Firefly Restaurant
Homey Noe Valley restaurant welcomes friends and family with gourmet comfort cuisine.
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Message from Firefly Restaurant
Brad Levy is the Chef-Owner and has been since the restaurant's opening in 1993. He comes from Saint Louis where talking about food takes back seat to eating it. Gourmet palates and common folk alike have enjoyed his quirky Midwestern sensibilities for the past decade. Brad reflects "13 years ago, we opened our doors with not much money and a lot of passion for what we do. During the following years, we've been able to refine every aspect of our business and realize our dream of giving this city an elegant, unpretentious casual neighborhood restaurant; with attention to detail at every level, a cuisine all its own, and a caring, competent and knowledgeable staff." Firefly has always been committed to using ingredients that reflect our connection to our community: organic, locally grown produce when possible, and meats that are hormone and antibiotic free.
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The SceneA metal firefly flickers above the door of this quintessential neighborhood gem. Inside the cottage-like nook, a cream-colored canopy tents the ceiling of both dining rooms, which are separated by white walls sporting stucco designs. Casually dressed servers bustle to the sounds of jazz, offering snappy service and helpful menu suggestions.
The Food
Ethnically diverse offerings change regularly, ensuring fresh specialties that sparkle. The only staple is the shrimp and scallop pot stickers, whose soft center is balanced by crunchy edges. Similar textures comprise the white corn pancakes that are served with sweet, slightly spicy shrimp remoulade. Polaroid-ready entrees taste as good as they look. All meats come from drug-free Neiman Ranch and classic, roasted preparations are sure bets, like Alaskan halibut surrounded by glowing English pea puree or sliced chicken breast paired with chunky new potatoes and fava bean mash.
Key Points
- $35 Prix Fix. Sun-Thurs.
- Yummy Seasonal Comfort Food
- SF Chron Top 100 Hall of Fame
The Inside Scoop
- Save Money - For $34, enjoy your choice of any appetizer, entree, dessert, and coffee or tea (Sun-Thu).
- Parking - Arrive a few minutes before your reservation -- street spots are typically easy to find in this residential 'hood.
- Where to Sit - Couples should request the tucked-away table near the auxiliary entrance. Throw pillows and a bench-for-two make for a cozy experience.
Latest reviews from Citysearch.
My wife and I had dinner here on a recent trip to San Francisco. We laughed and had fun from the minute we arrived. Our waitress was a hoot. She had us call her Rock Star and kept us laughing the whole night. The wine list was excellent, the tuna was very fresh and perfectly prepared. I am puzzled by some of the negative reviews here. Granted, the edgy style might not be up everyone's alley, but it was perfect for me. Thanks Rock Star.
Pros: Service, Food, Prices
Posted 06/25/02
Firefly could have been so much better. The first taste of disappointment came with the bread that was brought to the table, accompanied by a mysterious, gritty lentil spread. I had the ahi tuna salad as a starter. The tuna was delicious but was overwhelmed by the bitter greens that accompanied. Main course rib eye was properly cooked and the sauce and grilled asparagus were very good, but the steak itself was heavy on fat and gristle and the twice-baked potato was dry enough to have been baked 6 times. Desserts were very good, by contrast, and I tasted both the molten chocolate torte and the vanilla crème brulée. Service was attentive and friendly. Price would be reasonable if the food was better.
Pros: dessert, service
Cons: food quality
Posted 06/25/02
we went for the first time to celebrate a special occasion, not only did we not recieve special treatment we didn't even recieve GOOD treatment. our server was snotty and busy chowing down a salad and a glass of wine with the bartender.
when asked how our meal was we answered honestly, to no avail. no one made any attempt to compensate for a fatty steak, a dry potato and poor service. i feel sorry for the owners.
Cons: snotty service, overpriced food, tasteless food
Posted 06/17/02
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