The Spotted Pig

Address: 314 W. 11th Street, New York

http://thespottedpig.com

Phone: 2121-620-0393

It's incredibly difficult to get a table at Spotted Pig. We've already tried going there twice, and we were told each time that there was a two hour wait for a table. Ravi and Laura, our friends/readers had told us the best way to get a table is to go at an odd hour. So we went there around 5pm today and true enough we were able to secure a table after a 30 minutes wait! And best of all, during our wait by the entrance, we got a glimpse of chef/owner April Bloomfield walking in and out and she even smiled at me! :)

The restaurant's one Michelin star is definitely well deserved. The food there was spot on in terms of flavor and freshness, and the meat was cooked flawlessly. I especially love the Prosciutto & Ricotta Tart with Marjoram and the Sauteed Quail with Pomegranate. The Tart's pastry is delicious and goes well with the prosciutto, Ricotta cheese and Arugula. The Quail was very tender and the Pomegranate sauce provided a sweet, sour and tangy touch to the dish. Our pub meal would not be complete without the beer, so Gan and I each ordered the Speckled Hen pub ale and it was hearty and complemented the dishes well.

I would definitely go back to Spotted Pig again. It's one of the best meals I have eaten in NYC and definitely worth the wait.

Gan: We have heard about the gastro-pub movement but were not quite sure what was the big fuss until we've tried the food here. The food here is really very good and is on par with the better restaurants. Most of the dishes, it seems, goes well with the typical bar beverage. This is something like the Japanese Izakaya which we love to go to (not for the alcohol, but mostly for the tapas like dishes).

Spotted Pig's interior- the restaurant has two bars, one on the first floor and the other one is upstairs on the second floor. We were seated upstairs which was just as crowded. Our table was tiny and barely fit the two of us. But we were comfortable.

Gan: Pigs all over the interiors! It's as though there's some kind of pig fetish going on here... but surprisingly, there's not that much of pork dishes on the menu. Go figure!

Spotted Pig's dinner menu

The upstairs' bar

Speckled Hen Pub Ale

Half a dozen of Beau Soleil Oysters with Mignonette

Gan: We ordered it because someone brought a tray of it into the restaurant while we were waiting out front and it looked fresh! Sarah's always love raw oysters ever since she had her first (many of her culinary firsts are introduced by me.. hehe)

Deviled Egg

Gan: You can have some bar snacks to accompany your typical pub beverage. This can replace your normal appetizers while you're waiting to be seated.

Chicken Liver Toast - a little too rich for me

Gan: Hehe.. we scrapped the excess off

Prosciutto & Ricotta Tart with Marjoram

Gan: The puff pastry is really good!

Grilled Skirt Steak with Horseradish Sauce & Roasted Beets

Gan: Was quite surprised at how tender the meat was. The same goes for the squab. They really know how to cook their meat well. I'm happily surprised by the sourness in the seasoning of the meat (perhaps due to vinegar?) but it enhances the taste of the dish. Quite simple.. and the roasted beets were great in place of the typical starch.

Sauteed Quail with Pomegranate - it's not easy to cook Quail, most Quails I have eaten are somewhat dry/overcooked, but Spotted Pig's is just perfect. Moist and Tender. Gan: Quite surprised to see a squab dish on the menu in a pub. Was extremely glad that we ordered it. I must say again, they really know how to cook meat here.

Prune and Argmagnac Tart

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Gan: The desert was good but it's not spectacular. We had a good 3-4 course dinner here and if it had just been shown with the pictures of the food, I don't think anyone would've thought they were all from a pub. I guess I can see what the fuss is about now with the gastro-pub movement.

Editor's note: thespottedpig.com seems to have found this little blog site and posted a link from their page. Bet a good review of the food helps. Don't worry, we will continue to be impartial and write what we thought as the main targeted audience of this blog site is for friends we know first, and food lovers in general. Just amused to find this little blog site in some restaurants public website link: http://thespottedpig.com/links.php