"Taste of 7th Street" This Weekend

This weekend is the inaugural "Taste of 7th Street" food festival. For $35 dollars (or $18 if you order from Scoop St.) you get to sample a host of delectable goodies from some of most talked about eateries. On the docket are:

• Caracas Arepa Bar – Arepa De Pabellón 
• Luke’s Lobster – Snack Sized Lobster Roll 
• Porchetta – Small Porchetta Sandwich 
• Butter Lane Cupcakes Choice of Two Cupcakes
• Xoom – 24oz Fruit Smoothie

You can either gorge on all offerings in a single day, or split it up between Saturday and Sunday. Either way, you'll get to enjoy some of the East Villages signature dishes.

Torrisi Italian Specialties

Highlights: Everything I had
Lowlights: It's not located closer to me!
Price: Dinner: Sandwiches $6-9, Sides $3-4 per 1/4 lb., Lasagna $10
Snouts: 4 out of 5 (need to source good image!)
Location: 250 Mulberry Street b/t Prince & Spring (open until 5, but starting March 2nd they will start serving dinner)

I had been reading about Torrisi's for quite awhile, so when I had a business meeting on Mulberry I made a point to go around lunch time and get me some Italian eats! The store is inviting, with a small counter to the left where you order, about 10 small tables and it's shelves are decorated with Italian products, such as bags of polenta and pistachios, cans of tomatoes and my favorite; a picture of Billy Joel circa 1975. I had a really hard time deciding on what to eat. I had read  Ed Levine's review and was tempted to order the Panama which is comprised of slow-roasted turkey, red onion, shaved lettuce, mayo, tomato and their spicy sauce or the chicken parm that has their homemade mozzerella. But, I was staring at their fresh made ricotta and new I had to have something that included it.

Today's Special Burger at RUB BBQ: Jucy Lucy

Came across this on Serious Eats:Today's special burger at RUB BBQ is the Jucy Lucy ($7.50), a cheese-stuffed burger that is a specialty of Minneapolis. It will be available for dinner starting at 6 p.m. 208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (map); 212-524-4300

Back Forty

Highlights:  Egg & Mushroom  Flat Bread, Brussell Sprouts, Rosemary Fries, House Red Wine
Lowlights: Overcooked burger, undercooked cauliflower gratin
Price: Dinner: Snack & Starters $4-12, Garden Sides $5-9, The Core $17-21, Dessert $7-8
Snouts: TBD based on future meals
Location: 190 Avenue B b/t 11th & 12th, NYC 212-388-1990 www.backfortynyc.com

Overall, I think I need to go back one last time and try more from the menu before I actually form an opinion about Back Forty. While there were some tasty items, too many fell short for a restaurant that has received such glowing reviews. My overcooked burger was a disappointment since it's supposed to be a signature item and medium rare is not an uncommon request. The upside was they gave  me the cauliflower gratin gratis for me to niibble on while they fired a burger. The downside to that was that it was undercooked and had so much nutmeg I thought they were trying to off me! (FYI- nutmeg in large quantites is toxic). The flatbread with a poached egg and duxell's was rich and savory-I should have ordered a few and made it a meal! Anyway, more to come...

Pranna

Last week some friends and I needed to catch up on what's happening in the New Year and decided to try Pranna, a southeast Asian place on Madison Avenue. The place is huge with a bar/lounge area when you enter the restaurant, a large dining room and an upstairs lounge that can also be used for private parties. Of course, Colleen and I needed to meet a bit earlier so we could catch up prior to the rest joining us. I opted for the Bali 100 straight up which was thick, almost like a smoothy, andis comprised of absolut 100 and is tangy from a combination of   currant, ginger liquor, lime juice and thai basil that was nicely balance by some sugar. Only one for me though, it was a bit too filling and since I always need room for plenty of food I switched to wine!

Colleen and I decided to share and our 3rd, the picky eater, was on her own.  The food was hit and miss, mostly leaning to the latter. The refreshing Papaya Salad had me psyched for what was to follow.