As summer begins to fade, and Labor Day approaches, many minds turn to plans for that last great barbecue. Fortunately, the Great One does not have to be the last one anymore – thanks to a new grill in town that combines the wonders of outdoor cooking with the comforts of the indoors.
Stationed between the Theatre District and the ever-reviving Downtown Crossing area, Back Deck is a great place to stop before a show or after a long day at the office or to make a destination on its own. Run by Chef Paul Sussman, who is a graduate of both Brandeis University and the kitchen of fellow flame-thrower Jim Solomon (whose Fireplace burger recently took top honors in a city-wide poll), Back Deck offers everything from flame-seared burgers to fresh and flavorful salads and from “backyard” beers to elaborately easy-going (and easy-drinking) cocktails. With its picnic tables and plants, umbrella-esque overhangs, brambly lighting fixtures and big windows, Back Deck is reminiscent of childhood yards and urban rooftops and is perfect for family meals, corporate gatherings, or parties of any other size and type.
Starters include everything from a spicy grilled and chilled corn soup and grilled Point Judith squid and grilled chicken livers to and Daddy O’s wings (a holdover from Sussman’s venue in Inman Square). The salad set includes a “garden” variety that is anything but, including Gorgonzola cheese and a tangy lemon-cumin vinaigrette, as well as Cobb with grilled salmon, a semi-classic Caesar on which guests can have the lettuce (what else?) grilled and an even more alternative Waldorf that combines endive and escarole with walnuts and Gorgonzola.
Now that the vitamins and minerals are out of the way, it is time to get down to business! For those who did not bring their entire appetite (or who want to give their meet something to digest with), the Deck’s “small plate” of smoky, creamy, pita-bending eggplant spread is a great starter (as are their duck sausage with mashed potatoes and N’awlins-y gumbo beans and their lamb Kafta skewer). The selection of burgers (beef, turkey, or Mexicali, with avocado and pepper jack cheese) are all respectable options. And though it may not equal Fertitta’s in Shreveport, the northern attempt at a Muffaletta is not all that bad either. But if you really want the Back Deck experience, you need to go big and pick from the offerings listed under the appropriate title “large plates.” Here, you will find such house specialties as the coffee- and chili-rubbed “cowboy” steak (which comes as part of a gargantuan meal with grilled corn on the cob, watercress salad and Texas toast with chimichurri sauce) and the worth-ordering-ahead-of-time beer-can Cornish hen (which, as the name again explains, is cooked on a can of ‘Gansett). Other early faves are the grilled salmon, the porterhouse pork chop and the mixed grill, which combines beef and lamb skewers with duck sausage and grilled mushroom and tomato.
Any good grill party needs good drinks, and the Deck stacks ‘em up. From “’Gansett” and “Sam” to a custom-made Rapscallion lager and Harpoon cider and Wachusett blueberry ale, the locally-sourced suds selection puts Milwaukee to shame. For those who want something comfortable but new, BD offers its own New England-friendly favorites, including a ginger-spiced Arnold Palmer with Berkshire Bourbon, a Triple 8 orange vodka-based cooler, and their signature Back Deck punch, featuring Greylock Gin and grilled pear. Many of their drinks are also available in sharable sizes, for when the party really gets going! There is also a respectable wine list that includes reds and white from vineyards near and far (and some even farther than that). For those who want the refresh without the possible repercussions, Back Deck also offers their own lemonade, MEM teas, Spindrift natural sodas and a selection of fresh juices.
When it is almost all said and done, push your belly around to make room for the fresh-melted s’mores, the Snicker sundae, a bowl of Toscanini’s orchestral ice cream or a slab of pound cake served (you guessed it!) grilled to sweet and toasty perfection.
No matter what you order, the tabletops and the top-notch staff are ready with a bevy of condiments and considered opinions as to how to make this visit to Back Deck as pleasurable as possible. So unless your best friend is grill-guru Stephen Raichlen, Back Deck may be the best thing to happen to your barbecue plans since Labor Day and you can enjoy it any day you want!
Back Deck
2 West Street, Boston