Try Bridge Street Social for an elevated evening

I usually reserve eating at restaurants with $20-plus plates for when I go out of town, but if someone else is footing the bill, why not? I’ve wanted to visit Bridge Street Social for some time and was thrilled to receive an invitation to dine there last week, getting the chance to sample the menu of American classics and Italian-influenced dishes.

I set my Google Maps app to avoid highways and took the scenic route on a gray evening that was far too autumnal for early September. I decided a drink was in order to assuage my distress over summer ending so abruptly and was confronted with BSS’ absolute unit of a wine list. The restaurant has pages and pages of selections, as well as an in-house sommelier who’s billed right alongside the chef. A little intimidated by this — and impatient — I decided on a cocktail, which was bitter and floral in all the right ways.

We started with some tasty appetizers, then moved on to the main event, which for me was the pork ribeye with a peach-and-ginger mostarda, Tuscan kale and saba. The mostarda, a condiment made of candied fruit — in this case, peaches — and mustard-flavored syrup, along with the saba, a grape must syrup that’s similar to balsamic vinegar, pooled beneath the moist, perfectly cooked pork. The bright sweetness of the peaches and the rich, honeyed saba complemented the meat beautifully. The perhaps overly generous amount of fresh thyme and single, dense leaf of kale, slick with pork fat, provided a welcome earthy contrast.

Dessert was perhaps the highlight, despite the fact that I rarely order it. We went with the butterscotch budino, a creamy, luxurious Italian pudding that was drizzled with the richest, saltiest, darkest caramel I’ve ever encountered. The sharp bite of the salt in the midst of the eggy, somewhat gritty pudding and whipped crème fraîche was heavenly. This would be the perfect dessert for someone with a more savory palate, like me. From the drinks to the food to the service, Bridge Street Social is the perfect place to pass an evening when you want to feel a little fancy and try something new while still enjoying reasonable prices and a casual atmosphere.