Porsena

21 E. 7th St., East Village, NY

8.2

map & more

Neighborhood
East Village

Cuisine
Italian
Pasta

Nearby
Mercury Lounge
Webster Hall

212-228-4923

Official Website

By Chris Stang
January 27, 2011

It’s true. We can be tough to please. Case in point, Porchetta, 2009. As rave reviews flew, and religious texts were ameneded to include word of Sara Jenkins’ roasted pork sandwich, we went public with our disappointment. We just couldn’t get on board with all those five star write ups and online Yelp freak outs. But now Ms. Jenkins has a new establishment, and we have the opportunity to get a look at what this clearly talented person can do, this time with pasta and without some of the craziness.

Porsena opened at the end of last year, a few blocks down from Porchetta’s 7th Street home. Though the space is much larger than Porchetta and is an actual restaurant rather than a counter and some stools, it’s not much fancier. This is basically brick walls and some tables. But that’s not to say there isn’t any charm. The staff is relaxed and super friendly, and this place isn’t about the ambiance – it’s about the pasta. And this is pasta that’s worth some serious praise. We loved every single starchy bowl of the stuff that we tried, and the orrechiette with lamb sausage is already a contender for our Best Dish of 2011 (hype!). In every instance, the noodles we ate were cooked perfectly al dente, and the pasta portion sizes are an ideal single serving. We also found a few excellent starters and reasonably priced wines by the bottle. Add it all up and you’ve got an enthusiastic Infatuation stamp of approval for Porsena. Now go on and spread the good word. Let’s see if we can create some hysteria of our own.

Photo Credit: Daniel Krieger/Eater

Food Rundown:

Green Bean Salad
On paper, nothing about this salad screams “order me”, but you should. Fennel, celery, toasted almonds and pickled onions accompany fresh and crunchy green beans. But the simple citrusy dressing is what makes it.

Crostini
We’ve had two different crostini at Porsena, one with a melted mozzarella that was ridiculously good, and one with salami and anchovies that we also liked, but not quite as much. The mozzarella crostini arrives slightly browned and bubbling, kind of like an opened face grilled cheese.

Olive Oil Poached Baby Octopus
We liked the octopus, but not as much as the other things we had on the table at that point. Order with confidence, but don’t expect it to be the highlight of the evening.

Orrechiette Con Salsiccia E Rape
Ok. This is where things get serious. This is a large ring shaped pasta, with bits of spicy lamb sausage and wilted greens in a rich, creamy sauce. It might be the most flavorful bowl of pasta I’ve ever had. We like the portion sizes at Porsena, but this stuff could have come served in a waist high cauldron and I would have climbed in and finished it. Amazing.

Pasta Al Ragu
A really nice, meaty ragu. Our second favorite behind the orrechiette.

Pasta Al Pomodoro
A basic spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce and basil. This was good, but not at memorable as the other pastas we had. Go for it if you need basic.

Cannolichie Con Una Marea Di Formaggi
Also known as “little twists with many cheeses”. The cheeses used apparently vary by the day, but this is basically mac and cheese all grown up. And it’s great.