Silvertone Bar & Grill

Tuesday, February 09, 2010 at 02:04 PM | Posted by caroloc

69 Bromfield Street
Boston, MA 02108

by Justin Cambria

Atmosphere:
Situated in a cozy basement a few paces from the Boston Common, Silvertone Bar & Grill combines a laid back, retro feel with a sense of unpretentious hipster chic. It really is more bar than restaurant, sporting a sexy tint of darkish lighting and several booths lit by little red lamps. It is decorated with a slew of photographs that look like they’re from the 1950s – the type of thing you’d see on your grandparents’ credenza – which the manager Mo told me are all old family pictures from staff members and a handful of their loyal regulars. When I remarked that it looked like the kind of place Don Draper would frequent in ‘Mad Men’, Mo told me that Jon Hamm himself stops in when he is in Boston.

I was there for dinner on a frigid Tuesday in February, which also happened to be premiere night for the final season of Lost, and there was a lively crowd of mixed suits and hipsters drinking at the bar and dining at tables and booths. Understated dance beats bubbled on the sound system. Chatter was constant and upbeat and it felt like a simmering party, though apparently – and unsurprisingly given the TV competition and weather – it was quiet, even for a Tuesday. This place is VERY busy on weekends, and they don’t accept dinner reservations, so if you want to go on a weekend, be prepared to hang out at the bar for a while and enjoy the socializing while you wait for your table, but it is a fun place to do just that. And, you can leave your fancy shoes at home, unless you really want to wear them, which would be fine, too – this is a come as you are hang out for casual drinking, eating, and fun.

On this Tuesday night, the main bar and dining area were open for business. There is a back room, Chez Freddie, with a separate bar and prep kitchen that is open on weekends and which nearly doubles the capacity. This space is also available to be booked for private events, and they host many such parties on Saturday nights.

Drinks:
Silvertone is first and foremost a bar, right in the sweet spot between dive and upscale. It’s not a whiskey connoisseur’s idea of a watering hole, but it’s also not a bucket of Pabst type of place. On tap, they serve Blue Moon, Harpoon IPA, Peroni, and Guinness. They also have a small but interesting wine list that’s priced very reasonably.  Reds, which fall in the $20 - $50 range, are divided into 5 categories: Pinot/Burgundy/Beaujolais, Spicy Reds, Bordeaux, Spain, and Italy. Three are available as half bottles. For the white wines, the divisions are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Italy, and Other cool whites. They are listed between $25 - $45. There’s also a clever cocktail menu, split between Up, Highball, and Silvertone Specialty categories.

Appetizers:
The appetizer menu is simple & straightforward – buffalo wings, fried calamari, goat cheese crostini, and the like. There’s also a salad section, which is slightly spicier and more offbeat, with items like Caesar Salad with honey chili chicken and Lo Mein Noodles with spicy peanut sauce.  They also have a quesadilla with red pepper and aioli, a popular dish that many customers were ordering when I visited.

I tried two appetizers. The first was Clam Chowder, which, though billed as a traditional recipe, was a refreshing take on a classic. The broth was not as thick as some other chowders I’ve tasted, and though I usually prefer that style, this wasn’t so thin as to be displeasing. The broth was also both savory and flavored with some herbs that were pleasant and subtle. There was bacon, potato, and very fresh clams. I really enjoyed this chowder and would order it again on another cold day.

My next appetizer came from the specials menu, a shrimp and pea ravioli. This was a very hearty dish, served with a robust tomato sauce. I thought the sauce overwhelmed the other flavors, but I still enjoyed the dish. The heart shaped ravioli were stuffed with a pea puree, and the dish was topped with shrimp. It was rather nondescript, but again, hearty and enjoyable.

Entrees:
This menu is filled with comfort food classics, but the fare really is not boring at all. There’s a grilled cheese on country bread, steak tips, meatloaf, and a ½ roast chicken. My server mentioned that those and the salmon were her favorites, and the chef told me that the Mac n’ cheese, which they do with a buttered breadcrumb topping and their burgers are the most popular items. The Mac n’ cheese looked very hearty – a totally satisfying mélange of cheesy, gooey goodness. Many of the diners that evening were devouring this dish.

I ate the jerk chicken with grilled bananas, seasoned rice, and Tabasco butter sauce. This was far and away the highlight of my meal and something I still remember on my tongue. I am a spice fiend, and you should be too if you want to eat this – it’s coated and a pleasantly fiery mix of spices, and the pair of chicken breasts came out exquisitely seared and juicy. It sits on top of the Tabasco butter sauce, too, which adds a subtle layer of creamy kick and mixed well with the rice. The grilled bananas provided a layer of sweetness and were a fun, I thought, tastier play on the more common grilled plantains – these were sweeter and softer. I was pretty full and saved one of the pieces of chicken for home – it didn’t make it 24 hours in the fridge as I was back for more the very next time my tummy growled. If you like spice, you really should pop into Silvertone sometime and try this dish.  I’ll be having it again as soon as I can.

Assessment:
Overall, Silvertone is a fun and interesting bar that’s offers a very serviceable menu. The location could not be more perfect for Boston, and its centrality may have something to do with the eclectic make up of its patrons. But whatever forces are at work there, the place clearly draws a nice, unique regular crowd that is civilized and fun. It’s staffed by very nice and gracious folks, and is a great place to catch a specialty cocktail or some jerk chicken.

Address: 69 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617.338.7887
Website: http://www.silvertonedowntown.com
Cuisine: Pub food
Price: $10-$30
Recommended dishes: Jerk Chicken, Mac n’ Cheese
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:00pm; Sat 6:00pm-2:00am
Public Transit & Parking: Park St T (Red, Green lines) and Downtown Crossing T (Orange line) 2 minute walk away.
Parking on street or in Boston Common Garage (5 minute walk away)
Reservations: No
Payment options: All Major Credit Cards