Warm and Cozy at the Spotted Pig

On this rainy and cold Christmas Eve I ventured downtown to Spotted Pig for my first meal at the famed gastro-pub. It has been on my list for years, but for some reason I never managed to get my act together and make it to April Bloomfield's much heralded spot. The lunch crowd was thin, being that it was a holiday and disgusting outside so we were immediately ushered upstairs to a quiet table. I already liked the place, a hodge-podge of decorations, pictures and other assorted attic finds, it was my kind of spot. Besides the backless stools I was a fan. More important though was the food, and by the looks of the heaping plates of fries and other dishes I wasn't too worried.

Unfortunately my trip hit a minor speedbump. Always one to appreciate and gravitate towards a good burger in the city, I had planned to order the burger for lunch. No dice. They were apparently out of the burger, something I simply cannot wrap my head around. To make matters worse, as I sat there in my confused and dissappointed state the "last" burger was served just feet away to another diner. After a few minutes I pushed on, helping to select the last of our dishes, all of which we would be sharing. Some deviled eggs, chicken liver toast, a hearty bowl of the haddock chowder, the famous ricotta gnudi and the cubano (taking the place of the burger). We also ordered a bottle of rose wine, a nice sweet compliment to our rather heavy meal.

The deviled eggs and chicken liver toast arrived first. The eggs were good, not amazing, but good and something I would recommend to any egg fan. The toast on the other hand was delicious. It was rich without being too heavy and was served atop grilled or toasted country bread making for a wonderful combination of textures. Topping it with some olive oil was also a nice touch.

The entrees arrived and we could hardly contain ourselves. The gnudi was the first to be attacked, drenched in a brown butter and sage sauce, these little morsels were wonderful. The fresh and light sheep's milk ricotta filling was remarkably addictive and we found ourselves all but licking the bowl clean of the brown butter. The chowder was thick and chunky, just how I like my chowders and the perfect food for a day like today. A variety of vegetables mingled with the chunks of haddock and the homemade oyster crackers added a nice crunch to the dish. I was impressed by the cubano, not something I would generally expect to find on the Pig's menu, but it was delicious albeit a bit expensive. Nice crusty bread, pressed around a decent amount of roasted pork, it didn't beat the cubano at say Milanese or another Spanish restaurant, but was a nice upscale alternative. I would have preferred more pickles, or cornichons in this case, but overall a nice sandwich.

For the most part the meal went smoothly, nice service, good food and good company. I was happily surprised to find the bill at about $35 a person for food, wine, tip and tax, but still find it a bit expensive for what the food is. Regardless, I'll be back and when I am I won't need a menu, just that elusive burger.
314 W 11th St #,New York, NY 10014(212) 620-0393, Reservations - Not Accepted, Price - Moderate/Expensive ($20-50/person)