by Rajan | April 30th, 2009
On March 30 I attended a special event at the Spotted Pig in in the West Village sponsored by Time Out New York’s Dining and Libation Society. Called the Nose-to-Tail dinner, it spotlighted the various parts of the pig and was paired with beers from Sixpoint. I’ve been to the Spotted Pig a few times and I love their food and the chance to not only eat a specially designed meal showcasing the pig, but to also drink a selection of Sixpoint beers paired with the courses, was too good an opportunity to pass up.
The meal was 5 courses, summarized below:
Before the meal they served some Sweet Otis on cask.
First – Crispy Pig Salad with radishes w/ Sweet Action: this was a great way to start off the meal – a delicious, fresh salad with crunchy radishes and deep fried strips of pig skin that was like the coating from fried chicken flavored with bacon, only better. I’ve had the Sweet Action before, but it was a great start to the meal – light, refreshing and a bit citrusy with a nice amount of apricot and grapefruit in the flavor and aroma. It helped cut through the fat of the pig skin, too.
Second – Trio of pig with pickled shallots, mustard, and potato bread w/ Mason’s Black Wheat: this is the kind of simply presented yet delicious and wonderfully prepared meals I really like. The three preparations of pig included a headcheese, but all were delicious both on their own and with the wonderful (but filliing) potato bread. There were also pickled ramps on the plate. I like mix and match plates, though I sometimes get a little carried away with wanting to try everything with everything else. The Black Wheat was a nice pairing, with roasted malt flavors, and yet it wasn’t too heavy, a little dry on the back of the throat.
Third – White Bean & Smoked Ham Hock Soup w/ Righteous Ale: this was my favorite course of the night. The soup was delicious – thick and creamy and tasty with chunks of the delicious pork swimming in the thick soup alongside the beans. It was hearty and comforting. The best comfort food you can imagine. While it was rich enough that you had to take it slow, I could have had several bowls of this. The Righteous Ale was also my favorite beer of the night – fruity, hoppy, full bodied and delicious. Honey on the nose.
Fourth – Braised Pork Belly with cotechino & fennel w/ Bengali Tiger IPA: It seemed almost strange to go on to this course after what came before. I was perfectly satisfied, but like a trooper, I marched on. The pork belly was delicious and juicy and though I’m not a fan of fennel, it was delicious in this dish – a little sweet even. The Bengali Tiger IPA matched well – a decent, well-rounded IPA with the hops helping to cut through the deliciously fatty dish.
Fifth – Meyer Lemon Sorbet w/Apollo Wheat: If I had to pick my least favorite dish of the night, it would have to be this one, only because it was a bit sweet for me and I’m not a huge fan of lemon. But it was a great sorbet. The Apollo Wheat poured a cloudy apricot and was light and citrusy to help match the sorbet.
After the dinner, April Bloomfield answered some of our questions and talked a little bit about her philosophy about cooking. I already appreciated her for her cooking but I respect her even more after listening to her. I’m keen to go back to the Spotted Pig both to support what she’s doing as a chef – using the whole animal and making as much use of it as possible – and because her dishes are so damn delicious. I’m also looking forward to checking out her other restaurant, the John Dory, out as well.
And I’m of course looking forward to more Sixpoint, which I will be lucky enough to get this Sunday. But more on that later…
And to leave you with, a picture of the first course (after that I got distracted and forgot to take pictures):
