Inside or outdoors, it's always a party at dbar
You have an important decision to make upon entering dbar. Inside or out?
It's a tough call. If you stay inside, you'll be cozy in the main dining room, where handsome waiters (we didn't spy a single waitress) shuttle trays of cocktails and light fixtures turn rainbow colors to illuminate dark wood and sleek interiors. But outside on the new patio (it opened in early July), there's another party going on, this one more intimate and cast in flattering shadows.
Go for the patio.
That's where we end up recently, and we're glad we did. Rope lighting tucked behind wood panels gives the patio a 40-watt soft hue, and as long as you keep your eyes fixed on your companions, it feels rather romantic. Look straight up, and you'll be blinded by the lights on the roof blasting enough energy to keep Fenway Park aglow.
Since it opened in October 2005, dbar has been saddled with a reputation for being a Dorchester nightspot that happens to serve food. A welcome addition to the neighborhood, it's sometimes dismissed as a place where the tables are pushed aside after 11 p.m. to make way for throngs of 20-something men dancing to the Pussycat Dolls.
Those were mostly fair assessments until dbar debuted a new (and yes, improved) summer menu. Executive chef Christopher A. Coombs's latest offerings stay true to upscale cuisine at neighborhood prices, but now you should come here for the food. And if you feel like partying after dinner, stick around.
Even on our visit on a sleepy Sunday evening, dbar is looking for the heart of Saturday night. The music veers from electro-tango (perfect for sipping wine) to full-throttle techno and house (my head hurts) to vocal jazz (ah, much better).
As so often is the case, the appetizers threaten to upstage the entrees. The mini beef tenderloin tacos arrive cradled in soft corn tortillas, ready to be dressed up with pico de gallo and housemade sour cream. Only the crab and avocado "dragonroll" perplexes us. When you hear "dragonroll," you think of sushi, right? Well, this is essentially wet crab salad resting atop a layer of cantaloupe-riesling gelatin -- an intriguing concept that returns to the kitchen practically untouched.
The pork tenderloin entree fares a little better, though. It has a strong flavor, but gathered with the mound of mashed potatoes on the side, it makes for a rather squishy mouthful. I'm alone in thinking the creamy mashed potatoes are the best I've had since I was a kid -- you know, when Mom whipped them up with tender, loving care (and two sticks of butter).
Instead, we all cast our eyes on the lucky dining companion who's savoring the lamb steak encrusted with goat cheese and pistachio. The lamb is juicy, and when we bite into a chunk of the tart goat cheese and a forkful of parsley risotto, it's the perfect fusion of tastes.
When former Globe restaurant critic Alison Arnett reviewed dbar in 2005, she mentioned how flirtatious the clientele was with the waitstaff. My, how the tables have turned. Our waiter -- tall, strapping, accented (triple threat!) -- is so solicitous at times, we have to stifle laughter when he says sweet nothings like, "The hot plates are good on cool nights." We half-expect him to offer us a spray bottle of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!"
And he's not the only friendly one in the house, either. Two of us wander off to the back of the patio to check out the outdoor furniture, which, suggestively, resembles a bed. A man and woman, presumably regulars, are sprawled out, looking up at the stars. They invite us to do the same, and suddenly we're reminded we're really glad we chose the patio.
dbar, 1236 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, 617-265-4490, dbarboston.com. Appetizers: $7-$14. Entrees: $12-$19. Sides: $5-$6. Wines by the glass: $7-$9.
James Reed can be reached at jreed@globe.com. 