I have been eating at Common Ground regularly since I moved to Brighton two years ago. Nestled between the dive bars and the hipster hang outs, Common Ground is a modern bar and restaurant with an interesting, upscale food menu and a beer and cocktail list to write home about.
Common Ground is perched on the corner of Harvard Street and Brighton Ave in Allston and boasts decor similar to another one of my favorite places, Cambridge 1. The dark wood walls and black table tops bring an element of elegance.
Last summer Common Ground did a bit of construction and added huge windows to their street-facing walls that are arguably more enjoyable than actual outdoor dining. You still feel the breeze, take in the people watching, but have the creature comforts of eating indoors.
When we decided to have dinner here tonight I was looking forward to ordering my usual - the butter bean burger (veggie, of course) with a side of tater tots. To my shock and horror, when we looked over the menu, it was nowhere to be found! When our waitress came to take our drink order we inquired about the missing BBB (butter bean burger). She said they recently hired a new chef and he has completed revamped the menu. Don't fret my loves, they still have tater tots.
In the spirit of toasting to the new chef, we decided to sample many items from the menu. We started with two cocktails - the ginger mojito and the sextini. The racy name is given to a drink of Stoli Razz, Chambord, Prosecco and raspberry puree. Need I say more?
For appetizers we sampled the risotto fritters and the summer squash and zucchini cakes. The risotto fritters were just the right size and served over an artichoke dip. While I would have preferred a marinara sauce as the garnish, the fritters were delicious, piping hot and had surprise peas on the inside!
The summer squash and zucchini cakes were the consistency of pancakes, which I found curious since I was expecting something more like a crab cake. The first two bites were puzzling, but by the third bite I wanted more. The cakes were garnished with a chive sour cream.
For my entree I ordered the mac and cheese which comes with peas, ham and covered with bread crumbs. When I asked if they could bring me the dish without ham, the waitress said - absolutely! This bowl of mac and cheese was one of the best I have ever had. There was some type of sharp cheese that gave it depth of flavor, the peas were a delicious mix in, and the buttery bread crumbs topped it off decadently.
I have always said the best food is food that is cravable. Food that you want again before you've even left. That was this mac and cheese.
My dinner date tried the iceberg wedge salad which was not served in the traditional presentation. Instead of the classic, vertical iceberg wedge, this was a full bowl of shredded iceberg, garnished with croutons, hard boiled eggs, bacon and a homemade blue cheese vinaigrette that wasn't heavy or overly creamy, but light. Unheard of for blue cheese dressing.
She also tried one of the specials, almond and panko encrusted mozzarella, chorizo and basil leaves all fried on skewers. You could taste the almond and an extra crisp from the panko, and frying the chorizo gave it an extra rich flavor. The skewers came with a dish of tomato jam for dipping.
Common Ground is a truly unlikely gem in an otherwise dingy neighborhood. The restaurant is beautiful, the service is great, the food is extraordinary and the drinks are exotic and refreshing.
Follow all the menu additions and special events on Twitter: @CommonGroundBar.
