Prairie Fire — Restaurant in Brookline

I’ve been coming to Prairie Fire regularly since they’ve opened, and while the food has been pretty good, I had an experience last night that gave me a really sour taste in my mouth.

On a whim, I decided to splurge for the fried clam roll for $25 because it piqued my interest. It was a regular sized clam roll exactly the sort you’d find on a coastal shack. The first few bites were delicious, with lightly fried clams that weren’t rubbery. But near the end, I bit into a clam that was so clearly bad and had to spit it out because I didn’t want to get food poisoning.

I told my server this to alert the restaurant. Surprisingly, her response was that the restaurant gets the clams fresh every other day, and that clams vary in what they eat so perhaps I had one that wasn’t as sweet as I had expected. I said, no, I don’t think the issue was a matter of the clam’s diet but that it had clearly died and gone bad a while ago. Indeed, I love buying clams and cooking them myself, so I know that you might get a bad clam in a bunch, but that’s fine because you can toss out the unopened ones or the ones that smell bad when you cook them. The server didn’t seem to believe me and went to check with the kitchen, and then came out to confirm that the clams did come in that morning, and that was that.

I didn’t ask and wasn’t comped the clam roll. $25 is quite a lot for this experience.

Now, if you want thoughts on other dishes, the pizzas are among the best in Boston. The tuna crudo is completely overwhelmed by the pickled cherries; the other crudo with the Asian pear is much better. The bratwurst and cider-braised pork sandwich are excellent. The Brussels sprouts salad is very disappointing because it was raw shredded sprouts that was reminiscent only of an overly sweet slaw. I wish it were whole or halved and roasted and tossed with the same dressing and mix-ins. The sunchoke fritters are great — the best kind of crispy outside and gooey middle. The cocktails are too limited and similar, just variations on a daiquiri served in coupes.

The dishes that stand out in my memory are mostly gone: the homemade pasta in a savory green sauce with the braised duck and egg yolk, the original white clam pizza with the clams still in their shells, the homemade old-fashioned simply glazed yeasted doughnut they served for brunch, the crazy green chartreuse ice cream float cocktail. The staff has also changed completely, and that’s to be expected in these times. I just hope the servers trust and treat guests as...

Prairie Fire is one of those gems you want to keep hidden for yourself, but the word is already out so you might as well tell everyone how wonderful it is.

This is truly a top choice restaurant for me in Boston due to the perfect combination of food quality, drink selection, price, atmosphere (their 2021 redesign is beautiful), and staff.

Every meal has to involve at least one pizza made in their wood fired oven or it isn't complete. Start with it. End with it. Just make sure you order one.

Cocktail game is absolutely on point including interesting, uncommon choices on the menu (though I've had my share of classic cocktails and have never been disappointed). For those with a lighter drink palate, the selection of wine and beer is limited in the perfect way - there are no bad choices and there's something for everybody. Don't worry about poring over a list of 100 options and guessing as to whether or not you're making the right choice. Every choice here is right.

As a vegetarian, I always find a good variety of choices and never feel "stuck" with an option. My non-veg friends rave about the seafood preparation and we often all agree on pasta dishes as our "mains" for the evening. I'd suggest you don't miss dessert either; usually a few options and each is as good as the next. I personally rotate through the entire selection, alternating each time I come in (sometimes just for a cocktail + dessert if I happen to be in the area).

Bottom line is this is a great choice for friends getting together, a date, or impressing your in-laws when they're in town. I wouldn't recommend bringing children though as the space isn't too great and the menu isn't terribly accessible for the younger crew. Whether you want to sit at the bar and watch pizzas being made or snag a corner table for some privacy, it's definitely...

I went to PF for an early dinner on Saturday late afternoon. I was greeted with a genuine smile by the hostess and bar keeper as I sat at the bar. I had read a bunch of reviews and so was expecting a welcoming vibe and was not disappointed. I ordered oven roasted oysters and striped bass ceviche as appetizers. Both were over-the-top great. The oysters were wood fired with a compound butter that complimented the briny flavor of the obviously very fresh oysters. If you haven't acquired a taste for raw oysters this is a great introduction! The striped bass ceviche was a palette pleasing delight! Beautifully presented on a fresh taco, the flavor and texture made me want to slow down so that I could savor every bite. A few small mint leaves added to the dish in a great way! For dinner I ordered the rigatoni which is made with duck regu, olive with plenty of hand-shaved Parmesan. Every bite was a delight! I learned that they make their own pasta in-house in the old style, using brass dies. It makes a huge difference, allowing the savory duck to cling to the perfectly cooked, al dante rigatoni. PF is a neighborhood spot that has been discovered. The head guys trained at Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square long known for being one of the premier restaurants in the city. They have brought this excellence in food and hospitality to Coolidge Corner. As a small restaurant make sure to reserve a table ahead of time or go early as I did allowing me to chat with the obviously...