Situated in a section of Brookline heavily populated with young professionals, The Fireplace can seem like a cross between Friends and Cheers, where everyone knows everyone and half the diners are just stopping off for a glass of Sancerre and a small plate of duck sausage and mashed turnips. But the wood-fired oven, the rotisserie, and the kitchen’s own smoke box make Jim Solomon’s neighborhood bistro a fine destination for a hearty meal of braised brisket or grilled halibut. Desserts (such as gingerbread pudding with burnt lemon sauce) are rich, dark, and treacly. The eponymous hearth provides the welcome tang of woodsmoke in cold weather.

The Fireplace Information:

• American, seafood menu. Lunch, dinner, brunch. Children's menu. Casual attire.