| On September 26, Ironwood Stage and Grill officially re-opened its doors for business.
The local Inglewood eatery voted "best country and folk live venue" by Fast Forward readers has a new chef, a new menu and an updated look – not to mention its standard line-up of impressive local and touring artists.
On the autumn night my friend and I visited Ironwood, we were warmly received by our server and enthusiastically informed about the night’s lineup of goodies. The special of the day was a flatbread garnished with a fig and apple butter, chicken, apple slices, pepper jack and brie cheese topped off with a balsamic vinegar reduction ($14).
Diving excitedly into the new menu, we discovered a wide array of authentic, yet reasonably priced dishes that ranged from $8 to $15.
We kicked things off with the bourbon-flamed prawn lettuce wraps, served with sweet pickled carrot and cucumber ($12). They were fantastic, a nice, fresh start to the meal. The bourbon-marinated prawns were succulently prepared and zesty enough to give the dish a unique edge.
As we drank our Strongbows and took in our surroundings, we noticed that Ironwood’s rustic charm was not gone, just tastefully updated. Bringing in new tables and chairs, adding a fresh coat of paint to the ceiling beams and refinishing the floors has given the space a clean and modern feel without taking away the down-home, cabaret atmosphere.
For our main dishes, my friend chose the grilled chicken wrap with honeyed bacon and avocado salsa ($10), and I ordered the coconut-crusted chicken strips with a sweet and smoky chili-glaze and coleslaw ($12). The options for sides were excellent – homemade, thinly-sliced potato chips, soup of the day (ginger-carrot) or one of two salad choices – romaine with chile croutons, blue cheese, honeyed bacon and a lime dressing or mixed greens with candied walnuts, carrots, cucumbers, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette. Any other day of the week, I would have opted for one of the impressive salad options, but felt the need for the chips. Our server suggested we have them with the chipotle dip. Yummy.
The wrap was superb – the avocado salsa was fresh and lightly spiced, and the honeyed bacon was like sweet and salty heaven. The coconut-crusted chicken strips were also tasty, although I wasn’t thrilled with the smoky chile-glaze dip that accompanied them – perhaps not the right combination of flavors. A good effort nonetheless.
The Ironwood menu also features the "big bowl of chili" option that definitely looks intriguing. Topped with green onions, tomatoes and white cheddar, you can order it in a veggie or beef variety. It is served with green chile cornbread ($12). I know where I will be going for my winter comfort-food fix.
Our server, Amanda, was very pleased we had enjoyed our meal and pointed out that Ironwood was thrilled with their new chef, Jamie Gordon. She told us to come back on the weekend for live bands on Fridays and Saturdays, "when the place is really hopping." The Ironwood also holds open-mike Wednesdays. The venue is closed on Sundays.
Great service, good food, reasonable pricing and a relaxed dining atmosphere – our meal with two Strongbows each came to $72, including tip. Ironwood is definitely new and improved without losing any of its good, old-fashioned charisma. Perfect for a meal and some live musical gems or an early-evening dinner that inspires you to head home afterwards and watch episodes of Deadwood. Yee-haw!
Ironwood is located at 1429-9th Avenue S.E.; phone, 269-5581. |
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