We finally made it to The Backroom at Moody’s and I’m wondering what took us so long? In a nutshell great food, friendly and knowledgeable service, comfortable lively atmosphere. They really did a nice job with the space. We sat at a four top along the wall, but the bar is beautifully done. I’ll look forward to sitting there next time.
We were having a tough time deciding what to order, so we asked the waiter to bring an assortment of his favorite charcuterie and cheeses. Rather than just running off, he asked a few qualifying questions (pate OK or just meat?; spick OK?; stinky cheese?). We enjoyed all his selections, with the Coppa and Fig & Foie Pate being favorites for meat, and the Pont L’eveque was a standout cheese.
Other dishes we tried included the Fluke Crudo (excellent complex flavors such as the pickled shisto peppers, however the fluke flavor got a bit masked, could have used larger cuts of fish); Bacon & Eggs Bolognese (thanks for the rec Boston Eater, the pasta was perfectly done and I’ll eat anything into which I can mix a perfectly poached egg); Sausage Stuffed Delicata Squash (wow!, best stuffed vegetable I have had, buttery breadcrumbs mmmmm); Smoked Wagyu Brisket (mouthwatering).
We tried the previously discussed Meatballs. In another thread it was commented that they were good, but “how meatballs are supposed to taste” and “they taste the same as the ones I make at home”. The meatballs were excellent, and had a luscious quality not found in most meatballs I’ve had. There are definitely some non traditional cuts of meat in there. If someone makes meatballs like that at home, you’re a hell of a cook and I’ll be over for dinner soon. I preferred these meatballs to the ones at Coppa.
The wine list is just great. All the selections are appealing, drinkable and moderately priced. You can throw a dart and score on this list. We had a few of their fuller bodied Pinot Noirs which went well with all of our dishes. They had a nice selection of tequila and scotch, which are my preferred spirits.
It’s tough to find things to quibble with about our meal. One thing to note is that this is not a place to bring people who don’t like meat. Even the squash was stuffed with sausage. They could expand their beer selections a bit, the selection is quite limited particularly compared to the well rounded wine and alcohol offerings. We asked for more bread a few times in order to sop up the goodness of the meatballs and brisket, not that this was an issue.
All said, I’m ready to go back. This is definitely where I’ll be going for my next birthday.