City Living
I have a lot of family in small towns who don’t understand my love of big cities: the trash, the noise, the people everywhere. But where else can you do so much in so little time? My trip to NYC last week is a great example: awesome food, theater and friends in a non-stop, 40-hour package.
First stop, The Spotted Pig. I discovered this place about a year ago on the television. April Bloomfield, the chef/owner, was featured on Iron Chef America and the secret ingredient was olive (yecch.) She beat Bobby Flay and was so creative I vowed to check out her place. The Spotted Pig is a gastropub in the West Village that fills up fast after work. We arrived about six o’clock on Friday and waited about 30 minutes for a table. The place buzzes; I even met a young man from London at the bar who told me he had flown to NYC for a meal with his old girlfriend at this favorite place.
We were seated upstairs, where there’s a dining area and second bar. As you can see, the colors and decor are vibrant. 
The food is a mixture of British public house fare and culinary imagination; you won’t feel bored reading the menu (which changes frequently.) All of us are cocktail drinkers, so I can’t comment on the beers, but I can recommend that you start with the shoestring fries. They’re fried in duck fat. Even a vegetarian will love them. Another must-have side dish is the roasted Brussels Sprouts, dripping in butter and with the right amount of charring. Brian and Laura had the Skate wing special which they both loved, while I had the beef tongue. 
I haven’t eaten tongue since my youth, but this was cosmic. As you can see from my lame photograph, the plate was beautiful and full of flavors. All I can tell you is don’t be afraid; my meal was so good I’m still talking about it: roasted beets, fingerling potatoes in duck fat, cream and dill over a silky meat. Wow. [Author's note: I did improve my eating habits during the rest of the trip.]
Next stop, Fuerza Bruta, a great theatrical performance that was thoroughly enjoyable if not explainable. Mixing elements of dance, rave, and performance art, we stood in the theater for about an hour and were repeatedly fascinated by the combinations of sound, light, texture and dance. While the still photographs don’t do it justice, they are better than my words. Rock on…
