Syracuse’s Flame marries art with flame-flavored cuisine, embracing modern art, great drinks and food with fresh ingredients.

The food is mostly inspired by Mediterranean flavors. Flame is a great place to enjoy fire-oven food or grilled meats, but the main specialty is the artisan pizzas, cooked brick-oven style. It’s not far from campus — within walking distance — at 713 E. Fayette St. The restaurant first opened in August, and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The first thing I saw when I walked into Flame was the huge bar that had bottles lined up across the wall. There were shapes everywhere — square tables, a round table with a fire pit built into the middle, drawings on rectangle canvases, circular lamps and an angular shaped bar area. The colors played on dark tones — red chairs and red lamps were accent colors that contrasted nicely against the dark gray walls. A couple of walls were lime green, which added a whimsical ambience to the modern art interior design.

The owner, Tash Taskale, is a sculptor who has taken independent study courses at Syracuse University with the late Rodger Mack, a renowned sculptor. Taskale designed the interior of Flame as an expression of himself and his philosophy.

I sat at the fire pit, with a flame blazing in the middle of the table. The radiance of both the light and the heat was comforting in the cold winter night.

The menu was simple, which is a nice break from an overwhelming list of items, but for others there may not be enough options. I ordered the Flame Pizza, $11, and the Flame Sliders, $11. All of the entrées cost $11 each, and there were only ten entrées to choose from.

The Flame Pizza was a thin, personal-sized pizza with a layer of puréed lamb and beef spread across the top. A small amount of lettuce and diced tomatoes, tossed in lemon olive oil, was piled in the middle of the pizza. Each slice was cut into squares, and every bite was a perfect balance of texture and temperature.

Every entrée at The Flame is meant to be a light meal, so my thin pizza did not fill me up. I ordered a second entrée, the Flame Sliders.  The menu did not state whether it was beef, pork or turkey — I just assumed it was beef.

The meat was cured in onions and spices — again, the menu did not state what kind of spices — and was flame-grilled to perfection. It was seasoned well and was not too salty.  It was tender and, most importantly, it was delicious. Each slider was no bigger than the size of my thumb and the entrée came with six pieces.

It also came with a side of julienned romaine lettuce and tomatoes, tossed in lemon olive oil, and rice and black beans. I thought both sides tasted too bland. It needed something a little extra — maybe a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice for some extra tang.

If you are hungry and want a deliciously greasy pizza, I suggest you go elsewhere. Flame is focused on simplicity, which is highlighted in the food and its interior design. However, if you’re looking for complexity in this restaurant, sit at the bar.

The huge bar area takes up about one third of the restaurant, offering a wide selection of beer, wine and cocktails. I immediately thought I’d like come back here during happy hour, or on a night out for drinks with the girls.

Published on February 9, 2014 at 11:41 pm

Contact Vekonda: vluangap@syr.edu