Fire & Flavor offers traditional plates with a side of culture
By Jennifer Amato
To say Wilson DaSilva just has experience in the food business industry is more of an understatement.
It’s an industry he started to work in when he was 15 years old.
From cooking to being part of the waitstaff to bartending – he has done it all!
DaSilva has even traveled to more than 27 countries while he was working on his degree in hotel management.
Eight years ago, with a new baby on the way, he decided to change careers and went into a whole different field – the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) business – “but the itch (to go back to his roots) was too big and once I was financially ready, we decided to open a unique spot in town,” he said.
Enter Fire & Flavor BBQ, a new Portuguese kitchen located on Middlesex Avenue that opened on Aug. 24, 2021.
It took eight months to build the interior, DaSilva said. He worked on the interior, the décor and the set up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A lot of work, a lot of time and savings were put into a dream that has brought us a lot of experiences and new learnings,” he said.
DaSilva said growing up in the restaurant business, Metuchen felt “more and more like a destination,” plus there were so many people and different cultures around.
“I guess my travels back in the day played a big role into our choice,” he said. “We are the only Portuguese restaurant in town, which puts on us a bigger responsibility and role. Not only do we want to make sure our customers are happy, but we also want to bring the most out of our food, traditional plates, and culture.”
The chicken and ribs cooked over the wood charcoal are Fire & Flavor’s No. 1 dish. Chicken and garlic sauce and the picadinho (a mix of square meats with shrimp, peppers, onions and Portuguese sausage) follows very closely. Salivating emoji. And every week they put a few specials out for lunch and dinner. Every Sunday they bring a specialty platter from Portugal to their tables.
DaSilva’s wife Andrea DaCruz is a dessert specialist, so all their desserts are homemade and made fresh weekly.
They added delivery and catering as well.
“We do a lot of partnerships with schools in town in order to donate a percentage. We do support local cops and the fire department every year. It’s part of being an active member and supporting our youth and town,” DaSilva said.
Fire & Flavor BBQ is located at 640 Middlesex Ave. The restaurant is open every day, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.To view the menu and place an order, visit toasttab.com. Follow the restaurant on Facebook and Instagram under Fire & Flavor BBQ.
