I think they really missed the mark here. They are trying for someplace very fancy in an area that is looking for casual, good and well priced. Maybe I'm wrong, and the area needed a "smeared sauce on the $35 plate" establishment... But the restaurant was completely empty and the tavern was loaded with people who look like they were there because they didn't wait to deal with a 30 minute wait at the Blackbird. The place looks nice, and I liked the "fancy rustic" theme. The food itself is disappointing however. A lot of flash, but the substance was lacking. The flavors are too heavy handed in EVERYTHING... As if they think putting too much of everything on top makes it richer. A lot of strong toppings but the main dishes under are lacking in taste. Service was slow as well, at least on the nights I've been there. Drink menu is fun and they do have the standards as well. Good mix here. I would suggest heading here after dinner, especially to meet a bunch of friends for something a bit fancier than the town has to offer otherwise. read more

Nice setting, at the bottom of Powder Ridge. The food is good. Service not bad. It is kind of like a hidden gem in Middlefield! read more

Fire At The Ridge - New American Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

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Totally disappointed. We went to visit the open air market on Sunday. After doing some shopping we stopped in for brunch. We were meaning to try this place for dinner, but I doubt we will go back. Totally unorganized. The staff consisted of young kids who seemed confused and too busy on their cell phones to realize what was going on. It was chaotic. After finally getting seated inside, it took 15mins before anyone even came over to us and gave a menu or water. People were skipping the host section and walking in sitting at the bar and getting served before we were greeted. We ordered brunch burgers that were supposed to come with a salad.. no salad. Cold fries. Wet burger. Our burgers were over cooked and so greasy that our buns were inedible. We wanted to complain but no one came back to check on us.. we picked at our food and left. I loved the open air market and as much as I'd like to give this place another chance, I can't stomach wasting anymore money for poor service and subpar food. read more

I knew we were off to a good start when I saw the Mountainside Manhattan was made with Hudson Baby bourbon, Potent and smooth it was a great start to our meal. I chose the Duck Confit Gnocchi for an appetizer. Fluffy pillows of pasta accompanied by the most amazing wild mushrooms so very flavorful walnuts added a bit of crunch to the dish and the duck confit ahhhhhhhh delicious. One of my companions had the roasted bone marrow and loved it he really liked the tomato marmalade that accompanied the marrow saying it really added to the dish. Two companions ordered the Starlight Garden Fire Fall salad one asked for goat cheese instead of bleu cheese. Both dishes arrived with bleu cheese. My companion pointed out she had asked for goat cheese, the waiter said he wrote bleu instead of goat and walked away. He should have immediately whisked the dish away for a corrected salad he did not. My friend said that's ok I'll keep this one and she enjoyed it but still at this level of dining it should have been instantly replaced. I did note that the waiter had quite a few tables all of us seemed to have been seated about the same time and he was flat out running. Other than this hiccup the service was fine. For my entree I chose the Petit "clam bake" the lobster was simply the best I'd ever had perfectly poached I'd swear it melted in my mouth.There was a single perfectly cooked littleneck clam on the dish. The roasted corn custard was amazing sweet creamy and flavorful topped with a thin single round of yukon gold potato. It was an incredible, well executed heavenly plate of food. I've seen complaints over the price of some dishes this dish at $39 was worth it to me for it's amazing vision and execution. It is most definitely not one of those huge "clambake" portions of fried or steamed so so seafood that some expect thank goodness. Very much quality over quantity and very very much appreciated by this diner. My hubby the vegan was presented with a beautiful fall ratatouille. Perfectly roasted fall vegetables with cous cous over a candied butternut squash boat. Yes I stole some it was amazing. My friend had ordered a side of the pumpkin risotto and invited me to try some. I decided she is a nicer person than I since I would have defended every morsel from interlopers. I grew up eating and learning to make proper risotto my Nonna's saffron & dried porcini mushroom risotto is the standard by which all others are judged. I rarely find another I truly like. So many times restaurants use the wrong rice or try to shortcut the creaminess by dumping a load of cheese in it. The pumpkin risotto here was by far the best risotto I have had next to Nonna's. The rice was cooked down to creamy goodness the flavor pumpkin perfection! Can't wait to go back for more. So I glanced at the dessert menu.....cinnamon bun bread pudding! Are you kidding me? Had to try it a wonderful dense bread pudding topped by vanilla ice cream it was a heavenly end to a wonderful meal. read more

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I would give them a 0 if I could, servers were more interested in gossiping. Waited for 30 mins for a waiter then went to the bar to try and order, waited for 7 more mins and called it. Just left at that point. Waste of my time. read more

Was here for Resturant week the food was excellent service could have use a little refining. Great place to enjoy a drink and watch the slopes. Definitely be back read more

We dined her for my girlfriends fathers birthday. Overall a pretty good experience. The restaurant itself is pretty cool with a great little bar for beers and small bites after hitting the slopes; definitely ask to sit in the upper dining area overlooking the mountain. I would review the food itself as good but slightly underwhelming for the price. Our party had steak, salmon, chicken and burgers. All plates were tasty but not a whole lot of wow factor and the burger was cold. The biggest turnoff here was the fact that I had received a $75 gift card over the holidays. We presented the gift card prior to receiving the check. When the server returned with the check, she informed us that there was a $70 cap on gift card use. I have never ever once heard of such a thing. You be the judge, but talk about a sleezy end to a pretty good dinner. Quite honestly, I'm not even sure if this is a legal business practice but because of it I'd think twice about eating here again. read more

The food was really good but doesn't make up for the poor service. Took 20min + for the waitress to take our order. Many staff walking around but no one assisting patrons. When the waitress does come over she quiet and just takes your plate away. Not just quiet like no words at all. Can't get water no matter how hard you try. Staff doesn't seem to like each other either. Also no one greets you on the way in. Wasn't quite sure what to do or where to go. Just wandered into the bar and had to figure it out ourselves. The bus boy seems to work harder than the servers. read more

The food is fresh and delicious, and the menu offers a number of healthy options. The service is friendly and prompt, and the setting is lovely! read more

First time here! Food was very good! Excited for future plans of the restaurant--the chef came around to chat with us about his hopes for it's future. He also mentioned how he will be updating the menu to keep up with locally sourced foods. Keep your eye on this place! read more

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The atmosphere is tremendous, the staff is phenomenal and the food is exquisite! From the starter menu the salad the lobster BLT and the other entrees that my uncle ordered was exceptionally well. Everybody was happy there is live music going and if parently they do that every night after 6 p. M. you can bring your dog as long as it's not at least which is a huge Plus for me it's secluded out in the middle of nowhere and it's a really nice drive regardless of where you're coming from. Definitely coming back! read more

Not impressive. Not even good. The crowd here is not what I would consider the people this place is looking to cater. They want cheese sticks and french fries and that is about the level of service that is expected of the staff across the board. The menu is a bit too ambitious for people clunking around in clogs and boots while trying to 'dine' at this miss-the-mark dining facility. Service is a bit slushy as it took our server a half hour to bring us a piece of bread, and even longer to bring silverware after the bus boy brought us our food! When we asked for a menu, the bus boy brought us a dessert menu. When we asked for a meal menu the waitress gave us the bar menu. When we asked for the dinner menu she said it was basically the same as the bar menu, "just more detail," and refused to go "all the way diwnstairs" to get one. A complete wipeout in my humble opinion. As I was saying, the cheese was good, that is, what we had 3 tiny pieces of toast bread to put some on, we had to leave the cheese because our waitress just seemed to disappear on all grades. While leaving, we noticed that all the tables that were filled with dirty dishes when we walked in, were still dirty, and most other tables empty. But don't think this was the point that this burned at it's max disgrace! No! Upon washing up to go, there were paper towels overflowing the garbage and even a pair of soiled underwear lying on the floor in the mens room! What a waste of time and money. Stick to french fries and chips, community katsup and mustard tables--at least we expect slop and mess there! read more

Fire At The Ridge - Pwder Ridge Resturant, Fire at the Ridge - New American Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

Second time we came to Fire at the Ridge. Excellent Dinner, Attentive Service, Desserts were wonderful. Dining room was very roomy and quiet. Can't wait to go back soon. read more

Fire At The Ridge - New American Near Me - Middlefield, Connecticut

The Grilled Octopus is really, really good. Plenty of staff for attentive service. They are really trying to make this ski area dining spot stand out and be something much better than you would typically find at a small ski area. read more

I went at the recommendation of a friend. Walking in to the restaurant I I was a bit worried as the surroundings are very "rustic ". The decor in the restaurant is simple. Svant. Minimalest. The service is good but I wish they were more attentive to removal of used dishes and glasses. The drinks were good. I had the Hudson River salad and my friend had the froi gras. It was very good. I had the pork chop. A little dry and bland but the sause was helpful and my friend had had the monk fish. That was very good. I had the terrine for dessert and he had the Panna cotta which was somewhat uneventful. The cappuccino was standard. Would I return? Yes. I would try other menu items and I would like to see how they mature. Keep an eye on this place, I think it is worth the time. read more

This is my second time coming here in a little over a year, I remember why I don't come! The drinks are good, not the best, but better then some places. The service sucks, one of the waitresses looked at and walked past my Mom and I, numerous times without ever once speaking to us. I wanted to ask her if she had a staring problem, but I held back. It was EXTREMELY loud in the bar area, between the people, the music and the TV's. All we ordered were drinks and dessert, the dessert - which was a crisp and should have been hot, came out mediocrely luke warm, at best. I definitely won't be coming back here!!! I would've give 2 stars, but the drinks made up for the extra ONE star. read more

The food was alright, however the service was terrible. I had a half full beer that I spilled on accident. The waitress didn't even offer to get me another one and did not ask anyone at the table if they needed another drink. My water was completely empty throughout dinner and was never refilled. The waitress then threw us the check when we were not ready and did not even even bother to ask if we wanted dessert. Overall not a great experience. read more

Wonderful gem hidden away at the base of the ski resort. When we arrived at the destination via gps, I thought I had missed it but you have to continue down the driveway until you are at the base of the mountain. If you're coming for dinner there aren't a lot of lights so keep driving, I promise you didn't miss it. Once you get there you have to walk up to the 2nd floor to get to the entrance... boy does the outward appearance under promise and over deliver! The decor is chic yet comfortable; food is well rounded with some interesting standouts like duck confit gnocchi and truffle cauliflower risotto, with a price that isn't too hefty for what you get. Service was a little on the slow side... but good overall. I'd prefer to sit at the bar as a side note. All in all, a great first visit and look forward to the next. Great find! read more

I had been looking to go to Fire at the Ridge since it opened and my wife and I finally got there this past weekend. To start, when we arrived, there was no host, so we had to enter the dining area to get find out how to get seated...and a bus boy directed us to wait for a waitress...bush league in my opinion. The restaurant has a unique layout, with a full bar area overlooking the mountain, and a two-tiered dining area. The night we dined (Friday @ 7pm), it was quite quiet and the place was quiet empty but they sat us right next to a speaker which was emitting fairly loud background music. The waiter we had was quite attentive, but felt like he was rushing us, and we were trying to enjoy a night out without kids. Not sure the reason bc there were very little customers. Now to the meat and potatoes of the review: our meal. I was underwhelmed by the crab-cakes, as it was under-cooked and not much crab. My salmon meal was loaded with sauce which overpowered the fish. My wife ordered a salad which looked scrumptious (I didn't try) and for her main course, the scallops and risotto...which were some of the best cooked large scallops I've had since being at Cape Cod and buying off the boat. In general, I was disappointed in my first experience at Fire, but will give it a second try some day...I hope. read more

Another great meal at Fire on the Ridge! We reserved a fire pit for dinner with friends. This was the second time we've eaten here and both meals were great! We will come again! Love seeing Powder Ridge revived! read more

Not Impressed We dined at Fire At The Ridge (upstairs)on the evening of Sat, Oct 6th while the OktoberFest was going on outside. Upon taking our order, our waitress said nothing about the bar and kitchen being backed up. Upon speaking to the manager later, we found out that a lot of the people from OktoberFest dined at the Tavern (downstairs), which caused both the bar and kitchen to be seriously backed up. Having said that, our overall experience was sub-par. We ordered drinks, appetizers and our dinner at the same time. Our beers came within about 15 minutes, and after about 30 minutes, we questioned one of the waitstaff about our appetizers (as our waitress had not come around to check on us). The other waitress checked on the status, and came back and said they are done, but yet no one brought them to us. At that point, we said forget the appetizers, as our dinners should be arriving shortly. Our dinners arrived several minutes later, and were barely lukewarm. We voiced our disappointment to the manager who was very apologetic. I have hope for Fire At The Ridge, but I would not recommend dining there if they have an event going on. read more

Totally enjoyed brunch at Fire at the ridge, staff was very attentive and food was amazing. The foliage is beautiful while Dinning outside. Will definitely be back!! read more

We were excited to try Fire at the Ridge because we had heard that the restaurant wanted to get locals to support their efforts to create a new favorite restaurant in the area. The restaurant is located at the base of Powder Ridge Ski Resort in Middlefield, CT and we visited them on a weekend night. The restaurant is trying hard to improve their image, but it fell short in our eyes. Food was average. Service was average. Nothing that would make us want to come back. We can check this off our list of places to try. read more

Food and drinks were ok. A little pricy, good for a special occasion. Had higher hopes for the view which I feel fell short. There really wasn't a clear view of the slopes, the tavern area had that. Waiters were very pleasant and knowledgeable about thing on the menu. read more

Went on Saturday evening. Our food was delicious. The only issue is we had barley any service. The door greeter I believe learned quick how to waiter. They definitely need to hire some staff. Because of our slow lack of service, I mean 2 hours to eat and have a few drinks was just a lot of time. Yes, we concord the lack with good conversation. We may. It go back until the owner hires some staff. Our food was very good. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. This place advertises brunch, then makes 5 breakfast options and nothing else. We sat at the bar on Sunday July 17th and had the worst bartender experience I've ever had. The girl that was working paid no attention to her customers She gave us waters then ignored us for 15 minutes, while a regular walks in and she asks for his order within 5. Two ladies sat next to us, waited 10 minutes for service then asked us how awful it was for us to get service and I just suggested they leave, which they did. As a fellow bartender, this is NOT a way to run the bar. The waitresses would come in and ask for drinks to be made, and she would completely ignore her bar. She needs to learn balance and maybe work slower shifts (which it wasn't even that busy). At the end we asked for the check, waited 10 minutes and I ended up just reading the menu and leaving cash. So rude and I hope her boss teaches her how to run a bar. Would never go back. read more

Bartender was rude when we went there. Pics were outdated and they don't even have the lobster roll that's advertised! Difficult to find and it took a long time for everythinggg. Seating, drinks, refills, apps, main. Not busy so it should've been quick. read more

We had a wonderful time and we all enjoyed our dinners and drinks. Local Cheese plate was wonderful for the price, chowder, ribs, steaks, dessert, coffee, etc were delicious! Staff very friendly and helpful too! read more

My husband and I were very disappointed tonight. We walked in..no host..walked into the tavern area and sat down..no greetings from staff...waited for a server and they were nowhere to be found. The place was not busy at all. Seems the only patrons being served were the ones drinking. 10 minutes later we are still waiting for someone to recognize us..bring us menus... SOMETHING.. ANYTHING!! NOTHING we walked out and will not be back and will not recommend anyone to eat here. If they are going to charge the kind of prices they do their service should ALWAYS be stellar and be more attentive to paying customers. Maybe they should just have a bar if the only customers they're worried about serving are the ones drinking. read more

My husband and I have been looking forward to trying Fire at the Ridge since we first heard it was opening. We made reservations for a Saturday night (Valentine's Day Weekend) at 7:00 PM. We arrived about 10 minutes early and our table was ready for us. After ordering drinks and our food, our waitress brought us some warm cornbread with a maple butter. I think my husband would've been satisfied with eating just this if that was an option. It was delicious! We savored every bite, afraid to finish too soon, but our waitress quickly offered us some more. For dinner I had the petit clam bake, and my husband had the hanger steak. They were out of the hanger steak, but had a NY strip as an alternative. Both meals were absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. My lobster was tender with a succulent, buttery sauce. It was served with charred carrots, and an amazingly good corn custard, sandwiched between two thick slices of potato. My husbands steak was cooked perfectly, and cut like a filet mignon. Neither of us have ever had a NY strip that was so tender. It was served over a bed of bacon risotto which was to die for. The portions were just right. We were both satisfied, but not overly stuffed, which was great because we had just enough room for dessert! For dessert we had the "coffee and donuts." The dish came with three hot apple cider donuts, and a coffee custard, with some sort of vanilla whipped cream on top. We are not usually dessert people, but decided to try something since we skipped the appetizers. We both loved every bite of the dessert...and I will even say the apple cider donuts beat Lyman Orchards! The atmosphere of the restaurant was quiet and calm, with a live pianist in the corner. The space is large and open. I spoke with the owner of Powder Ridge who mentioned that a large tree was coming in that would fill the space in the center of the room. We are looking forward to coming back and seeing how this transforms the space. We will definitely be back again to try more menu items from Fire at the Ridge, and are also looking forward to eating on the Tavern side, where you can look out over the mountain. read more

Music is too loud in bar making everyone yell. the $16 burger and fries had 1 single piece of bacon on it. Fries were undercooked, half were soggy. read more

On a slow Sunday evening we practically opened the place. The food exceeded our expectations: inventive, imaginative culinary creations in a an upscale casual atmosphere with a gentle jazz soundtrack and friendly service. We had tried to find it on Thursday in the dark, but today in daylight it was easy--and took us past Lyman Orchards and their blossoming apple and peach trees atop a panoramic hilltop. The restaurant is actually located right at the base of the lifts for the Powder Ridge Ski Resort. We enjoyed two different ravioli starters--truffle filling with a beet sauce and one with a duck filling. The Claytonia Salad had chèvre, bacon, watermelon radish, watercress and more. The crab cakes came with a lovely arugula salad. The linguini with clam sauce was exquisite. Our shared dessert was blueberries and lavender galette. A really delightful and elegant experience in an area that is mostly populated with casual eateries. Returned here yesterday, nearly a year later, for a special occasion lunch for eight and we wnjoyed great food and service, all agreed. read more

Went to lunch on a Saturday, the food and service were very good. Bartender was very attentive, and his suggestions were excellent. Nice tap beer selection complimented the food. We ill go again, the happy hour sounds great. read more

Was at Lyman for apple picking and needed lunch. This place was incredible! Had the lobster roll, vegetable pasta, and fish & chips. All of it was super high quality. The lobster roll was super fresh and really well done. Fries were hand cut. Total find. read more

Stopped in on Sunday after skiing. We had to wait until 5 to get in which I found odd for Sunday. Food and service were better than expected. I would go back again read more

A pleasant surprise! We nearly left when we first pulled in. But we were all glad we stayed! We drove in past a beautiful landscape, with fields and horses, at the base of a ski resort, but pulled up to a small handful of tan buildings with little markings, and no signage for directions. We had to ask the gentleman running the mountain bike shop u see some stairs about "the restaurant we heard was here somewhere." Upstairs, around back, past a bunch of rooms for travelers to stay, we found it! When our food came, we were all really impressed! Between us, we ordered the ahi tuna tartar, mason jar meatballs, Parmesan and cracked black pepper French fries, hangar steak salad, Bibb lettuce salad, and pork belly sliders. I can't say I was blown away by the fries, but they were good; and everything else was AMAZING. The steaks were cooked perfectly, the pork belly was highlighted skillfully, and the Bibb salad was dressed just the right amount. It appears the new owners have plans, and are getting a bunch of work done to the property. Hopefully one of the next projects will be visible signage to help people find the incredible place to eat! read more

Fire at the Ridge had very bad service. First of all we were sitting for about ten minutes before even being noticed. Then there was staff members that were arguing. We had to wait about 35 minutes for the food. Then when the food arrived the OWNER gave us our food and knocked my soda over. He also hit my friend with plate and he ran away and made the very kind bartender deal with it. The food was ok and we had to wait 35 minutes. I would honestly never come here again and I hope this is helpful to anyone else. read more

I'm not one to write a lot of reviews but after my experience last night, I feel I need to. First of all, the restaurant isn't clearly labeled. We parked and then we weren't sure where exactly to go. I understand it's at a ski "mountain" but I feel like there could be better signage. The inside decor is just okay, in my opinion, but we also sat downstairs so that might also affect my opinion. I was with a large group and as we all arrived the beginning of the night started off just fine. We ordered drinks and then ordered apps. Some of us received our cocktails right away but then a few people waited 10-15 minutes for their drinks. After another 20 minutes, we got our apps. However, even though the waitress delivered the apps, we'd been there for about 45 minutes at this point and still hadn't ordered our meals. The place had maybe 2 other tables so it was definitely not busy. We ate our apps and then sat around for another 20-25 minutes, waiting for more water and to order our meals. Our waitress had seemed to disappear. Finally, after being there for 1.5 hours, we finally place our meal orders. We also ordered a bottle of wine for the table (which we had to ask about what wine they had by the bottle because they didn't list wine by the bottle anywhere) and then had to wait another half hour for the bottle of wine. Our meals came out after a half hour of placing the order. One of the members of our party had an allergy and it seemed as if the restaurant had never encountered someone with an allergy before. The food was just alright, nothing amazing. We ended up being there over 3 hours and spent a lot of money. For the amount of time we spent there and the amount of money, I would've expected better service and amazing food. However, the service was seriously lacking (waitress went missing for 20-25 mins at a time, we only received water refills once for the entire 3+ hours we were there) and the food/drinks just weren't up to par for the prices we paid. On a final note, the fire alarm went off while we were there and ran for probably 10 minutes, during which the few other tables that were there, left so it was just us and one other table. If this place is going to last, they have a lot of work to do. There's a lot of better places I would spend my money on in downtown Middletown, which isn't far from here. read more

Had dinner there last night with friends while our kids skied. I was completely blown away with how good the food was. Between the 4 of us we had 4 different appetizers, 4 different entrees, and 4 different desserts. Everything was absolutely outstanding in presentation and quality. The dishes were all prepared to perfection with very unique combinations of delicate and delicious flavors. Service and atmosphere were outstanding too. Can't wait to go again! read more

I go here while waiting for my son who goes downhill bike riding. That being said I enjoy it a lot. A casual but comfortable place with great staff. I have been there 4 times and have always eaten bar side ... not disappointed yet. I have tried the wings and the burgers and all the salads. All very good. Don't be put off by the building and decor. Relax and enjoy. read more