#4 – GREEN BEAN SALAD at PORSENA

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

SADLY, PORSENA IS NOW CLOSED.

I think second chances are very important. When restaurant critics review a restaurant, they eat there multiple times to check consistency and make sure they didn’t first come on a bad night. Unfortunately, I don’t have the means and resources to be a full-on restaurant critic, but I am happy to offer second chances.

The first time we came to Porsena was a total disappointment. I was very eager to try Sara Jenkins’ rustic pasta dishes, since I’m a huge fan of her little sandwich shop Porchetta. But when we dined at Porsena (a few weeks after they opened), I found the food uninspired – the pastas were overcooked and bland. I think somebody forgot the salt.

It wasn’t so bad that I would never go back, but I had no real reason to until Time Out included one of their dishes on the Top 100 list. And I’m glad they did because our second meal at Porsena was world’s better than the first go round.

I was surprised the dish they included was not one of her signature pastas, but instead the green bean salad. I couldn’t remember if we had this the first time we came. We definitely had a salad, but whatever it was wasn’t terribly memorable.

The meal this time around was much better and now I understand why this place has been getting a moderate amount of critical reception. We started with a nice bowl of meaty mussels in a tangy, spicy saffron broth. It was served with some of the best garlic bread I’ve ever munched on. I also liked the rustic poached baby octopus which were tender and smoky with lots of textures from crisp celery and crunchy fried chick peas.

The Green Bean Salad was nothing special, but it was quite enjoyable. Time Out mentioned Szechuan peppercorns and I detected none of those. This was a crunch party, which I always appreciate. The combination of crisp green beans, raw fennel, celery, and slices of pickled red onion didn’t add many contrasting textures, but it was clean and refreshing. The dressing was bright and zippy and there was a harder crunch from some toasted almonds.

But the best thing we tried was one of her famous pasta dishes. We chose the Anneloni con Salsico e Rape, which were pasta rings (like stumpy ziti) cooked al dente with spicy lamb sausage pieces and sauteed mustard greens. If the first visit lacked flavor, this dish made up for that. It was toothsome and warming on a cold night.

Now I finally understand what all the hype is about at this place. We had a very pleasant, affordable meal. And unlike the last time we visited, this time I’ll be sure to return for a third chance.

Would Porsena’s Green Bean Salad make my Top 100 of the year? The salad itself was very pleasant and fresh, but I didn’t find it as memorable as the pasta. It gets a 7 out of 10.