Tuna Toast

The Spotted Pig- NY



Ok- wow, another long lapse since posting! If only Ms. Spears would stop having breakdowns I’d have more time to blog already!


Two weeks ago I had the chance to go to NYC- it was only for 14 hours, mind you- but it was to jet off and see my dear J and that’s all that would fit into the schedule. I guess it ended up being more like an 18 hour trip since my return flight was delayed by FOUR HOURS and I landed at 4:00 AM. Since I start work at 6:30 AM, it didn’t make life too fun. Worst part is, my friend who was also on the same flight got a totally unsolicited email via the customer service people at American Airlines, apologizing for the inconvenience and offering to credit her frequent flier account with 3000 miles! WTF?!?! They never made me such a generous offer nor have they responded to my three emails requesting that I get the same treatment. Guess they only like “Platinum” members.

Anyway, on to more positive things. While in NY, J and I managed to squeeze in one lunch- I already had a plan for where I wanted to go after hearing about it multiple times….The Spotted Pig, also known as The Place Where Chefs Eat. Hey, if it’s good enough for Anthony Bourdain, it’s good enough for me. Besides, with a name like The Spotted Pig, how could one go wrong?

Today's specials.......

We took a taxi from Times Square to the little pub-like restaurant and sat at a cozy little booth. The décor is funky and eclectic, with the main theme being, well, PIG. There were pig signs, pig dolls, pig photos, pig throw pillows….you get the idea.



Since it was our first meal of the day, we both ordered coffee which came in individual-sized French presses- cute. Although there were many non-pork items on the menu that caught my eye, I knew I had to get something oink-related. I decided on the Cubano Sandwich and was everything a sandwich should be. Chunks of slow-roasted pork sandwiched between two crusty-on-the-outside-tender-on-the-inside bread with a liberal slathering of good, strong mustard and sliced dill pickles. Wowza. I loved that they pressed the sandwich without grease- I hate an oily Panini.

Oink, oink

J opted for a non-pig item but his was just as good…..actually, dare I say it, his was better. The Smoked Haddock Chowder with Homemade Crackers was, well, special. The shallow bowl had flakes of the smoked fish and un-uniform cubes of potatoes in spades, with a touch of tarragon and some sort of acid. Vinegar, perhaps. It was the best bowl of steaming gourmet-yet-comforting chowder I’d ever tried. The homemade crackers added a light crunch and J was kind enough to give me more than a few bites. I don’t know if I could have parted with that precious soup if it had been my meal! The two perfect, Dijon-laden deviled eggs we had as a starter were also scrumptious and introduced J to the wonderful world of the popular appetizer- he’d never really had one before. The poor guy.




It was a near-perfect experience- we only regretted we didn’t have even one night to have cocktails with our wonderful meal. The atmosphere in The Spotted Pig is perfect for late-night drinks paired with seriously gourmet bar food. If only Los Angeles had a place like that.








The Spotted Pig
314 W. 11th Street
@ Greenwich St.
New York, NY 10014