In the summer of 2012, I made my first visit to Back Deck in Downtown Crossing. I immediately loved the decor, which transports you to a backyard BBQ, no matter the time of year.
On that first visit, there were a few star dishes, but I wasn't in love with our meal. I was particularly disappointed in the lack of vegetarian options.
When the team at Back Deck asked if I'd like to pay another visit and sample their new menu items, I was happy to oblige.
I arrived with a friend on Friday night and as soon as we stepped in the door, we were able to see the chef and his team preparing the evening's dishes. For some reason, I never noticed these peekaboo windows before.
We were seated at a table in the middle of the dining room and our waitress delivered each of us a menu with the restaurant's name branded into the cover. Literally.
To toast to the end of the work week, we each selected a cocktail. My friend opted for the sangria which was made with white wine and cantaloupe. You could really taste the melon flavor.
I went with the spiked strawberry lemonade, which is strawberry vodka, amaretto, grapefruit and lemonade. It tasted like candy!
After a few sips the drink was starting to have a very distinct taste, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then it dawned on me . . . Gushers! The cocktail tasted like a strawberry Gusher.
To begin the meal, we ordered the smoky creamy eggplant spread. This was my favorite dish on my first trip to Back Deck and it held court nearly two years later.
The dip is smooth and has a cheesy flavor to it. The plate comes with pita bread and those triangles only scoop up about one third of the dip. After that, you just dig into it like a barbarian.
For our entree course, my friend decided on the rosemary and lemon chicken over spaghetti.
She said, "The spaghetti is good and the addition of prosciutto is great. I like the lemon flavor of the pesto sauce, but the chicken is overcooked and barely edible."
There are definitely more vegetarian options at Back Deck nowadays. I began my entree round with the cream of tomato soup with gorgonzola and croutons.
The soup was thick and creamy, just how a tomato soup should be.
I also sampled the roasted cauliflower salad. On the menu this comes with bacon, but I simply asked for the dish without it.
There were so many textures going on within this one plate that my taste buds were confused. There was the cold spinach and red onion, mixed with the warm cauliflower and barley and accompanied by strongly flavored feta cheese. This dish has an identity crisis!
When our dinner plates were cleared, our waitress asked if we'd like to consider dessert. You know my answer to that question.
After a quick discussion, we agreed on the chocolate cake.
The cake came in a very pretty presentation, but the slice itself was too dry. It was better with a bit of whipped cream on your fork, but what it really needed was a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The menu at Back Deck is definitely improved, especially the cocktails and the vegetarian options. My favorite part of the restaurant is still the atmosphere. In the dead of winter I actually felt like I was on a warm weather vacation.
Have you ever been to Back Deck? What did you think?
