Firefly. An American Bistro

Firefly is conveniently located across the street from Back Bay station, yet just inside the Southwest Corridor. It gives you the impression that you’re eating outside in some courtyard, but you can still just see Dartmouth St, and only the faintest noise of the traffic just near you. Owned by Russ and Sherry Berger of Laurel and Prairie Star (RIP) fame, I was sure it would have good food.

We came into the restaurant a little after 8pm. We actually thought it was closed because not only was the restaurant empty, but they looked genuinely surprised to see us there. “Are you open?” I asked with trepidation….. “Oh, yeah, of course.” they replied sheepishly. Awkward glances all around.

That out of the way, we walked through the somewhat narrow, multi-level restaurant, and into the giant brick patio area. The patio sat in the South West Corridor and offered a nice view of Copley Place, and a bank of trees with white Christmas lights on them. The pleasant late summer weather added to a perfect ambiance for a nice dinner with friends.

I ordered the Thin Crust Portobello and Bacon Pizza. I couldn’t finish all of it (which says a lot). I found it well cooked, and a good meal. It went well with my simple, yet tasty margarita on the rocks. Peter ordered the Chopped Chicken salad with no complaints. Bryan ordered the “Wedge” with chicken breast. “Just what I needed.” he offered. Marco got a Thin Crust Roasted Garlic pizza, which he thought was simple, but still enjoyed. Jeremy ordered the Homemade Meatloaf with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy. He couldn’t finish it, but really wanted to. “This is so good, but I can’t eat anymore!” he opined. Adam, carnivorous as always, ordered the Barbecue St. Louis Ribs with homemade red bliss potato and green beans.

Overall, I liked it. My friends and I are always looking for good quick food on the weekends, and this hit the mark. The patio was great, it wasn’t crowded, and we all enjoyed the food. And for Jeremy, Marco, and I to not be able to finish our meals, it says volumes for the portion size. I would highly recommend this for any South End denizen looking for a good meal. If I wanted to show my family a posh South End restaurant, I wouldn't bring them here, but I can definitely see this as a place for my friends and me to frequent a few times a month.