent wine by the glass menu. all in all a good experience. I would go back, and invite friends.

I really wanted to like this place. This is the second time we’ve been there. The first time was amazing. There was barely any wait and the pasta was fantastic. However, we just went last night for my birthday and waited for more time than we actually dined. I know this place is different. You’re supposed to enjoy your meal and it may take 45 minutes to 1 hour to do so.
Sure, the pasta was still fantastic. I had the vodka pasta both the first time and last night and I was not disappointed. The pasta and pizza bread is AMAZING. The pasta was perfectly al dente. Our waitress, Katherine was very friendly and energetic. The staff at the front were friendly and patient with the people complaining about waiting. The wine selection is great. These are all great things about the restaurant. If not for the waiting, this would definitely have 5 stars.
I have a suggestion about the name of the restaurant; it seems like the name of the restaurant should be changed to «Wine & Waiting». Because, that is what we did for over an hour. The business of not having reservations is ridiculous. Especially when you have «call aheads» and «walk ins» and «names on lists» and they’re all different, but really they’re all the same.
We called ahead at about 6:30 pm and were told that we would be seated at 7:30 pm. Ok. That’s fine. We were about 30 minutes away at that time and could figure out what to do with an extra 30 minutes. We arrived around 7:05, maybe 7:10 and were told that it was going to be 15 – 20 minutes «but probably less» past our «call ahead time». So…7:45 pm to 7:50 pm at the latest. Judging by the amazing pasta last time, I figured we could wait. Turns out there were 3 other groups of 2 – 3 that were waiting for that time as well. And there were people that were just «walk ins» that were seated before us. Everyone that was a «walk in» was told 45 minutes to an hour «but probably less». Turns out way less, if you have certain circumstances.
Circumstances I saw that will get you in faster:
1. Have a baby with you. Complain multiple times that the baby can’t wait til 8:30 to eat, even though you waited until 7:45 to show up for dinner at a restaurant. You will be seated in 10 minutes.
2. Ask if «so & so» is working. If not, ask if someone else is working. Come up with common names like «Anthony» or «Michael». Turns out they both work there. You will be seated in 10 – 15 minutes and will have champagne waiting at your table.
3. Tell them it is your anniversary. You will be seated in 10 – 15 minutes.
***FYI, «It’s my birthday» doesn’t work. Don’t try that one. Even if it is your birthday.
We were finally seated around 8:05 pm. We were greeted by our waitress and she said she would be right out with water. I tried ordering wine before she ran off, but was unsuccessful. Ten minutes later, she came back with water. Does it really take that much time to get water? I feel like they need to hire someone that specifically does water refills. You get a large glass bottle of water, so you won’t run out anytime soon (for 2 people). Putting water down should be part of «setting the table». She came back, asked for our drink orders, then ran off. It seems like they do have some wait staff that brings out the wine and food, so I’m pretty sure they could handle the water as well.
Our pizza bread and food was brought out pretty quickly. They were consumed quickly. Halfway through my meal, the waitress asked if the guys who had brought the food had offered parmesan «nope». She then proceeded to pour it all over my dish (what was left of it), even after I said stop. Meh. More cheese, I guess. I’m not really complaining about that one. We didn’t get dessert, because we were both stuffed. Even though the waitress basically told us about every single dish and was like «are you sure» «are you sure» «are you sure» «take one home for later» «No really, take one home». No thanks, we don’t want one. (But seriously, the nutella calzone from the previous time was awesome as were the donuts).
It seems like maybe they weren’t prepared for a busy night. Our waitress explained that on chillier nights, they get more people. I get it… it’s cold and you want to stuff your face with pasta. Understandable. But prepare for it and hire more staff!
Also, it’s very LOUD. We nearly had to shout to hear each other.
Maybe this is just a one time experience (though it was our second time). The first time was great. The waiting is not acceptable. Allowing others to go ahead because of certain circumstances is not acceptable. Maybe if I were on the receiving end of the gold standard service, I would feel different. I really, really wanted to like this restaurant since I have been basically dreaming about the pasta since we last came here about a month ago. Maybe we will try again at 11 am on a Tuesday for a shorter wait and a quieter restaurant.

A 4.75 star experience, which I don’t feel bad about rounding up.
Service was overly prompt and appropriately friendly. We came early in the day, so no dinner rush delays. Pizza and ricotta honeycomb out within about 5 minutes of ordering. We didn’t know what to expect of it, other than the Unilocalers had liked it. And, sure enough, it was amazing. We got a few more pieces of bread so that we could properly finish off all of the spread.
Pizza was cooked all the way thru, but not very hot in the middle. Still amazing, but another 30 seconds in the oven would have made it absolutely perfect.
We also split a bottle of red and an order of tiramisu for dessert. Both were also great.
Pricing as good or better than expected for the quality (portions appropriately small– the two of us comfortably split everything). $ 80-​ish for an app, pizza, dessert, and mid-​range bottle of red. No complaints.

Came here with a girlfriend when our husbands were doing their fantasy football draft– their loss! This place is great– cool atmosphere, amazing food, good wine list, and awesome staff (Heidi was our server– she’s a lot of fun, knowledgable, and attentive.)
We ordered the black pepper shrimp with polenta, the Parma classic pizza, and the chocolate empanada for dessert. All were delicious!
We had such a fantastic time, so much so that I’m already back to try more!

Simply amazing.
We were in West Chicago for a meeting and were looking for a new place to try for dinner that wasn’t too far away. Found Fire + Wine on Unilocal,and there is a reason why this place has so many 5 star ratings.
1) Food is amazing. Seriously it is super good. (More on that in a moment)
2) Service is ON POINT.
Not only was Lauren a rockstar, but the moment we had a dirty dish, it was cleared. Not obtrusive, but people were definitely paying attention.
3) They go out of their way to make you feel important.
We mentioned it was our first time and Michael, one of the partners stopped by to see how our experience was going a little after the second small plate arrived. It was clear that he actually cared and wanted to ensure we had a great time. We also were torn between ordering the ricotta & honeycomb or the pork belly, and they surprised us with the ricotta anyway so we could try it after we had ordered the pork belly. (Both were amazing) They also had this way of making us feel like every decision we made was the right one. (Michael commented on the bottle of wine we ordered, Lauren + food runners commented on dishes… it was a nice touch. Not manufactured)
Back to the food:
We started with the mussels & crispy pork belly. (And then they brought the ricotta honeycomb anyway) Mussels were tasty but the broth was the star. Pork belly was more like a mini pork filet (not tiny chunks like many serve it), topped with a nice stone fruit compote. But the ricotta & honeycomb… Wow. I can see why they didn’t want us to miss out. I almost licked the plate.
Then we split the Regina Margherita pizza. Crust was good, liked the buffalo mozz but not huge fans of the cherry tomatoes. Flavor was too tart & they were not super easy to eat.
Finished off with the panna cotta which was incredible. It had so many layers of flavor – sea salt, balsamic, and creamy vanilla bean.
We also got the fresh rigatoni + sausage to go, but haven’t had a chance to dive into that yet. If it’s half as good as everything else, I’m sure it’ll be incredible.
One final thing– we live about 45 mins away but this won’t deter us from coming as much as possible. Yes, it’s that good.

I was resistant to going, there is typically a wait and they don’t do reservations.
I was wrong.
We went early and didn’t have to wait long (you can call ahead and get on the list) We actually went with a good attitude, we got there at 5:00 on a Saturday and they said it would be about 1 – 1.5 hours, we were there, we were committed and we were ready.
They sat us in 15 minutes.
Am I alone in wanting to break out in the James Taylor song «Fire and Rain» every time I hear the name of this place? (I’m doing it now)
So, it’s Italian (in case you didn’t know) The wood fired Pizza’s are good. but the small plates and meals are the real deal. There were four of us and we ate enough for twice as many.
Don’t judge! We showed restraint. there were so many things we wanted to try. we actually had to compromise.
Small plate/​Appetizers. Grilled Romaine, (winner! who’d have thought?) Bacon wrapped dates, Ricotta Honeycomb, Italian Bean Dip, Fresh Mozzarella, Pepper Shrimp, Prosciutto Pie and more!
Quick service, reasonable prices. excellent atmosphere and great food.
I’ve seen Fire and I’ve seen Wine. I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I’ve seen long lines when I’m passing by the door, but now I know that I’ll see you again. baby, more than one time, I’ll see you again

The hottest date spot! Modern, Industrial, & romantic (but not so quiet) offering crafted cocktails and eclectic wines. 68 wines — 45 by the glass. The best waitress is Amy and if you like Red Wine, she’ll recommend a bottle of «if you see kay.» The entire Team takes great care of you; hostess, food runners, other wait staff, along with the owner and his son. The menu has items for sharing. Appetizers, pizza, pasta, entrees. We recommend the Mussels, all the pastas, & all the pizza. They also offer gluten free, kid’s items, private parties, & TVs in the bar.
Fire + Wine has simple ingredients taken to the next level. It’s a great place in Glen Ellyn. Sign up for the email club. No reservations, show up before 5 on Saturday for a table or you’ll be bumping elbows in the crowded bar.

Fire + Wine gets a lot of attention in Glen Ellyn these days, and it’s well deserved. We ordered quite a few things off their menu, and *every* single thing I tasted was the best of its kind.
We started off with the arancini (and a Vanilla Porter for me, which was quite good thank you very much). As far as we could tell it was half real risotto and real mozzarella on the inside, with two different elements of crunchiness on the outside; the batter, and a smattering of thin, crunchy onion rings. There were six in total, and they don’t get any better than this.
Just as we got done with the arancini, our pizzas came out. My wife got the prosciutto pie, and all I really managed to eat of it was a piece of prosciutto (absolutely marvelous) and an olive (mellowed, but still very flavorful). I was torn between artichoke and pesto, and the bianco; on recommendation from the server, I picked the artichoke and pesto and was rewarded with pleasantly bitter arugula, buttery artichoke and fresh pesto.
In both cases the crust was perfect. Flavorful, soft on the inside but with the perfect amount of chew. Top quality fresh ingredients all around, too.
For dessert we decided to get a butterscotch budino, but were also given a panna cotta, and I didn’t argue. The panna cotta was creamy and slightly tangy, melding well with a whole blackberry and sauce on top. The budino was out-​of-​this-​world excellent; thick, creamy, rich. Save room for dessert here, folks.
I have no doubts that we’ll be back here again, for the best pizza we’ve had since we came back from Naples.