A
hot find
Fuego
542's style sets it apart
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Stacee
Sledge
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Sept 12, 2002 —
Like so many restaurants
found on Mt. Baker Highway, Fuego 542 is a bit off the beaten
path in both location and menu. I’m enamored of many eateries
in those environs — Milano’s, Seven Loaves and Graham’s
Restaurant — for the same reasons I’m now a fan of Fuego
542: interesting food, fabulous prices and a strong sense of
community.
Open since May,
Fuego 542 (named for the chef’s David Peterson’s interest in
fiery foods and the restaurant’s locale on State Route 542)
dwells in a renovated 1920s-era house that offers indoor eating
as well as seating on the front porch and sizable back patio.
The décor mixes a vibrant
ceiling mural by local artist Ramsey Rye and colorful glass
artwork. On the night of our recent visit, music by Bob Marley
and the Indigo Girls filled the cozy dining room, lined along
one wall with long, narrow tables draped in white tablecloths. A
red wood-burning stove, well-worn upholstered chair and a guitar
rested against the wall that separates the dining room from the
kitchen.
We were there to belatedly
celebrate our friend Julie's birthday. I'd heard that food
selection can change from day to day at the restaurant, so we
weren't sure what to expect, but word of mouth led us to believe
it would be worth the drive. That evening's menus were literally
being printed out as we were seated. (Daily updates can be
checked ahead by phone or at www.fuego542.com.)
Our server was outstanding.
Friendly and informative, she was always quick to fill a
half-empty glass of water or check that everything was as we
wanted it.
Fuego
542 |
Location:
7479 Mount Baker Highway,
Maple Falls
Phone: 599-9800
Hours: 11
a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 3
p.m., Sunday
Serving: Intriguing
Northwest cuisine made from
fresh local ingredients
Menu items
sampled:
Chicken fajitas
$11
BBQ grilled chicken pizza $8.50
Southwest scampi pasta $12
Raspberry almond coffee cake $2.50
Peach blueberry almond crostata $3
Chocolate cracker torte $3.50 |
First came the house salad,
served on a quirky square plate. Long strips of romaine lettuce
were tousled with Fuego 542's exceptional blackened garlic and
mustard vinaigrette, then topped with rough-chopped roma
tomatoes, red onion and feta cheese. The dressing made the salad
with its subtle melding of garlic and mustard. Two accompanying
pieces of soft bread were fine, but would have been better
suited to the salad if served with butter or baked to a
crouton-like crispness.
I ordered the chicken fajitas, a
beautifully presented mix of grilled chicken, red and green bell
peppers, and onion finished with a seasoned fajita broth. Spiced
just right, they were served with black beans, salsa, sour cream
and two tortilla shells rolled attractively into a flower-like
shape.
The only drawback: The plate was
so full it was difficult to build each fajita without making a
mess — though that's the kind of complaint one should welcome
at a restaurant.
My husband chose the barbeque
grilled chicken pizza, a thin dough topped with chicken,
fresh-tasting tomato sauce, cilantro, red onions, roma tomatoes
and cheddar and jack cheeses. The pizza was grilled rather than
baked, adding crispness and smoky flavor.
As usual, he ate the entire thing and started thinking about
dessert.
Julie went with the Southwest
scampi pasta. None of us had ever seen a seafood pasta dish
quite like it. Ten prawns peeked out of a busting-at-the-seams
bowl of smooth penne pasta, entwined with sautéed garlic and
chili peppers in a light Chardonnay and butter sauce.
The sauce was sublime. The only
downside of the dish was the pasta, which was cooked well past
al dente, but the sauce was more than enough to win us over.
Because the prices were so
reasonable, we each chose a dessert. I enjoyed a slice of
raspberry almond coffee cake set in a mix of chocolate and
raspberry sauce, while Julie tried an impressive-looking peach,
blueberry and almond crostata.
Michael, ever the chocolate
lover, went with the chocolate cracker torte. The only
disappointment was the omission of the promised fresh whipped
cream on Julie's tart, but we barely noticed since everything
else was divine.
Of all the impressive things
about Fuego 542 — its beautiful locale, colorful artwork and
welcoming staff — what dazzled me most was its revolving menu.
The chef cooks what he wants, when the freshest ingredients are
available, surprising patrons with a sometimes unexpected menu.
Seems like the perfect recipe for a memorable dining experience.
The
Fine Print: I dine on my own dime. The opinions herein are mine
alone, not The Bellingham Herald's. Agree? Disagree? Please drop
me a line at StaceeSledge@hotmail.com.
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