Backbar, Somerville

Sample Menu

• Small Plate: soy-braised pork belly with daikon slaw on a bun
• Dessert: gourmet ice cream sandwiched between housemade cookies
• Drink: a variety of modern spins on classic cocktails

When to Go Backbar's open seven days a week, and each day is filled with a different special event. Here's the breakdown:

• Genius Hour: The bar's spin on happy hour, it offers Internet specials instead of drink discounts. Free WiFi is available daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. so workers can skedaddle from their cubicles a bit early and finish up sending emails, compiling spreadsheets, and organizing the office softball league from within the sanctuary of the bar.
• Ramen: Noodles are added to the bar's small menu for a few hours each week. In addition to being served during Genius Hour Wednesday–Sunday, ramen is also served 4–10:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
• Test Pilot Dinner: Sister restaurant and next-door neighbor Journeyman (9 Sanborn Court) tests out new dishes at Backbar before adding them to its New American menu.
• Omakase: The semi-secret omakase dinner only takes place on Sunday nights and requires a reservation, allowing guests who are lucky enough to snag a spot to taste the collaboration between Backbar and Journeyman. Backbar will concoct three cocktails that Journeyman will pair with three of their small, seasonal New American dishes.

Insider Tip: A downsized version of omakase, Backbar's bartenders will whip up an individualized drink—all they need to know is your favorite liquor and what fruit, if any, you want added.

Vocab Lesson
Omakase: chef-selected multicourse dinner, typically focusing on sushi. The word can be approximately translated as "I trust you"—a sign of confidence in the chef's craft.

While You’re in the Neighborhood
Before: Backbar doesn't open until 4 p.m., so eat lunch at The Neighborhood Restaurant & Bakery (25 Bow Street) instead. Gayot called this Portuguese restaurant "a hidden gem."

After: Browse work by an eclectic group of 20 artists at Gallery at Washington Street (321 Washington Street). Their art ranges from painting and sculpting to paper cutting and bookbinding.