February 6, 2004

Swine of the Times

The Spotted Pig Restaurant Opens

This little piggy took over Le Zoo’s lease.

This little piggy became a pub.

This little piggy’s been just sitting here for months now … with signs hanging in the window, promising to keep the spirit (and the animal theme) alive with a new incarnation, the Spotted Pig.

The neighbors have been knocking and asking and waiting … But proprietor Ken Friedman (a former Le Zoo regular and music-biz refugee) is being somewhat spotty about the open date. That said, it’s soon. And here’s what you need to know.

The best seats in the house are the stools by the window; you eat off the windowsill. The lower level is for a pint of Spotted Pig lager or ale (specially concocted by Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver). The upper level is just wide enough for a bowl of smoked-haddock chowder, veal stew, or pansotti with roasted pumpkin and goat cheese — all creations of River Cafe (London, not Brooklyn) alumna April Bloomfield. NB: You won’t find anything unseasonable here. Bloomfield spent the summer at Chez Panisse.

The plan is to keep the doors open from noon ‘til 4 a.m., serving food until 2 a.m. So go for brunch. Go for a late-night fix. Go whenever you can score one of the 50 seats. And bring a few coins for the jukebox: Friedman worked his music connections to score the coolest in town.

And … this little piggy says, “Rock on! Rock on!” all the way home.

The Spotted Pig, 314 West 11th Street, at Greenwich Street (212-620-0393).