Back Forty
190 Avenue B, East Village, NY
There are plenty of reason for me to love Back Forty. It’s around the corner from my apartment. The vibe is great. The drinks and beer list are excellent, and it’s the perfect Warm Weather Dining destination thanks to their sizeable Outdoor/Patio Situation. Unfortunately, every time I go, I leave with mixed emotions. The meals always start off well, only to have the bottom drop out half way through. I keep going back though, hoping to have a change of heart. After reading Sarma’s Friday Fives a couple weeks ago, I decided that the burger might be the thing that changes my mind. It wasn’t, and with all due respect to our girl Sarma, she owns a raw food restaurant. Cooked meat anywhere must taste amazing. The bottom line is that Back Forty is a solid place to go for a drink and a light bite at the bar. Back Forty is home to one of the best drinks you’ll taste all summer, the Red & Black, and pairing that with an appetizer is absolutely a good idea. Beyond that, I don’t commit a whole meal here.
Food Rundown:
Butterhead Lettuce Salad
As discussed, meals at Back 40 start strong. The butterhead lettuce is similar to bibb lettuce. This salad is well dressed in a white balsamic and the shallots taste like candy. It’s also got a great name.
Summer Corn Soup
My favorite part of the meal, this corn soup was done right. Served cold with lime and chili oil, the combination of flavors was both refreshing and exciting. Excellent soup.
Summer Succotash
Here’s where the bottom starts to drop out. This summer veggie mash-up of corn, romano beans, tomatoes and squash sounded great of paper, but this came out a little slimy and kind of gross. Avoid it.
Grilled Catskill Trout
Speaking of gross…the trout came highly recommended from our waitress as the best fish swimming out of the kitchen. Sadly, it was a little bland, a little fishy and quite underwhelming.
Lemon and Coriander Rubbed Roast Chicken
More bad news. This chicken dish looked like something you bring home from Boston Market. It was greasy, oily and didn’t settle well in the belly. Not even the crispy smashed red potatoes and cipollini onions it was served with couldn’t save this dish.
Grass Fed Burger
This burger had the complexion of ET: a little gray, kind of gloomy and absolutely not something you want to put in your mouth. Since I went in thinking this could be awesome, it was a pretty big let down. Also, the rosemary fries were so-so. Oh well. You want a burger on Ave B? Head down the block to Royale.
The Red and Black
We’ll close this review up on a high note. This Red and Black drink is incredible, so incredible that I’m now making them for myself at home. Tequila, strawberries, black pepper and lime. Trust me, you’ll dig this.
