Excuse my being a little bit of a cheerleader...
My wife and I used to go to Basin St. specifically for their wood fire grill calamari and gouda pizza; a couple years back they pulled it from the menu and that, combined with poor service and a dining room that usually had a band playing far too loud made us lose all interest in the place.
Fast forward to last week - we decided to meet on their back patio for some Thursday night drinks because it was a middle ground with some friends. My wife had a grilled chicken salad and I had a sandwich, both just decent. There was a guy playing cover songs far too loudly for little crowd (and an awful song selection) and just as were discussing that we didn't think we'd come back the manager stopped at our table to invite us to Monday night hand rolled cigar and scotch night. It's under new management and they've revamped the menu.
Last night was awesome! The scotch selection was basic but the cigars from Casa de la Habana were great. They had a wood fire grill going out back and were selling two lamb chops served over polenta with a cherry reduction for $5! I noticed that this is a standard appetizer option that really could be a whole meal. We also ordered the calamari on the waiter's recommendation it was great - unlike any I'd had before; 1/2 inch thick pieces 3 inches long that were lightly breaded and soft, not chewy. We topped it off by sharing a piece of mascarpone cheesecake with a balsamic glaze and honey creme brulee.
I'm happy that this place is finally turning around because I really liked it in the past and had been disappointed too many times. The new manager/chef said they're also expanding the dining room into the space next door (escape the band!) and adding a raw bar for oysters.
I figured the foodies on here might be interested.