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Community Corner

Neighborhood Bites: Fireside Grill

Funky restaurant helps transform Lorton

Even though he owned a successful restaurant in Burke, Kostas Daskalakis knew he was taking a big gamble in starting a restaurant in Lorton.  

The area was ripe for development with the closure of the District of Columbia’s sprawling prison in the early 2000s. However, the site that would become the Lorton Station Town Center was nothing but trees when Daskalakis first saw it in 2003, and he believed that the first tenants in a shopping center typically fail.

Despite Daskalakis’ reservations Fireside Grill has been a hit since it opened in April 2007, with its urban chic look and a menu not seen in Lorton before.  “We try to give simple food but prepare it in an elegant way,” Daskalakis said. There’s no fried food on the menu—not even French fries—and food is cooked with real butter, sugar and whipped cream.   

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Daskalakis had been running Hopsfrog Grille since 1996 and knew he wanted to open another restaurant. Only in Lorton did he find a place big enough at a price he could afford. While Hopsfrog is a neighborhood pub, Daskalakis knew he wanted this restaurant to have a more city feel, to match all the changes coming to Lorton.  

The name “fireside” conjures up fun and the outdoors, the owner said. In nice weather, patrons dine on a patio overlooking a fountain with white lights twinkling in the trees. A unique touch inside is a wood-fired grill in the open-air kitchen where steaks are grilled over seasoned oak and the restaurant’s signature flatbread sandwiches are roasted.

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Daskalakis oversaw construction while his partner, a longtime chef, developed the menu. Three versions were tested on passers-by one Saturday before Fireside opened. Testers said they wanted a casual yet modern restaurant. So while Fireside has a kid’s menu, the bar is hopping at happy hour, and it’s looking to expand its martini offerings.

Daskalakis’ path to the restaurant business was an unusual one. He moved to the United States from Greece when he was 23, to “try to find myself,” he said. His uncle was the head chef at the Greek Embassy so he learned about cooking and catering while obtaining a doctorate in environmental chemistry from the University of Maryland.

He worked in government, but wanted to do something on his own. “I was a chemist one day and a restaurant owner the next day,” Daskalakis said.

The restaurant business has had its challenges. Hopsfrog was forced to move into a smaller location in 2008 because of a huge rent increase.  Business at Fireside got off to a “very good” start then slowed in 2008 with the downturn. Growth has been slower than expected, but is starting to turn around. “We’ve survived the hardest part,” Daskalakis said.

9000 Lorton Station Blvd., 703-372-1923. Open Monday 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner. Prices: Flatbread sandwiches at lunch start at $7.95, endless soup, salad and bread for $8.50. Dinner:  Pasta dishes start at $11.95, steak, seafood and chicken range from $15.95 for Salmon Teriyaki to $25.95 for Filet Mignon. Desserts are sold in taste-size glasses for $3.

Owner’s favorites: Fireside Bouillabaisse (shrimp, lobster tail and sea bass in a saffron scented tomato and wine broth with bell peppers and bliss potatoes), $19.95, Blackened Sea Bass (pan seared with asparagus, soffrito rice and a Creole cream sauce) for $23.95, and Filet Merlot (certified Angus beef petite filet served with a grilled Portobello mushroom, carmalized onions, cheddar mash and a merlot wine demi glace) for $18.95.

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