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.
The hype on Porchetta is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Has a sandwich of any kind, even a burger, ever garnered this much critical acclaim? In print, online and across NYC food nation, people are wetting themselves over Porchetta’s Tuscan style pork sandwich. People treat it like a Wes Anderson directed movie that Thom Yorke did the soundtrack for and Megan Fox shows her tits in. It’s absurd!
We’re not shy about hopping on the bandwagon when something deserves it and fully expected to be front car on this trip. Unfortunately, despite repeat visits and plenty of chances the verdict is in; this sandwich is disgustingly overrated. The pork is less than plentiful and too dry, the bread nowhere near moist enough and way too thick. Sure, it’s reasonably tasty and for $9, it’s a bargain according to NYC standards, but the praise is completely unwarranted. The Porchetta sandwich ranked #1 in Time Out’s “Best Thing We Ate This Year” spread, while NY Mag can’t stop writing about Porchetta (they prominently featured it in the “Where To Eat 2009″ issue). The bottom line is that it’s just not all that. The hype on Porchetta is just that – hype!
Feature: Infatuation TV: P.O.S.
