We sat at the chef's table for an evening at FYR Short North + learned about the new restaurant concept and sampled four courses of dishes and drinks.

The chef 👨‍🍳

Chef Sebastian La Rocca is the Executive Chef of Restaurants for not only FYR, but also the Hilton's two other new restaurants — Spark + Stories on High.

Sebastian was born in Argentina, but also has Italian roots, and most recently was a chef and owner of a restaurant in Costa Rica. He was highly involved in our dining experience and passionately described to us how the FYR food showcases his Latin American flare.

"If you want to know me, try my food," he explained. "My food is culture, it's about my travels and memories."

The wood oven roasted tomato is served with panela honey, goat cheese, charred onions, and sumac. | Photo by CBUStoday

The menu 🥩

More than 95% of the dishes are cooked on fire with six different cooking techniques. We had a view of our food being cooked in front of us on the fire grills. Here are the menu items we tried:

Nibbles — "Amazing Pickles" + empanadas
Starters — Wood oven roasted tomato + salmon ceviche
From the grill — Skirt steak and cured duck breast
From the wood oven — Gnocchi souffle
Cocktails – Venice Beach Spritz, Caipirinha + bonded old fashioned
Dessert — PB&C and queso y dulce

Order the old fashioned if you're looking for an Instagrammable drink. | Photo by CBUStoday

Our top picks 🍽️

Every dish we tried was delicious, but we especially loved:

The gnocchi, which was cheesy, creamy, and topped with the chef’s take on chimichurri.
Empanadas + the rich Caribbean dipping sauce.
Skirt steak + the garnishings in arugula and lime dressing.
The Caipirinha, which was sour, sweet, and refreshing.

Pro tips: Our cars were valet parked + we were able to get the parking validated from the restaurant. FYR is located downstairs in the lower level of the new Hilton tower. The restaurant also offers a full breakfast menu.