Eclectic menus—like dictionaries and jawbreakers—force humans to exercise dormant phonics skills. Sound out sweet and savory selections with today's Groupon to B Street Restaurant & Bar in Newton. Choose between the following options:
• For $20, you get $40 worth of contemporary dinner fare.
• For $10, you get $20 worth of lunch Monday through Friday or brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
Pastry chef Ellen "Elli" Kaplansky—former co-owner of Pie Bakery & Café—now helms B Street to treat taste buds to sweet and savory bites at dinner, lunch, and brunch. Free-range half-chickens ($19) roam on the dinner menu, while edible architects draft up the B Street burger with a 10-ounce beef patty foundation, layer it with opulent floors of aged vermont cheddar, spicy ketchup pools, and house-made pickles ($13), and then audition for nosy neighbors. Weekend brunchgoers can sail through fluffy clouds of challah french toast with caramelized apples ($7) or upgrade meals to first class by accompanying them with smoked-salmon potato boxty ($11) or a sleeping mask made of doilies. Cap off any meal with succulent slices of Pie Bakery's granny smith apple pie ($7).
Although this Groupon is not valid for alcohol, a full bar also lives at B Street, housing a large family of scotches, martinis, and varieties of wine by the bottle. The eatery also hones its homey atmosphere as a meeting place for neighborhood organizations, from knitting circles to bathyscaphe appreciation societies. A call ahead is recommended for parties of five or more.
B Street Restaurant & Bar
Soft live jazz music fills B Street Restaurant & Bar while servers deliver platters such as pumpkin hummus with grilled naan, wild mushroom ravioli, and glasses of rosé sangria from the full bar. This confluence of cuisine, libations, and music has attracted the attention of Metro magazine. Proprietor and host Elli "Ellen" Kaplansky, credits her grandmothers for instilling in her a passion for food. She fuses this passion with her work experiences with celebrity chefs Todd English and Jody Adams when she chooses her menu of signature dishes such as the 10-ounce char-grilled burger with Vermont cheddar and skillet potatoes.
She also adds inventive twists to entrees such as the pan-seared local cod entree with fire-roasted tomatoes and fresh corn risotto, or the fire-grilled lamb chops with a balsamic cherry glaze. The dining area's cozy booths, tall tables, and a curved bar in tones of brown, orange, and red add warmth to the atmosphere, and the restaurant adds warmth to the community by reaching out to partner with local charities both financially and with a poker stick that stretches several city blocks.