Firefly Grill is now open in the former Wild Horse Grill space in Chesterfield - Sauce Magazine
After working in the restaurant industry since she was 15, Christy Hall has finally opened her own place. Firefly Grill recently opened its doors in the former Wild Horse Grill space at 101 Chesterfield Towne Center, as reported by St. Louis Magazine.
Hall previously co-owned another restaurant in O'Fallon for 20 years before developing Firefly, though she did not want to mention its name. "I decided I wanted to branch out on my very own and open this business," said Hall. "And I wanted to do something totally different than I was doing before."
Hall had been eyeing the building for some time and, since owning it, much has been done to give it a rustic "farmhouse" feel. Updates were made throughout the building, including fresh coats of paint on the walls and side of the bar, new black tables and chairs, and the installation of a new quartz bar top.
Nearly everything on the menu is made from scratch in house, from the Firefly Flatbread – made with caramelized onions, roasted garlic, bacon, housemade ricotta and a pizza cheese blend topped with arugula tossed in chile oil – to the pappardelle in the short rib ragu. "It's sometimes a little bit more work, but it's definitely great because everything is fresh," said Hall. The menu offers hand-cut steaks, certified Angus beef, and fresh seafood items including pan-seared salmon, served with sauteed spinach, lemon-Parmesan couscous and white wine-caper sauce, and Fisherman's Stew, which has cod, mussels, scallops and shrimp mingled together in a white wine and tomato broth served with a baguette.
The 4,000-square-foot restaurant can seat about 125. The dog-friendly patio – tucked away behind pine trees, bushes and freshly planted flowers – seats about 50 under its light blue umbrellas. The bar inside can seat about 19 and, while there, guests can sip on classic cocktails, martinis, sangria and margaritas – including the Firefly, which combines Espolón Blanco, orange, lime and agave nectar. There's also a wide variety of wines and canned and bottled beer, plus 12 beers on draft.
Hall's hope is to warmly welcome families to Firefly, as well as couples, both older and younger. "It's been great meeting these new faces, and I have a lot of old faces that have been coming in," said Hall. "I love the wide range of customers that are coming in on a regular basis." Hall will sometimes "sneak out" of the kitchen to meet customers when she can.
To bring Firefly to life, Hall rallied those she worked with before. To Hall, her team is part of her family, and some have been members for a while. "As anybody knows, working in a restaurant, you guys can get so close, and I have been working with most of my staff for many, many years," said Hall. Along with her work family, some of her family from home helps around as well. "It's lovely to be working with my kids and even my lovely dad comes in and helps out dishwashing when I'm in need. It takes a whole big family."
Firefly Grill's kitchen is open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The bar stays open past the kitchen as needed.
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