My wife Jun has this obsession with baby pigs; she even wants to have one as a pet some day! When we stepped into Pig Bleecker, which recently opened as a restaurant that tries to merge fine dining with American barbeque tradition, I had to chuckle at the sight of a little sculpture of pig sitting at a counter on the way to the bathroom. Initially, I thought Pig Bleecker would be all about decadent pork dishes, but I was quickly proven wrong. There were other dishes at the restaurant that we had a lot to like about on our visit on a recent Sunday evening.

At a restaurant that features pig as its mascot, it might look like a mistake to order any non-meat dishes on the menu but I was pleasantly surprised how crisp the fried cod cheeks were. Jun thought (and I agreed) adding crumbles of salty crispy country ham did more harm than good, but the cod cheeks themselves were quite aptly battered and fried. The chef at Pig Bleecker, Matt Abdoo, is an alum of Del Posto, one of the bastions of great pasta dishes in New York City, so I was certainly going to try one of the pastas on the menu. The lasagna with smoked duck ragu and parmesan came out a little strong in flavor department, but not in an unpleasant way, and Jun and I had no trouble disposing of this dish within minutes.

This restaurant having pig in its name, of course we had to go for the smoked and grilled pork chop, and we were very glad we did. It was truly the star of our meal, and the pork chop not only had excellent texture of the meat, but its smoky sensation on the outer part of the meat combined with the spicy kick of peach habanero jam created an awesome complexity of flavor that was quite interesting but not overpowering to your palate. It’s not often that a side dish shines alongside a decadent meat dish like the pork chop at Pig Bleecker, but Jun and I were also pleasantly surprised by the Utica greens with smoked bacon and cherry peppers that stood out on its own and aptly complemented the pork chop with its hearty feel. For dessert, we were satisfied with the brownie hot fudge sundae with Virginia peanuts; of course we had to walk all the way from the restaurant in West Village to our home in FiDi out of massive guilt…

Getting a reservation at Pig Bleecker wasn’t too difficult although I could see this place fill up during peak hours on Friday and Saturday. There is full bar with some interesting cocktail selections that would capably complement your meal. I liked the cozy feel of a small yet intimidate space of the restaurant that makes Pig Bleecker an ideal spot for casual meals or date nights. Pig Bleecker is another welcome addition to an already crowded West Village dining scene; if you’re looking for a unique take on America’s barbeque tradition, it is a worthwhile place to visit. I would certainly consider bringing a large group of friends to try their gigantic tomahawk steak next time.

KenScale: 8.0/10

• Creativity: 8.5/10
• Execution: 8.5/10
• Ingredients: 8.0/10
• Flavor: 8.0/10
• Texture: 8.5/10
• Value: 8.0/10

Address: 155 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012

Telephone: Not Available

Website: https://www.pigbleeckernyc.com/