Location: Back Forty on Avenue B at 12th (backfortynyc.com)
Edibles: for me, the chicken and pumpkin dumpling soup, followed by the pork jowl nuggets and a side of roasted brussels sprouts; Elizabeth started with the house cheese, then she and Abby shared the fregola "risotto" with pumpkin; we all shared the pecan pie for dessert
Musings: I was really excited to try dinner here. I'd been to Back Forty twice for drinks and I LOVE the atmosphere. [Note: On Monday, happy hour lasts all night. Beers are $3 and wines, $4.]
Back Forty doesn't take reservations, so we were directed to wait at the bar for a table. Thing is, when all the bar stools are taken, you're standing in a narrow corridor that leads to the kitchen. Where servers are coming and going non-stop with plates. After getting knocked around for 15 minutes (one of the waitresses, approaching from the back, mistook me for a hanging coat and actually shoved me out of the way), we retreated to the row of chairs in the first room. A much better place to wait if the bar is full.
The food had its ups and downs. The soup was awesome. The broth was very flavorful and loaded with tender vegetables and shreds of chicken; the pumpkin dumplings were light and silky. Also wonderful: the brussels sprouts, roasted with apples, maple syrup and cider vinegar.
The only weakness in my meal was the pork dish. The plate looked stingy, containing only three sugar-cube-sized breaded "nuggets," each topped with a parsley leaf. I bit into one and got a mouthful of liquid grease and a tiny sliver of meat I barely tasted. I dissected a second one to verify; I didn't eat it.
I had a nibble of Elizabeth's cheese which was a bit on the runny side, but I liked the fresh milkiness. A taste of the "risotto" revealed it to be tasty and well-seasoned, but not at all rich and creamy like you'd expect a real risotto to be. Bad naming aside, I think it was a good dish. The pecan pie really delivered - sweet and gooey, great flaky crust, rich vanilla ice-cream on the side.
A little exposition about my restaurant-reviewing criteria. First, last and most of all, it's about The Food. The food has to be great - fresh, tasty, made with care and consistently so. Nothing should come ready-made out of a bag, a can or the freezer; if there's some extenuating circumstance why something does, it sure as hell shouldn't taste like it. And a restaurant has to provide good value. The more expensive it is, the higher my expectations. To make the Hall of Fame, almost everything on the menu has to be good; it's not enough to have just one or two great meals that can be assembled if a guest knows to find the hidden gems.
On the food, I think Back Forty falls a little short. All of their mains hover around the $20 mark and there are an awful lot of restaurants out there that really shine at that price point. Ones that take reservations and are on subway lines.
Ambiance and service usually rate pretty low on my list of priorities. If the food is outstanding and easy on the wallet, I will put up with rude waiters who barely speak English, sit on a wobbly stool at a card table and bus my own dishes. On the flip side, no amount of trendy furniture or hot waiters can make up for mediocre food. Food and price being equal, I will go to the place with nicer décor (e.g., this is why I prefer BLT Steak to Sparks).
I give the ambiance at Back Forty full marks. It's dim and rustic, and the way the space is divided keeps the noise level conversation-friendly. Our server was very cheerful and chatty, and was nice enough to take the pork nuggets off the bill without being asked. I will certainly be back.... for drinks. On balance, I don't think the dinner experience is worth going out of your way, standing around for a table, and paying a good chunk of change.
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