Ate here when it first opened. Very nice. We also really liked the ZYLO steakhouse that is in the new W hotel in Hoboken. Had a great time at both places, W was fun after dinner for drinks though.

South City Grill is over the top by design, I'm sure. I thought Fire and Oak was pretty understated. Candlelight, dark wood, and leather. And while not inexpensive, it is definitely not too pricey with plenty of items under $20.

I'm went a couple weeks back and about half the food was oversalted and the service was odd. But I think this is par for the course for a restaurant only open a few weeks, and would give them another shot in the future. The budget focus of the article is off. It's not an inexpensive place to eat by any means. They do have some daily deals like $1 oysters on Mondays, half price sushi on some other day, etc, but that's about it for budget dining.

Anyone else think that all of South City's restaurants are way over-designed? It's like they're trying too hard to look cool.

+1

Ate here last Saturday and it was fantastic! The atmosphere was very cool, the food was quite good with reasonable pricing. The big star here though is the service. It was spot-on, courteous, and attentive without being intrusive.

Fine dining, at a nice price, on Jersey City's waterfront

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
By JAMIE SCHUH
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The Westin Newport in Jersey City was host earlier this month for a party marking the opening of its new restaurant, Fire and Oak, which is described as a high-class dining venture with a family-friendly price.

The Newport location is the third for restaurateurs South City Group, following the success of the Fire and Oak brand in Little Falls and Montvale.

"You get a good, quality meal at a reasonable price," said Graeme Dorras, one of the three owners, explaining the basic premise of the restaurant.

Dorras and co-owner Erick Daragioudakis - the third partner is Joshua Dorras - attended a ribbon cutting ceremony and the grand opening party that included samples of menu items.

Michele Figueroa, 34, who works in Jersey City, said, "I love the atmosphere. I've been to every place around here - (Fire and Oak) is sleek, very New York."

In addition, there's a large patio with outdoor seating, a second bar and a stone fire pit.

And though the design of the restaurant looks very high-class - dark wood, tea candles, silver accents - the prices on the menu range from $15-26 for an entree, with dinner specials every day of the week. Not too bad for waterfront dining.

"The success is based on the price-point, with the quality you would expect with fine dining," Dorras said.

Daragioudakis agreed: "It's a casual, American grill. We took classic dishes and made them the best they can be. You can wear jeans or a suit - it's really an everyday place."

South City Group's executive chef, Kenneth Trickilo, discussed the food preparation. "Everything's done from scratch," he said. "It's fun, great food with a passion behind it."

The menu features a wide range of cuisine, from sushi to burgers to comfort food and Fire and Oak's "signature steaks" - even a children's menu - designed with the price in mind.

"Everyone's looking to be on a budget," said Dorras, who also explained that South City Group's former high-end steakhouse venture, South City Prime, hit a snag when the economy began to flail.

Still, with the success of the Fire and Oak brand, he is much more confident with their new home at The Westin.

"It looks reasonable, for a brand new place," said Genevieve Faulkner, 32, a longtime Jersey City resident who brought a friend to the grand opening event.

"We're already planning what dinners we're going to have," Faulkner laughed.