The Best Thing I Had In My Mouth - The Spotted Pig Steamed Mussels & Cockles

A couple weeks ago I was treated to a special dinner at The Spotted Pig.  The Spotted Pig is my favorite restaurant of all time.  I guess it is a bit weird for me to say that, since the restaurant is all about meat, but I love their casual atmosphere, cool-but-not-too-cool staff, and of course their perfectly cooked food.

My friend and I ordered some steamed mussels and cockles.  They were bathed in a spicy tomato broth with a crispy piece of bread hidden at the bottom, soaking up all the spicy brothy goodness.  The bread was so out of this world delicious, that two weeks later I can still imagine the flavor in my mouth.  So as I was researching for this post, double checking exactly what I had at The Spotted Pig, I read on their menu: steamed mussels and cockles and duck fat fried bread.  My jaw dropped, hands over my mouth - duck fat!  Well, even as a vegetarian, this was still the best thing I had in my mouth :)

For my meal, I had the pan roasted striped bass with tomatoes and saffron, and my friend had the popular chargrilled burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries.  I of course, had to get my own mountain of fries, and yes, I pretty much ate them all.  I washed it all down with a cask beer too.  Although, neither of us could barely move, we still managed to waddle over to Magnolia Bakery for some cupcakes.

Besides the cupcakes, Magnolia's most popular items are the banana bread pudding and the double fudge brownie.

My friend's dad made that honey bear - all the way from KS to NY :)

The Spotted Pig

The Spotted Pig Hamburger with Shoestring Fries. Picture taken from The Spotted Pig website.

Last week, I went to The Spotted Pig. I didn't bring my camera along, but just wanted to mention it because this Greenwich Village gastropub was amazing. According to wikipedia a gastropub is "a British term for a public house which specializes in high-quality food a step above the more basic 'pub grub'..." I would say that The Spotted Pig is more than a step above a regular pub.

One of the great things about this place is that executive chef April Bloomfield likes to keep it seasonal. I got the halibut with pea puree and sauteed escarole and my friend got braised rabbit with ramps and fiddlehead ferns. We shared a generous portion of shoestring fries which were laced with rosemary and fried garlic slivers. We also got their house beer and a pot of pickles, which unfortunately was just a tiny dish of pickles - not to say they weren't delicious. Click here to take a look at the menu.

What I find wonderful about this place is that it has a casual, laid-back atmosphere, yet the food is on the level of an upscale restaurant. As you walk in, the bar is filled with the neighborhood gang, but when you walk past them you are greeted with bright blue Tartan fabric-covered booths, small stools and quaint tables. There is also an upstairs, but I didn't get a chance to take a look. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive without being pushy. This place is a little pricey, so I would go more often if I could afford to, but for now I will just have to save it for special occasions.

Click here to read an interview with April Bloomfield in The New York Times.

Note: According to Joy of Cooking, Fiddleheads come from the ostrich fern and have a flavor reminiscent of asparagus and artichokes - some say a touch of green beans.