B-licious
A Responsibly Sourced, Casual Dinner
Priscilla Dell'Orto
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Reviews
A couple of days ago I walked past Back Forty in the East Village with two friends and we decided to walk in for a quick bite to eat before a movie. I had heard of chef Peter Hoffman's Slow Food style at sister restaurant Savoy, and decided this would be a good spot to try out. The friendly host - a rarity in New York City - informed us that the wait would be about half an hour so we sat at the twelve-seat recycled pine bar for a cocktail. I had a delicious Honey Margarita and tried the Loisada Sling - a spicy concoction of cachaça, ginger beer and chipotle - from one of my friends. Both drinks were delicious. The bartender explained that the cocktail list changes frequently to combine classics with seasonal cocktail creations.
The wait turned out to be shorter than anticipated so we sat down at a large wooden table and ordered a carafe of red house wine. Back Forty's house wines are made and bottled exclusively for the restaurant. A short, constantly changing list of moderately priced wines complements the offering. A number of beers, many of them local, are available on tap.
A smiling waitress came to take our order. We decided to share starters - a mini burrata (a fresh, whipped Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream) salad with smoked fingerling potatoes, piquillo pepper and dried figs, and the crispy Montauk squid with fried summer squash and smoked tomato sauce. The burrata was deliciously creamy and the squid-squash combination was just amazing.
While we were chatting away waiting for our main courses, I took a moment to look around. The décor - a mixture of agricultural tools and drawings, natural history objects and wooden utensils - creates a laid-back atmosphere and brings a piece of the natural world to the urban, East Village setting. The music ranged from upbeat R&B and current rock to quieter acoustic sounds, which contributed to the casual vibe. Back Forty is the perfect place for a convivial dinner with friends or a casual date.
We were enjoying the second carafe of local red wine when our food arrived. I had the daily special - an outstanding braised rack of lamb with vegetables - while my friends both enjoyed the responsibly sourced grass-fed burgers with spicy homemade ketchup. For the sake of research, I felt compelled to try the burger and the tasty rosemary fries it came with.
Though the average main course price at Back Forty is $15, our dinner turned out to be kind of pricey because of the cocktails and (too much) wine. That said, the food was tasty and interesting, and the atmosphere was so pleasant that we decided to skip the movie and hang out.
Back Forty
190 Avenue B @ 12th St
212-388-1990
Opening hours: Mon-Thu, 6pm-11pm; Fri, 6pm-midnight; Sat, 12-3:30pm and 6pm-midnight; Sun, 12-3:30pm and 6pm-10pmSubway: L at First Avenue
The wait turned out to be shorter than anticipated so we sat down at a large wooden table and ordered a carafe of red house wine. Back Forty's house wines are made and bottled exclusively for the restaurant. A short, constantly changing list of moderately priced wines complements the offering. A number of beers, many of them local, are available on tap.
A smiling waitress came to take our order. We decided to share starters - a mini burrata (a fresh, whipped Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream) salad with smoked fingerling potatoes, piquillo pepper and dried figs, and the crispy Montauk squid with fried summer squash and smoked tomato sauce. The burrata was deliciously creamy and the squid-squash combination was just amazing.
While we were chatting away waiting for our main courses, I took a moment to look around. The décor - a mixture of agricultural tools and drawings, natural history objects and wooden utensils - creates a laid-back atmosphere and brings a piece of the natural world to the urban, East Village setting. The music ranged from upbeat R&B and current rock to quieter acoustic sounds, which contributed to the casual vibe. Back Forty is the perfect place for a convivial dinner with friends or a casual date.
We were enjoying the second carafe of local red wine when our food arrived. I had the daily special - an outstanding braised rack of lamb with vegetables - while my friends both enjoyed the responsibly sourced grass-fed burgers with spicy homemade ketchup. For the sake of research, I felt compelled to try the burger and the tasty rosemary fries it came with.
Though the average main course price at Back Forty is $15, our dinner turned out to be kind of pricey because of the cocktails and (too much) wine. That said, the food was tasty and interesting, and the atmosphere was so pleasant that we decided to skip the movie and hang out.
Back Forty
190 Avenue B @ 12th St
212-388-1990
Opening hours: Mon-Thu, 6pm-11pm; Fri, 6pm-midnight; Sat, 12-3:30pm and 6pm-midnight; Sun, 12-3:30pm and 6pm-10pmSubway: L at First Avenue
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