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.” please see BITES, page 17

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 www.toasttab.com/ fire-flavor-640-middlesex/ v3/?mode=fulfillment. Follow the restaurant on Facebook and Instagram under Fire & Flavor BBQ.

PHOTOS BY JAMIE GIAMBRONE

Fire & Flavor BBQ offers traditional plates with a side of culture teams and DJRD was the first to answer. At the time, the team’s boot camp 2022 was set to start in three weeks. Crystal Brawl showed up super scared, but excited at the same time.

“It’s just kind of a place to come together and get your aggression out,” she said.

Bones, of Marlboro, has been with the team since its inception. And if you ask her why she joined the team and came back for more? Her simple reply is because “it’s fun”

“Honestly, I got involved because the ad when I originally started was like, ‘Hey do you want to get some exercise for free, make new friends?’ Yeah why not?” Bones recalled. “I don’t run, I’m not a runner. I know a lot of people don’t like to do traditional exercise.”

Roller Derby is not your typical traditional exercise. It’s a sport that you do have to keep your endurance up so the team will weightlift, but if Bones hasn’t reminded you yet, the game is “fun.”

“Everybody on this team is just awesome and has become like a family,” she said. “It’s a place you get to hit people and it’s OK. It’s hard not to say ‘Sorry’ for a while at first, but it’s part of the game. It takes a while to get the hang of, but it’s fun, it’s fun to do, it’s fun to watch.”

Bones said her son is getting into the game now and may join a junior’s team.

To be on DJRD, a person must be 18 years old. That’s it. The beauty of roller derby is the super inclusive nature of the sport. If you have the drive and you want to play a particular position, there’s no barrier stopping you.

The DJRD roster runs the gamut of ages 19 to upwards of 50 plus. And from literally all professional walks of life – health care and accounting to librarians and teachers.

Many DJRD members come from the Central Jersey area, but some members are from northern and southern New Jersey.

The DJRD season runs from September through June. It is more than the practices and the games that are played at their home base – the Sportsplex at Metuchen. The team gets involved in the community and gives back whether it’s a food pantry donation collection at games or rolling in various parades in Metuchen and surrounding communities.

Last year, the team participated in the Princeton Pride Parade. Part of the proceeds from T-shirts made went towards the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice in Princeton.

This year, a portion of ticket sales for their double header June 11 supported the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice in Princeton.

For more information about the Dirty Jersey Roller Derby visit https://dirtyjerseyrollerderby.com/ or email dirtyjerseyrollerderby@gmail.com.