Many things come to mind when hearing "fire", often times with positive associations: Beavis and Butthead; Michael Stipe singing "Orange Crush"; and now Fire Artisan Pizza in Coeur d'Alene.
This is a good pizza spot, one we'd rank up with South Perry. Consider that high praises. Is Fire worth the trip to Coeur d'Alene alone? Yes. A forty minute drive to get a good pizza in a really nice locale? Why wouldn't you want to do that?
Here you have a wood fired oven which makes a bubbly crust crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. In terms of the almighty bite, Fire gets it right. The flavor might not be quite up there with, say, Veraci's, but it's still perfectly serviceable, just a wee bit on the light side.
That aside, we have no complaints about the toppings. Our "Parma" came with some nice slices of prosciutto, and we really liked the gorgonzola and mozzarella cheese mixture. It all balanced out to a a creamy texture with a mellow taste, flanking the meat perfectly alongside the truffle oil.
The "Crimini" was a bit more subtle on the flavors. It was fresh tasting, for sure, and I'm guessing the garlic olive oil was supposed to give it a kick, though a bit more garlic would have been appreciated. Still, that's nitpicking, and we enjoyed this pie too.
Fire's pizzas remind us a lot of what we see around the Valencia region of Spain, which is somewhat of a rarity in these parts. Again, consider that high praises.
Finally, a special mention of the interior. This is a wonderfully designed restaurant, one that mixes a bit of the Northwest with a potpourri of European styles. The space is comfortable, and when mixed with excellent service and quality pies, we will add Fire to our pizza rotation. A great spot.