Early bird's the word

>> Fireside steak house covers the basics in charcoal cooking

by IVY TOLCHINSKY

"I laugh at my friends who go to the Fireside," says my so-called friend Lori. "I can't believe you ate there." Well, believe it. And when I ran into the biggest crush of my adolescent life still looking gorgeous and very cool, I thought, "Stuff it Lori, even beautiful people need to take the night off."

How did I end up there, you ask? My grandmother's been raving about the Fireside for years, and since it was her treat, this was her choice. So there I was at 5:30 p.m, a most unglamourous hour, on the way out to the Van Horne and Victoria neighbourhood for dinner.

5:45 p.m. We are immediately greeted by the lively sounds of early birds chirping while the inviting aromas coming from the main attraction, the charcoal grill, easily flip my hunger switch.

5:50 p.m. Once seated, a well-seasoned waitress wearing a little too much makeup and a great smile hands out menus. Pretty much wall-to-wall meat--several types of steak, lamb chops, ribs, brisket, beef liver, even Romanian karnatzel--although salmon, filet of sole and shrimp are available as well. The best deals, of course, are on the table d'hote with a choice of soup, main course, dessert and coffee or tea for between $9.75-12.75. Even the à la carte menu offering combos and brochettes is a good deal, with prices ranging from $11.95-17.95.

6:00 p.m. We place our orders. Everyone opts for bean and barley soup, breaking a sacred resto critic rule. So I order some eggplant and chopped liver from the appetizer menu.

6:07 p.m. Out come steaming hot bowls of rib-sticking homemade soup, chock-full of soft barley and baby lima beans. The appetizers follow on their heels. The huge portion of chopped baby beef liver, slightly sweetened, is smothered with caramelized fried onions, very rich yet worth every forkful. The coarsely chopped eggplant salad is smoky, light and blanketed with fresh Vidalia-sweet onions. The restaurant is now packed and noisy, like a big family gathering.

6:20 p.m. The main courses appear. It's lamb chops for me, lightly seasoned, allowing the full grilled meat flavour to be released. The equally unadorned baked potato makes a compatible partner.

My sister chose the rib steak. No fancy garnish or herbs, just a good old-fashioned piece of quality meat. Good quality doesn't need to hide behind anything. My daughter's chicken breast was tender, but the real and slightly lumpy mashed potatoes with a hint of nutmeg did it for me.

My grandmother, unlike her shameless carnivorous offspring, ordered filet of sole. The moist fish came lightly breaded, pan-fried and baked with no extra fat. We already made up for that.

6:40 p.m. The waitress clears away plates that are practically licked clean and then returns to rattle off a list of desserts. Not a crème brulée or a decadent five-layer triple-chocolate cake in the bunch; only the typical Jell-o, baked apple, rice pudding, Boston cream cake and pie of the day. I preferred the mushy cinnamon-baked apple in syrup while the rest of the gang thought the Jell-o was divine.

7:00 p.m. We're pleasantly paid up, filled up and out the door. All the groovy people may be heading toward the valet parking on St-Laurent but we have the whole evening ahead of us.

The Fireside

Address: 4759 Van Horne (Plamondon metro, Van Horne exit)

Phone: 737-5576

Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-11pm

Best features: Good quality meat and simple meals for reasonable prices

Alcohol: Fully licensed

Vegetarian friendly: No

Wheelchair access: Street level

Fish and seafood: Yes

Credit cards: Yes

Price: $15-$20 per person, after tax and tip

Rating: ** 1/2 out of ****