Stepping out: Firewater Grill is a must try place in Coloma

“Every time I eat Rice Krispies ... I listen.”

— Merritt Malloy

Firewater Grill

Okay, you have never heard of the Firewater Grill. Neither had I until last week. It has only been open a couple of weeks and doesn’t have a sign yet, but you can easily find it because it is located on Highway 49 in the Ponderosa Store and Café at Ponderosa Resort, in the Lotus — Coloma area, just north of the bridge over the South Fork of the American River, across the river from the Sierra Nevada House.

Now that I have got you there, you really have to try the food. The restaurant specializes in burritos, tacos and burrito bowls that are more than a bit upscale in ingredients from what you would normally find and still affordable.

In June, Tym Armstrong, of Gold Rush Whitewater Rafting moved his office to this building and reopened the general store, which is presently being expanded. He always felt his rafting customers should have the best food for meals. Because of that he thought it might be a good idea to open a small burrito café to serve the adjoining campground, tourists and the community. He contacted his friend chef Jason Story, who has 18 years in the fine dining business, including two years as chef de cuisine at Sequoia, and told him what he wanted. Story took it from there, hiring sous chef Matt Nicholls, who worked at Amerikan Sushi in Placerville, to help him.

The menu is basic, but the selection of meats and other ingredients is unique. The order is built as you request it, right in front of you, and there is even a list of suggested combinations to try. These are combinations that work well and are delicious.

The meat selections include: pork carnitas, spicy pineapple pork, guajillo chicken, beef barbacoa and citrus cilantro mahi. If you are a vegetarian, you can try sautéed onions and peppers, ginger soy tempeh and falafel. They have two kinds of beans: refried pinto (made with butter) and vegetarian black beans. There are also two kinds of rice: garlic cilantro rice and Mexican style rice, which is vegetarian. At that point you can have them add cheese, onions, cilantro, cabbage, guacamole, sour cream and anything else from the fresh vegetable bar. Now, with the burrito, taco or burrito bowl completed to your exact specifications, you probably want some sauce. How about chipotle barbecue, verde, enchilada, wasabi aioli, jalapeno aioli, tahini vinegarette or coconut curry. (Mouth watering yet?)

I tried a taco made with the citrus cilantro mahi and a burrito made with spicy pineapple pork and garlic cilantro rice. I asked Chef Story to make them both as if he was going to eat them and they turned out to be absolutely delicious and moist enough that I didn’t have to or want to add more salsa.

A large burrito is usually all I can eat at one sitting, but I was able to eat both it and the taco, along with some chips, so that I could try the selection of salsas.

The salsa bar is quite large and includes mango salsa, marinated onions, marinated jalapenos and carrots, pico de gallo, tomatillo, guacamole vinegarette, roasted corn and a rojo, which is made with different kinds of chiles and is hot. I sampled each of them and also the sauces that I hadn’t tasted in my food, like the coconut curry, which I loved.

There is a limited amount of seating inside and a nice patio to which they are adding plants, a waterfall and a fire bar. Thus the name Firewater.

As I have said before, I guess I could add more to this, but why don’t you give Firewater Grill a try. They are open from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily, and until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. And, this weekend, like the last one, they are offering a BOGO, a buy one, get one free deal on the food.

For more information call 530-295-8380.

Port and Cheesecake Festival at Colibri Ridge Winery and Vineyard

Colibri Ridge Winery and Vineyard, 6100 Gray Rock Road in Fair Play, will be holding a unique event this weekend, a Port and Cheesecake Festival.

This Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 20 and 21, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., they will be releasing two of the winery's latest ports, a viognier white port and a syrah port. To accompany these and the existing ports will be a white chocolate cheesecake, a mixed berry cheesecake, an almond cheesecake and a chocolate cheesecake. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to experience how port and cheesecake can make the perfect pairing.

Live entertainment will be provided by the renowned Jonny Mojo. For more information and reservations call 530-620-7255.

Mediterranean Cruise of South Fair Play

On Saturday, Aug. 20, you can cruise the Mediterranean without leaving El Dorado County. Five wineries in south Fair Play, Mellowood Vineyard, Mount Aukum, Chateau Routon, Sierra Oaks and Golden Leaf, will be offering a progressive dinner through regional foods of Greece, France, Croatia, Italy and Spain, paired with local wines. The event starts at noon, with small groups rotating through the “ports of call” under the direction of a cruise director.

After an hour in each “country” the entire group will join together for dessert at Chateau Routon.

A souvenir glass and boarding pass, featuring recipes of the day are included in the ticket price. Advance reservations are required, but you still have time today. Contact any of the participating wineries or call 530-620-1675 for tickets and assignment to a starting point for the cruise.

Synapse Wine Dinner at Sequoia

On Friday, Aug. 26, at 6:30 p.m. Sequoia at the Bee-Bennett House will be holding another of its fabulous wine dinners. This time the local winery Synapse is featured.

The menu includes dishes such as an appetizer of prawn and foi gras canapes, paired with the 2008 Lodi Symphony; creamy mussel and oyster soup paired with the 2009 Mendocino Chardonnay; a first relieve of braised mock marrow bone, paired with the 2005 El Dorado Syrah; an entrée of le trois filet paired with the 2007 El Dorado Defusion Syrah and much more.

For reservations and more information call 530-622-5222.

Wanderings

Zac Jack Bistro, which is located at 3275 Coach Lane in Cameron Park, is now open daily from 8 a.m, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. I went by about noon last Tuesday and noticed a number of smiling people dining, so they must be doing well. I have always liked the food chef John Evans prepares, so I am not surprised. For more information give them a call at 530-676-2969.

Celebrate the day

Birthdays to celebrate today: Publisher, motorcyclist and hot air balloon enthusiast, Malcolm Forbes (1919); American writer and humorist Ogden Nash (1902); the creator of the “Star Trek” series Gene Roddenberry (1921); aviation pioneer and a distant cousin of mine Orville Wright (1871); former President of the United States William Jefferson Clinton (1946); writer Ring Lardner Jr. (1915); skier Cindy Nelson (1955); former jockey Willie Shoemaker (1931) and actors Jill St. John (born Jill Oppenheim in 1940) and John Stamos (1963). Also on this day in 1934, 89.9 percent of the German voters gave Chancellor Adolf Hitler the additional office of President of Germany and in 1991 an attempted coup d’état in the Soviet Union started a chain reaction which led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the independence of the republics.