Shortly after opening on Paradise Road in 2003, John Simmons’ Firefly became one of the most popular restaurants in the central Valley. Now, Simmons has opened his latest Firefly venture, a hip, modern spot in the southwest. It’s a space fitting for the millennial set, with a minimal palette (think natural wood textures with lots of white touches) accented with warm brass and gold fixtures.
Firefly’s signature collection of finger foods and small plates is present here, divided into four familiar sections: chilled tapas, hot tapas, seafood tapas and meat & poultry. Start with something light from the chilled menu, like the apple and manchego salad ($7) with smoked almonds. Crisp apple slivers are tossed with shredded manchego cheese, giving the tart apples a robust kick of earthy, nutty flavor.
Bacon-wrapped dates ($7.50), stuffed with smoked almonds and blue cheese, are another longtime favorite. The dainty flavor bombs are sweet and meaty and just the right starter before diving into something heavier, like the chicken tinga empanadas ($7.50).
Grilled steak and mushroom skewers ($11), with roasted garlic cream and red wine reduction, satisfy heartier meat cravings, as does the sliced filet mignon with potato and piquillo pepper puree ($14). The latter, and the rosemary shrimp skewers ($10) with heirloom tomatoes, are both new additions to Firefly’s menu and only available at the southwest location.
Although Simmons hasn’t always had an easy go of it as a restaurateur—a major foodborne illness incident took place at Firefly in 2013, and two other locations shuttered the following year—he has been on the upswing since. The flagship Firefly moved up Paradise Road in 2014, and Simmons opened Tacos & Beer in Firefly’s original location that same year.
With an already packed dining room at its latest location, it seems that Firefly’s modern tapas concept isn’t having any trouble winning over new fans, and beckoning old ones.
FIREFLY 7355 S. Buffalo Drive #7, 702-202-1339. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
