Fickle at Forum – Boston

Being snowbound is fun in theory but only if said theory is being tested from your cozy window seat with a steaming cup of hot cocoa. Venturing out into a full force of flurries is a whole different corollary. I was pretty reluctant to brave the impending storm at Forum after reading some pretty unpromising yelp reviews, but I put on a hat and manned up.

My night at Forum started in a blizzard. We were seated at the most awkward table in the house, a tiny two-top island, afloat and exposed to the elements in the middle of the first floor dining area. The placement of this table is a transparent ploy to make the restaurant look full - the bar is too far back to be seen from the street, and the only way to look like people actually come here is to fill the two tables in front. No man is an island, but this woman sure felt like one. My back was also about a foot from the floor-length glass windows/doors that open into their summer patio. No draft, but that didn’t stop the cold from seeping in through the glass and up my spine. Isolated amidst a surrounding storm with a chill up my spine. Yup, that’s a blizzard.

The Stuffed Mozzerella boasts of being house-made but I think it was house-made a few weeks ago. If that came out of my house, I wouldn’t tell anyone. Good thing the menu doesn’t say anything about “fresh” or it’d be false advertising, and the veggie stuffing was a much better idea in theory. Something tasted sour and something else tasted bitter. My advice: deep fry this cold mess into a hot mess. Turn up the heat to turn the mozzarella gooey and use a crispy breading to hide the aftertaste.

It’s hard to get excited about a little flatbread, but the Spinach & Wild Mushroom Flatbread got my blood boiling faster than an Irish coffee. One little well-timed wind can chill you to the bone, and one well-placed morsel of kindling can blaze a spark. Lesson learned: a layer of sweet potato puree turns any flatbread into a pizza with pizzazz.

I played it safe with an entrée of Steak Frites. Hanger is one of my favorite underrated cuts, and it has to be pretty abysmal before I become displeased. The steak was juicy with a few dripping drops of red, just the way I like it, on a bed of crispy leaves of Brussels sprouts. If this is my shelter from the storm brewing behind my back, I just might stop shivering between bites.

The dessert was something I could really cling to for comfort. The warm Banana Bread Pudding clung closer than the pashmina I wrapped myself in, and it kept me warm far better than any scarf…but that’s probably because I’m wearing it on my hips.

Despite the initially chilly reception, Forum turned out to be far less frigid than the wintry natural disaster that kicked off my night. I’m conflicted about Forum because it’s only just fine, but what more do you need if everyone in your party can find something they want to eat? Just ask to be seated anywhere but at that awful table.