The Fireside
by Tenlee Lund
July/August 2009 LCJM

Turn any evening into a very special occasion with a visit to The Fireside restaurant and lounge in Detroit Lakes. From its awe-inspiring view and impressive service to its carefully crafted menu and extensive wine list, the Fireside offers an exceptional dining experience.

Chef Wade Heapy, who is also co-owner and manager, defines the atmosphere as “competent yet casual.” He says the Fireside’s clientele typifies Lake Country’s rural recreational character, people who love the culture and activities the area embodies. During any given evening, the Fireside staff could serve everyone from families who just came in from the beach to the members of a formal wedding party.

“We’re trying to have fun and push the envelope with the menu,” Chef Wade adds. The menu runs the gamut from the soon-tobe-famous Fireside slider burger to fresh ahi tuna flown in from Honolulu, Hawaii. During the summer, the restaurant offers a fresh fish feature every night.

Summer is also the season that best showcases the Fireside’s incredible location. Opened in 1948, the building is a mere ten feet from the water’s edge. The main dining room is practically suspended above the lake, offering diners an incredible view of the sun setting over Detroit Lake.

The adjacent pavilion was designed to make the most of this spectacular setting. A wall of glass frames the view and can be opened to allow lake breezes to enter through giant screens. The result is a unique open-air experience that’s inside yet outdoors (and bugfree). The pavilion has its own antique walnut bar and separate restrooms, so it is the perfect place for hosting special events.

When you first walk in, you can feel the history of the place, a feeling underscored by the Big Band-era music. But it’s more than that. You’re stepping back into a time gone by, into a classic full-service lounge that is all dark wood and muted colors. The main dining room has white tablecloths with folded cloth napkins and crystal chandeliers. The service is polite and professional.

Our meal began with a relish tray of vegetables, smoked gouda, and gorgonzola dip, followed by crisp salads. For the main course, my husband chose a hand-cut filet, which was charcoal-grilled to order. I had chicken pappardelle, a wonderful dish with mushrooms, asparagus, and pearl onions in dijon mustard cream sauce, served over pappardelle noodles and topped with toasted pine nuts. Both meals were superb.

As we sipped coffee and shared warm chocolate lava cake (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream), the soft notes of “Isn’t it Romantic?” filled the dining room. We couldn’t have planned it better. It truly was romantic.

We are in Detroit Lakes often and, someday, we intend to try the Fireside’s Sunday brunch. Chef Wade describes it as a family style menued brunch. Patrons order their entreés from the menu, then enjoy hot caramel rolls, fruits, meats, and potatoes of the day, all served on platters.

The Fireside welcomes a wide variety of diners—people who arrive by boat and dock in front of the restaurant, others who drive the short distance from town. They can accommodate everything from couples to large parties. But one thing they don’t do is take reservations. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, which can sometimes necessitate waiting for a table during busy times. Chef Wade suggests that large parties call ahead for availability. For people planning special events like weddings or luncheons, the staff will help coordinate the setting, the foods, and refreshments.

Revitalized Fireside worth a return trip
October 22, 2008

At the age of 13, Wade Heapy began his career in a restaurant kitchen washing dishes at Ganley’s in his hometown of Nisswa, Minn. By age 15, he was cooking breakfast at Ganley’s.

Now 36 years old, Chef Wade Heapy is still cooking. And very well, I might add. For the past three years he has been executive chef and co-owner of the Fireside restaurant in Detroit Lakes.

In 1995, Heapy graduated from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, N.Y. During his tenure there, he practiced what he was learning by working weekends as an assistant in a variety of New York City catering events.

After graduating he returned to Minnesota and worked in the lakes area near Brainerd. Heapy’s sous chef, D.H. Shin, is also a graduate of the CIA.

Not only has the kitchen undergone a renaissance, but the dining rooms as well. Since Heapy began, new furniture, glassware, silverware and linens have enhanced the dining rooms.

The main restaurant seats 102 and an adjoining pavilion seats 88. Although the pavilion is winterized, the glass on the screened front can be raised in good weather to enjoy the lake breezes. A full-service bar adjoins the restaurant and offers an extensive wine list.

In the summer, boats can dock at the shore beneath the restaurant.

Opened in 1948, the Fireside has had a long run and in the past was known as the Lu Ray and the Blue Moon Club. Heapy recalls recent visits to the restaurant by a man who owned the property in the 1950s. He was in a wheelchair accompanied by his son and they reminisced with Heapy about the past.

Other visitors were a couple who were married at the Fireside in 1958 and returned for a 50th anniversary celebration. And they too, recollected the past with Heapy.

The Fireside serves from 5-9 p.m. weekdays and 5-10 p.m. on weekends. They are open for dinner six days a week from October through the winter months and seven days a week in the summer. They don’t take reservations, but it is a good idea to call ahead if you are going to make the trip from Fargo/Moorhead because sometimes the restaurant is booked for private parties.

The meal begins with a small appetizer tray of cheese, olives, a dip for vegetables along with a basket of bread made in-house.

The well-balanced menu, which changes four to five times a year, offers starters ranging from $4 for soup or salad to $10 for a Shrimp Cocktail. It was fun to see a Wedge of Lettuce Salad on the menu after its long absence because of the unpopularity of iceberg lettuce.

Main course prices range from $19 for Gorgonzola Ravioli to $41 for a Bone-In Filet Mignon. In between are several chicken dishes, grilled duck breast, lamb, a variety of steaks and a number of fish and shellfish preparations. The fish arrives overnight from the west coast. Potatoes are served with appropriate entrees.

Desserts include Crème Brûlée, sundaes with sauce, cakes, cookies, shortcake and cheesecake ranging in price from $6 to $8 and change often.

During the past few months, I have had dinner at the Fireside several times. It is much different from the supper club that I remember from my late teens and early 20s although the setting is the same.

My dining companions tried the Seafood Stuffed Walleye with citrus butter sauce and baked potato and Lamb Chops with a Dijon, Peppercorn and Rosemary Rub with lamb demi-glace and roasted red potatoes.

The dishes we have tried have been creative and well-made. I especially like the Grilled Duck Breast with Red Onion Preserves, Cranberry and Apple Compote and a puree of acorn squash. I also favor the Salmon with Parmesan and Peppercorn Crust with lemon butter sauce and garlic mashed potatoes.

All were delicious and I plan to return soon.

Readers can reach Forum columnist Andrea Hunter Halgrimson at ahalgrimson@forumcomm.com

Wedding Receptions~Grooms Dinners
Company Parties
Business Dinner Meetings
Gift Cards

The Fireside is the perfect lakeside location to host that special event for you! Our private banquet room allows us to meet any specific needs that you may require.

Remember...Fireside Gift Cards make a great gift! Stop by our host stand during business hours to pick one up or just give us a call. Our number is (218)847-8192.

Patrons come to us for a unique dining experience, and whether you work the front of the house or in the back of the house, you are an important part of why those patrons keep coming back.

Feel free to fill out an application and drop it off or mail it to the address at the top.