Low prices, creative menu draw the crowds to this basement spot
Type: Eclectic
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.- 10:30 p.m.; Sat. 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; bar open until 2 a.m.
Good choices: Warmed goat cheese on crostini; quesadillas with roasted peppers; meatloaf with mashed potatoes; Jack's dirty pasta; fresh fish of the day.
Credit cards: All major credit cards.
Not wheelchair accessible.
SILVERTONE BAR & GRILL
69 Bromfield Street, Boston
(617) 338-7887
Restaurant reviewed 02/27/98 by Adam Pertman
This place is not only cheap, it's easy.
For starters, it's comfortable to hang out there. The decor is gray-sleek and techy-modern, but with a nice mix of wood furnishings, antiques, and sepia photos lining the walls that make the overall feel surprisingly warm and inviting.
The idea is clearly to attract a hip, young clientele - and, judging from the crowds there on two recent weekdays, the concept is working. The 30-somethings and Gen-Xers aren't heading for the Silvertone simply for its ambience, though.
Which is to say that the food here is also easy to take - presumably owing to the predigree of the Silvertone's chef and husband-wife owners. Josh Childs and Katy Gehan worked in swanky Boston restaurants for years before opening their bar and grill last April; and their chef, Peter Irving, has long experience in pricier bistros and restaurants.
That brings us to a particularly inviting aspect of the Silvertone: its prices. They're so low, especially considering the high quality of the meals, that one is tempted to think the food is almost a loss-leader to get people in the door to spend time and to drink.
The most expensive item on the short but appealing menu is the daily fresh fish, which costs $12. The two types we tried were bluefish and trout almondine, each of which was crisply grilled on the outside and flaky-tender within; they were served with rice and crisp green beans.
Other entrees were equally good examples of how simple dishes can be prepared so they're a cut above normal bar fare. The meatloaf ($9) was particularly tasty, as were the buttery mashed potatoes that came on the side; likewise for the steak tips ($9), which were bathed in a soy-based marinade and then grilled to a tender medium-rare.
Two other main courses we enjoyed were Jack's dirty pasta ($8), an unusual sautee of al dente spaghetti and vegetables with cumin and chile - although on one occasion it tasted like the cook shook the spice bottles a bit too hard - and, believe it or not, the macaroni and cheese ($7). No, this blend of curly pasta and gooey melted cheddar, topped with toasted bread crumbs, is not for kids, who probably would find this place too loud and smoky anyway.
This technique of taking bar fare upscale extends to the smaller dishes at Silvertone, too.
There are nice touches in the appetizer department, for example, delicious warmed goat cheese on thin strips of crostini for $4, quesadillas with roasted pepper and two cheeses for $5, and lo mein noodles in a spicy peanut-sesame dressing for $6. Even the salads kick it up a notch: the chicken atop the well-prepared Caesar is grilled in a honey-chile rub ($7).
Two relatively minor complaints: The desserts, usually cheesecake ($4) and apple pie ($3), are fine but nothing to come back for. And the chef or his assistants should know that their cooking is good enough that it doesn't have to be disguised by the oversalting that many creations receive.
Finally, there's the wine list, which is small but diverse, and definitely designed to go light on the wallet. The much-appreciated gimmick here is that full bottles are priced at just $10 over cost, while the charge for half bottles is only $5 over cost - quite a bargain when you consider that restaurants sometimes sock the customer with wine prices that are double their costs or more.
About the only thing that isn't easy about Silvertone is its location, on Bromfield Street near Downtown Crossing, on a block that looks pretty weathered and doesn't boast any parking spaces at all (though there are plenty of lots within a short walking distance).
Whoever decided on this spot also apparently didn't mind a battle with anonymity, or perhaps didn't have a lot of choice. Most restaurateurs don't voluntarily tuck their establishments into the basement of a nondescript building on a side street and down a steep flight of stairs.
Given the success of the Silvertone, however, maybe this is a lesson of what happens if you give the customers what they want: If you build it, they will come.
Tips & hits
