Wildfire RestaurantWildfire

Wood Fired Cuisine

360 417 6800

929 West 8th Street

UPDATE 28 September 2007 - Wildfire is CLOSED. The wood fired oven is most likely still there. (Have you ever tried to move one). Maybe we'll hear more in future.

We have been following the saga of Wildfire Wood Fired Cuisine for a few months now, ever since some of our friends noticed a big wood fired oven up on 8th Street. They weren't open for business yet, but they were making good pizzas and experimenting with hearth cooked foods.

Then, we got a pizza craving, and naturally remembered hearing about Wildfire, so we called information and got the number and some information about the menu. We ordered two pizzas to go and figured we'd check out the place and see how it looked and how it smelled. Wildfire is located in the western part of town, out towards the airport and Port Angeles Lumber. As they say on their card, "Across both bridges and up the hill", which is meaningful mainly if you know 8th Street.

Well, the place smelled great and the pizzas were delicious. We tried the Mediteranean with artichoke hearts, pine nuts, pesto, cheese, scallions, red pepper, red onion and lots of oregano. We also tried a sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, red pepper, cheese, and black olive pizza, a meatier alternative. Both were hot and smoky and heavy with cheese. The ingredients were fresh and distinct. The crust was thick and chewy, and it had that richness of texture that one gets from a good pizza oven.

On a Friday night in March, the joint was jumping. Most of the tables were full, and there wasn't a space free in the rather limited parking lot. In fact, a number of cars pulled in and tried to park while one of us was waiting for the pizza pick up. Inside, it was dark and charming with a view from the hill. Port Angeles is not the prettiest town in the world, but the sky and harbor have a certain light to them. There was a fire burning in the outdoor fireplace.

We tried to get a copy of the menu, but they had none to spare. The big thing seems to be their rotisserie prime rib, which if it is cooked in the same oven as their pizzas, is probably quite a dish. They also had chicken, planked salmon, fresh halibut and a number of other dishes, all prepared using their wood fired oven. We were quite impressed. We have to get back for a proper sit down meal, though we'll probably come early to get a parking spot.

P.S. Wildfire opened just in time. We are still reeling from the loss of Wanna Pizza Me and Godfather. Not only is the pizza great, but we are spared the Italian Mafia kitsch.

REVIEWED: 11 March 2005


UPDATE: 20 April 2005 - We finally held out until 5 o'clock PM for dinner and tried out Wildfire for dinner. We loved the shrimp stuffed with Dungeness crab and the manila clams with red peppers and parmesan appetizers. The former was smokey and well cooked in the hot oven, and the latter served with a rich broth and good buttery toast.  The tequila shrimp soup was excellent, but the entrees were the weakest link. Mind you, we loved the breaded wild halibut with its vinegar sauce and the pork ribs, but they were not quite up to the standards of the appetizers. We did love the mashed potatoes with cheese, the string beans and the extremely American chunk of roasted corn on the cob.

Yes, we can confirm, Wildfire is a great place for dinner.

Wildfire View
Wildfire Pizza
Wildfire Front



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