Back Bay Social Club, Back Bay, Boston

After a day full of apple picking, and celebrating the life of an amazing person in the back bay, we were incredibly hungry as the night crept on and decided, based on proximity, to head to Back Bay Social Club for dinner on Saturday night.  I have actually been to BBSC before- about a week or two after it opened.  I have to say- I was not impressed with my experience there, however as it had just opened, I chalked it up to roll out complications and looked forward to when I would have my second experience.  Sadly, a positive second chance was not in the cards for me.

John and I sat in their downstairs dining room on the later side, yet famished, and so we chose to start with their Pumpkin Ravioli as our appetizer.  Touted as house made pasta, roasted pumpkin and sage, it sounded like a perfect appetizer to celebrate the fall.  Unfortunately what was served was lacking in the warming comfort it had promised.  The ravioli dough had been rolled too thick resulting in an almost un cooked product with sharp corners and a gummy mouth feel that was just ultimately unpleasant.  The pumpkin did have nice flavor, however there was just far too little of it sandwiched between the too thick noodles.  Let's put it this way- I was hungry- I had a single ravioli and was done with the appetizer.  Sad.

I had selected the Peppered Salmon served with green beans and a veal glace as it sounded as though it would be a "light" option in a sea of decadent choices.  When I inquired, I was told that the salmon was grilled, and I was excited to try the pairing of the smokey grilled fish with the veal glace.  Sadly, the salmon I was served was not at all grilled and rather had been pan "seared" to almost a fry.  Out went my expectations of a clean piece of fish.  The crispy exterior of the fish did give way to a tasty interior, soft and flakey where cooked appropriately, however the piece I received was not evenly cut so the ends had basically fried to a crisp.  The rest of the dish had one single monotonous flavor- butter.  Now don't get me wrong- I love butter- I really do- however when my green beans and potatoes taste exactly the same?  I am concerned.  The final disappointment- the "glace" was basically pools of grease in brown liquid.  Don't think though that the brown liquid had that interesting contrasting flavor that I was anticipating though, no-it also tasted like butter.  So, after all was said and done, the envisioned dinner of grilled salmon with fresh green beans was actually just butter masked in different forms.

John had better luck with his entree- filet mignon paired with a blue cheese butter and french fries.  The fries were crispy and tasty- with the flavor of actual potatoes- something I really look for in fries.  His steak was perfectly cooked and the butter pairing here was really quite delicious.  I was jealous.

Our waitress, throughout the first half of our meal was delightful- friendly and conversational, however as a large party began to order bottle after bottle of champagne she became a bit MIA, neglecting to ask if we wanted to see a dessert menu, and disappearing for far too long without even giving us our check.  

Back Bay Social Club definitely has a great vibe for cocktails, and judging by the crowd filtering in as we finished up our meal, they have a lively night scene.  I think that it may be best to stick with them for cocktails and leave their food alone-there are enough other spots in the area now to satisfy a craving.