Photo by Carl Jameson
The Original Halibut’s fish and chips shop at 2529 NE Alberta Street closed last summer and moved down the road to the Piedmont Station Food carts at 625 NE Killingworth Street. They still serve the same menu of fried chips, fish and chowders, but from a bright blue food truck.
Their next door neighbor, Enzo Lanzadoro of Enzo’s Caffe Italiano, has moved into their former space and created a new restaurant in its place: Forge. At a soft opening in mid-April, the large fireplace was the center of attention with Forge. chefs cooking with its crackling wood fire. Forge also features concrete floors and counters and a bar that seems to be a long stack of bricks. There are rough-hewn wood tables and iron work throughout.
Photo by Carl Jameson
Forge is a counter-service only restaurant that seeks to be both casual and friendly. It will be open from breakfast through dinner. By late-May Forge will have a full menu of wood fire-cooked meats and vegetables.
“The idea is to have an open fire – nothing gets cooked on a stove. Imagine yourself camping in the morning you’re going to have eggs and bacon cooked over the fire – with the smell and everything,” said Lanzadoro.
The rest of the day’s menu will feature steaks seared on hot coals of either alder or oak, a variety of fish, yard-long sausages on hardwood planks and slowcooked rotisserie chicken. There will also be a lot of vegetables, not just meat. Mushrooms, eggplants, zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli will all be available roasted over the fire and with sauces.
Forge has a full bar with a limited beer and wine selection. There’s outside seating in the front and sides of the restaurant. An on warm days, the windows will be thrown open to let in the breeze.