Fireside Restaurant Burns Down?!?!?

Oh nooooooo! This was not what I was expecting as the top item on my google reader this morning! Fireside, the restaurant on Hope St. I've been dragged to once a month since meeting my husband four years ago, was destroyed last night in a blaze reported at 1:30 am. I'm not going to miss their food- well, maybe their excellent french fries- but my husband and his friends love/loved this place for its wings and casual atmosphere. I certainly hope the resto will rebuild.

Last night, Fireside and Capriccio were the two dinner options presented to me. My husband loves Fireside, but I always end eating an entire burger and fries smothered in ketchup, then I feel gross. We went to Capriccio, since I was meeting up with fellow bloggers downtown anyway. I got the penne arrabiata- red sauce made with spicy peppers, yum!- and it was outrageously good. (The not-huge portion makes it healthy.) Still, I feel a little bad my husband did not get to go to Fireside one last time. He loves their ribs, wings, and burgers... but would it be creepy to have the food of a burnt-down resto in your bowels? A little creepy, right?

Good luck to Fireside! I hope they rebuild soon. In the meantime, I'll try the other resto owned by the same people as Fireside, a little further up Hope St across from Twin Rinks, called Vinny's Backyard and BBQ. I hear their pizza is good!