Burger Creations

The never ending rain and swirling wind gusts made me feel glad, for once, that I would be spending the entire day cooped up inside the computer lab. However, we did have to brave the lousy winter weather come lunch time.

Walking gingerly around puddles and the sight of numerous overturned umbrellas that were abandoned or blown away from their owners' grasps made for some comfort food.

So, I suggested that we pop into Burger Creations on E8th St. (near Broadway), where I had been a couple of times before and had enjoyed their huge, juicy burgers. In fact just a week ago I was devouring the Parisian burger (one of a dozen or so variations, which does present a bit of a predicament since they all sound so yummy), and this time opted for the Fuji burger topped with scallions, mushrooms and teriyaki glaze.

The hot, crispy fries also never fail to please me, so much so that I wind up finishing all of them, which I never do anywhere else. Probably because they're not salty, and don't have the consistency of cardboard.

Our stomachs full (a bit too full, actually) and our hands wiped clean of the flowing juices that each bite brings forth (the number of napkins we went through was scandalous, better bring your own hand wipes), V. and I lingered for a bit, waiting for the rain to die down a little before going back to class. Somehow we felt better, our spirits refreshed, despite the inclement weather. Comfort food does work wonders.

Porchetta

My all-day Saturday class at NYU is pretty grueling, however, the school's proximity to the East Village and its bountiful lunch spot choices provides at least some consolation.
My new friend V. and I excitedly plan our lunch escapades, and after having sampled ramen (Ramen Setagaya), pho (Pho 32), and okonomiyaki (Otafuku) the previous three weeks, I suggested we venture to Porchetta for a pork fix.

A big hit among New York City's foodies when it opened a couple of years ago, I had been dying to try Porchetta's pork sandwich after a oouple of friends gave it the thumbs up. So what exactly is Porchetta? Their website provides this mouth watering explanation: "Roasted pork with crispy skin, highly seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices, garlic, sage, rosemary and fennel pollen. Typical plate of the Roman cuisine. Slow cooked Italian fast food."

Got that? All I can say to the proprietors of Porchetta is, "You had me at 'crispy skin'". For those of you out there who need visuals, is the image below sufficient?

Occupying a tiny storefront on E7th St., Porchetta's menu options are pretty much limited pork on a bun or with veggies on the side. Inside a glass display sat an entire side of a pig, glistening so that I couldn't take my eyes off, and the smell wafting through the air making me even more aware of my growling stomach.

Seating is extremely limited, but it was a nice spring day so we opted to devour our sandwiches on the benches outside. The description did say "slow cooked", so an order of patience is necessary as well while your porchetta is being prepared. It doesn't help to see other diners savoring every morsel of their meals, that's for sure, like the guy in the first picture. (Pretty nifty reflections too, don't you think, a technique I learned on a photo walking tour in Boston).

Finally, about ten minutes of salivating, the counter person called my name and I rushed in to grab our plates. The meat is quite moist and flavorful, the crispy skin crackling when your tooth makes contact reminded me how much I missed eating "bad" fattening pork dishes, cholesterol be damned. V. and I agreed it was quite filling, each bite heavenly. Slowly we trudged back to the campus building, discussing next week's lunch options and wondering which one could possibly top Porchetta.