Devra Drops One Star on Back Bay Harry's

In this week's review for the Globe, Devra First grants a single star out of four to Back Bay Harry's, which does have its good moments — mainly when Jason Santos is in the house. On one night, for example, fried chicken "is a pleasure." But on another night? "...the chicken is dry, the spinach barely present, the barbecue syrup drenching everything in sweetness, the doughnuts showered in spices that manage to evoke Cool Ranch Doritos." Service suffers from inconsistencies as well, but even so, the place draws crowds. "With its convivial neighborhood spirit, the restaurant is always a good time. It's just not always a good restaurant." [BG]

The Associated Press took "a little effort" to discover backbar, which is "hidden at the end of a dark hallway off a small alley just outside Boston." The miraculous boom in the Union Square dining scene "is well-known in the Boston area, but it's still off the beaten path for many out-of-towners," reads the article, more an overview than review, which ran in the Washington Post and elsewhere. The bar snacks and craft cocktails are "well worth the trip." [AP]

For The Improper Bostonian, Donna Garlough visited Sarma and deemed it "one of the few recent launches offering something truly different." The "joyful embrace of Turkish cuisine" features mostly small dishes, from pumpkin fritters ("a perfect mouthful") to smoky grilled eggplant salad (with "a creeping heat.") The ambiance has some nice features, "but the focus remains squarely on the food...When the flavors are this vibrant, there's no need for anything more." [TIB]