Light in the Night Firefly Glows With Reinterpretation of American, Other Dishes by Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana Restaurants and diners love trends. In the 1980s, Southwestern food was the rage. In the 1990s, Thai hit it big, then Californian, and fusionóand on it goes. Change is good when it comes to eating. Weíve recently noticed that many restaurants have started offering food thatís actually of American or regional origin, but with an updated touch. Chef John Wabeckówho is responsible for creating the menus for Bar Rouge and Topaz Bar, and formerly the chef at Restaurant Noraóhas created an American bistro-style menu at the recently opened Firefly, adjacent to Hotel Madera on New Hampshire Avenue. Wabeck is fond of reinterpreting traditional American foods, and he has done just that at Firefly, which is in the former space of Líetoile on the fringe of Dupont Circle. Líetoile was a rather spartan restaurant, to put it mildly. Fireflyís designers have really done a number on the space, turning it into something warm and cozyóeven romanticówith out being too cute. They expanded the dining room and opened it up. Thereís a bar on one side, backlit curtains along another side, and a subtle backlit amber glass bar. Itís a very dark restaurant, lit by small lights on tracks, but most of the lighting comes from the small candles at the tables. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a huge old tree trunk that fits snugly between the floor and the ceiling. Hung on its branches are tiny candle lanterns, representing fireflies. Even though it was a Mondayótypically the worst night of the week for restaurantsóand it was only open for the second week, Firefly was at a capacity crowd and seemed to have already established a following, which may be in part because of Wabeckís influence. One of Fireflyís drink specialties is martinis, so to get things going we tried a lusciously citrus mojito martini ($8). We noticed that Wabeckís passion for food is matched by his love of wine, which is reflected in the eclectic wine list. He has chosen predominantly American wines to match his American cuisine. The appetizers were very impressive and came out in gigantic white bell-shaped bowls, served by a waiter who was helpful, knowledgeable and professional but friendly. The corn and poblano chili chowder ($7.50) with purple potato and cilantro oil tasted terrific, but, like the mushroom appetizer, it was unevenly heatedóa dead giveaway for microwave use. The soup had a rich, creamy base with corn, chunks of smoked bacon and purple potatoes, and accented with a strong underlying taste of cilantro oil, which decorated the soupís surface in a latticework. The portobello mushrooms ($8) were grilled with paprika and were meaty and tender. They were conveniently sliced and served with Tuscan white beans and a buttery sauce with pieces of parsley and shaved fennel. There is only one salad on the menuóthe local greens ($6). Itís a typical salad but was fresh and included a crisp combination of mixed greens, walnuts, sliced pears and crumbled bleu cheese dressed with sherry vinaigrette and served on a small square brown plate. The gnocchi ($8) was a superb find, the kind of dish you want to recommend to everyone who asks about a good place to eat. Of course, it was not traditional but a variation of the potato-stuffed pasta dish. The stroke of genius was the addition of chunks of smoked trout and the whole dish being sautÈed with sage butter. The main courses were also served on oversized white plates, with two pieces of red snapper ($18.50) stacked on a bed of cranberry beans in a pool of creamy sage dressing. The beans added a nut-like flavor and a tender crunch to the dish. The fish was pan fried, so the skin was crispy and the white meat tender. The way it was prepared and cooked was what distinguished this dish. The accompanying vegetable was sautÈed chard with sliced garlic. The mushroom fricassee ($14) was equally impressive. Several kinds of mushroomsóranging from a large, slightly woody sort to a small, tender varietyóalong with yellow grape tomatoes were served with a buttery, dark brown reduction sauce. Under the mushrooms was a bed of chard and cheddar grits. The desserts held their own. An orange and chocolate crËme brulee ($8) was a terrific combination of flavors. The dessert was particularly creamy so that it was almost like a pudding. It had a layer of orange at the bottom and a layer of chocolate on top, with a crispy sugar crust and candied orange peel sprinkled over it. The walnut cake ($7) was a light and highly flavored cake with an orange pumpkin sauce at the bottom and a buttery sugar sauce on top. With so many restaurants refocusing on traditional foods, it turns out you donít have to go to a steakhouse anymore to eat something American. Firefly Restaurant (adjacent to Hotel Madera) is located at 1310 New Hampshire Ave., NW. The telephone number is (202) 861-1310. Dress is business casual. All major credit cards are accepted. Breakfast is served daily from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Lunch is served Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is served Monday to Thursday from 5:30 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Note: Signatures restaurant, which opened last spring, has hired, Morou, a two-time chef of the year nominee and formerly of Red Sage, to take the helm of the restaurantís kitchen in late September. Morou, who grew up on the Ivory Coast, said he cooks the way he talks, ìAmerican with an accent.î In addition to putting his own twist on some of the restaurantís current modern American favorites, Morou will also introduce signature entrÈes such as caramelized vanilla-basted Maine lobster with truffle tapioca risotto and sugarcane-cured rack of lamb with butter-braised Brussels sprouts. Signatures is located at 801 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana are the restaurant reviewers for The Washington Diplomat.