Cuisine

Neighborhood

CUISINE: Bar Food, Burgers, English, Irish, Italian
NEIGHBORHOOD: West Village

Photo: Unbreaded.com

314 W. 11th St. at Greenwich St.

(p) 212-620-0393

While I like the atmosphere of The Spotted Pig, I don’t like the atmosphere. I like the dodgy, mis-matched, British-pub feel of the place, the obscure kitschy art, the dark woods, the beers on tap, the plants hanging in the window and the creaky staircase that leads to the second floor.  I like the idea that you could settle into a back booth on a rainy afternoon, nurse a drink, and not leave for hours.  I don’t, however, like the number of people that fill the place up, spill out the door and onto the sidewalk, sandwich themselves into windows, perch on miniature stools, wait in line for the bathroom. CONT'D

Here’s the thing about the Spotted Pig.  You will wait for a table.  Your table will be small.  You will probably have to sit on a short stool, which will be uncomfortable.  There will be people all around you, probably closer to you than you would prefer.  Their thighs might press against the edge of your table. 

If the Pig had no crowds, it would be my ideal restaurant: comfortable, amazing food, cozy, not pretentious, amazing food, on an adorable West Village block, and have I mentioned the food? Amazing. British-Chef April Bloomfield might say, Brilliant.  She has received her fair share of accolades (the Pig is no secret), but now that she has a second restaurant open, if you haven’t yet braved the crowd at the no-reservations Pig, it’s time.  Even if you have been already, who would complain about returning? Who doesn’t have intimate memories of time passed there?  A survey of friends churned out stories of romantic dinners for two, fries with dad, bad pickup lines, Four A.M. snacks, good pickup lines, and in one case, hanging out with, um, Axl Rose in a back booth.

Food at the Pig is seasonal, so I could rave about the dishes I’ve had —every tart that comes out of that kitchen is just, well, fantastic — but, they probably won’t be there.  The staples of the menu are just as memorable.  The Devils on Horseback, bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with cheese, arrive so hot it’s necessary to wait (I don’t, and usually burn my mouth).  The Sheep’s Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter and Sage are like gnocchi, but light, fluffy, and famous.  My number-two NYC burger (#1 goes to Minetta) is Bloomfield’s Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestrings.  The cheese is the only topping necessary on such a perfect patty.  Perhaps then, with food like this, the Spotted Pig’s crowds are explained — and in the end, I can’t really fault a restaurant for executing a menu beloved by all.

Posted in FOOD on January 13, 2010 9:45am by Rachel Hochhauser | 26 comments

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We are young (early 20's) and hungry (for knowledge! music! art! food!) friends living on (or in areas which border) Manhattan. We moved to the city seeking higher education, and an alternative to frat parties and gin buckets. We prefer a bottle of Chianti to a keg, lunches at City Bakery to a dining hall, Joe's to Starbucks, Frankie's Amatriciana to Batali's. Our uniting factor is our love for food. For detailed, personal information, keep reading.
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