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 What better way to dull the chill of a relentless Maine winter than to celebrate the first annual Restaurant Week in style? My friend and I headed out for our first trip to the Back Bay Grill to do just that.
The Back Bay Grill www.backbaygrill.com is an elegant place – inviting bar, romantic lighting, black tin ceiling and contemporary art. The crowd seems older and smartly dressed. I envisioned the clientele to be discussing their love of beef tartare and truffles. The staff is well-trained, which seems to be the exception rather than the rule these days. In addition to our waitress accommodating my meal preferences, I overheard someone requesting a gluten-free meal last minute and the waitress did not bat an eyelash. Furthermore, they know the menu and can tell you about nuances in the wine list, how a seckel pear tastes and what confit is. I’m not a regular patron of the fine dining scene these days, so sometimes I forget how important the small details are to me - a hostess took my coat, my water glass was always topped off and the crumbs were discreetly swept off the white tablecloth before dessert.
 The dining room seemed surprisingly full for a Wednesday night in March. Back Bay Grill has earned a stellar reputation from twenty years in business and this Is Restaurant Week after all. General Manager Adrian Stratton acknowledged that Restaurant Week (http://www.restaurantweekme.com/ ) has done wonders for winter business. “We’ve had Saturday-night’s worth of business every night of the week. It’s wonderful.” “It’s been a mix of our regular customers and new customers,” he added. Stratton said in talking with fellow restaurant owners, they joked that next year they want “Restaurant Winter.”
One thing is certain, it’s not the location that gets the crowds. Next to the post office at 65 Portland Street, this is not a stop on the Portland duck tour. Maybe this is where people “in the know” go out to eat?
I was happy with our prime seating – next to the expansive windows where little tea lights rested on each window ledge. I did notice the ripped curtains because I was right next to them, but otherwise the appearance was top-notch. The specially-prepared Restaurant Week menu gives three choices for each First Course, Salad and Main Entrée at the cost of $40.09/person (not including drinks, tax or tip).
The goal of Restaurant Week is to encourage people to dine out, try new places and new foods. “Trying new things” is taken to heart at Back Bay Grill. I think the three selections for First Course were a bit bold. Beef Carpaccio with anchovies, capers and parmesan, mussels with Andouille sausage and saffron or veal sweetbreads with leeks, chervil and truffle butter sauce. Managing to keep a straight face, the waitress kindly talked me through the choices, confirming unapologetically that sweetbreads meant the “thymus gland” and carpaccio was a delicate cut of beef that has never even met heat. Braised leeks and truffle butter sauce sounded delightful but there’s no selling a thymus gland to me.
She noticed that I was not more enticed after the explanation and kindly offered a dessert in place of first course. Sold.
My friend, being the more adventurous one, opted for the carpaccio. The large-rimmed white plates accentuate the silvery fish resting atop a very thin slice of bright pink meat, and large capers adding small bursts of green. Nevertheless, I can’t say that tasting hers led to envy or enlightenment. And I dare say she may have preferred the dessert option herself.
For the salad course, I had the choice of hearts of romaine with garlic dressing and parmesan, mixed baby greens with walnuts and stilton or watercress with mustard vinaigrette and pear. These are options I liked. The romaine wedge was a small portion of cool, crunchy leaves with just the right amount of creamy dressing and a few tiny crunchy croutons and parmesan shavings. It prepared the palate without overstimulating the tastebuds.
For my main entrée, I chose the lamb with cooked red cabbage and Dijon spaetzle. The plate was appealing in its array of colors and textures – deep burgundy from the small bed of crunchy cabbage, rosy pink center of the tender lamb and light yellow noodles with flecks of crunchy spices. The lamb had been cut from the bone and sliced so that no awkward cutting was involved, which is often the problem with me and lamb.
This was a dish that had been carefully planned so that individual flavors would be highlighted but the lamb would obviously take center stage. The portion was just right and very satisfying.
Conversely, my friend seemed dissatisfied with her braised beef short ribs with parsnip puree and hand-rolled fettuccini. After sampling some, I had to agree that the meat seemed a little lacking in flavor. She jokingly referred to it as a little too “crockpotty.” She said the parsnip puree and the few pieces of cauliflower didn’t do much to flavor or enhance the meal. Even so, General Manager Adrian Stratton said that the short ribs have been very popular and have made repeat appearances on the Restaurant Week menu.
 My warm chocolate torte with raspberry coulis and fresh whipped cream with flecks of crunchy chocolate was good and a very nice end to my meal.
Restaurant Week was a fun excuse to try one of Portland’s notable dining establishments. From the elegant atmosphere and professional staff to the obvious attention to detail in quality and presentation of food, this restaurant earns its good reputation. The Restaurant Week options are not for the timid, though, and perhaps too adventurous for the first-time Back Bay grill customer. Judging from the packed dining room, however, there’s no shortage of Mainers who are willing to pay top dollar for fennel confit, horseradish chips and veal sweetbreads.
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