PrintThe Spotted Pig Burger, Nekkid
If you're a burgerhead living in New York City, you already know the Spotted Pig has some amazing blue cheese burgers. They're tasty sandwiches, almost always cooked to temperature. Their perfectly square grid of grill marks on the thick patty and dark-brown brioche bun tip you off that it's a flame-grilled burger. And you need that visual cue; without it, you'd be hard-pressed to taste the flavor of the grill over the noise of the blue cheese.
What you may not know, though, is that chef April Bloomfield and company are perfectly willing to omit the cheese on the Pig's signature burger.
I certainly didn't know this until recently, when a reader here on AHT hipped me to this fact. On a visit to this Greenwich Village hot spot earlier this week, I figured I'd have a go at it.
The Hardest Part
If you've never been to the Spotted Pig, the first thing you must know about it is that you're gonna wait.
And wait.
And wait.
The place blew up big time almost immediately after opening in early 2004, an almost instant classic among Greenwich Village locals and foodies from around the city. And when the "gastropub" received a 1-star rating from the New York City edition of the 2006 Michelin Guide, your hope of ever walking in for dinner and sitting down within an hour of arrival vanished.
That was certainly the case Tuesday night, when we arrived at 6:40 p.m. and finally made it to a table by 8:30. It helps if you have good company, as I did, or if you have other things to do in the neighborhood that you can occupy yourself with while you wait for the host to call you on your cell.
No worries, though. The place is a class act and comped us our first round of drinks for the much-longer-than-estimated wait.
The Burger: Like Steak on a Bun
Having had the blue cheese version several times before, I was eager to try this thing nekkid. And banishing the cheese changes everything. I rarely say this on AHT—in fact, I don't know if I've ever said this about any burger I've written about—but the thing truly does taste like steak on a bun when the meat's flavor is allowed to express itself.
There are very few burgers I'd happily eat without cheese, toppings, or condiments, but this is one. Beefy and juicy, cooked perfectly to temperature, hearty but not overwhelmingly so. The Spotted Pig burger sans blue cheese just made it up there into my personal top 10.
That said, I can't help but wonder perversely what it would taste like with a couple slices of American cheese—one below and on top of the patty. Honoring the request to remove blue cheese is one thing; bringing the chef your own slices of American would be another.
The Spotted Pig
314 West 11th Street, New York NY 10014 (at Greenwich Street; map)
212-620-0393
thespottedpig.com
Other Burgers Nearby & Further Reading
The Corner Bistro (corner of West 4th and Jane streets)
What's the Best Cheese for Cheeseburgers?
Recipe: Blue Cheese Burger with Grilled Onions
Recipe: April Bloomfield's Rosemary Straw Potatoes (as served with the burger here)
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12 Comments:
I know that the Spotted pig burger is some special combo of a few kinds of meat; I believe its part short rib, ground check, and maybe even some pork...? I know for certain that they get the combo special from the butcher who sells the mixture only to them. Whatever's in it, its great!
JudgeFudge at 11:16AM on 07/10/08
Best burger in the city... Also, the best gnudi!
BirdDoggie at 12:23PM on 07/10/08
Have you done that Adam? Bring your own cheese?
Because I can totally see you doing that, and then rubbing your hands together with a mad glee on your face.
Cheeeeeeese
foodinmouth at 4:47PM on 07/10/08
the most overrated burger in NYC. the blue cheese is too assertive, brioche on a burger had to have jumped the shark 3 years ago, and my burger was kinda dry. the fries are just gross because of the downright obnoxious amount of rosemary that gets thrown in. and the wait! shake shack at its longest is half as long...and half the price.
EazyB at 5:54PM on 07/10/08
wait...it's not the most overrated...I forgot that it's tied for first place with resto's burger.
EazyB at 6:00PM on 07/10/08
Oh, I've thought about it....
But I'm afraid I'd get banned from the place.
Adam Kuban at 6:45PM on 07/10/08
What are those deliciously crunchy looking things to the right of the burger??
ratbuddy at 8:20PM on 07/10/08
My wife and I strolled by The Spotted Pig last Sunday and for once there wasn't a line to get in and lightning struck twice when a window table for two by the bar was available. The tres classy, comfy, cool atmosphere, a well poured pint and a Hell of a hamburger made for a sensational Sunday supper.
Furhtermore The Spotted Pig is snout ant tails above the the Rusty Knot's pricey faux dive bar experience and juke box that needs to be thrown into the river, before another unsuspecting customer's appetite is ruined by Billy Joel's maudlin musings.
Though I'd never wait to get into the Spotted Pig, or anywhere for that matter, I look forward to the next chance to stroll in and dine at this sublime swine.
SpyderDarling at 10:04AM on 07/11/08
I ate there for the first time on Friday night. It was AWESOME. I didn't have the burger though. I had the crispy pig's ears, some oysters, chicken liver toast, pickled herring, beef tongue and lamb's heart. Very nice wine list too.
simon at 3:42PM on 07/14/08
Bagh! Pig's ears weren't on the menu the night we went.
Adam Kuban at 4:03PM on 07/14/08
Scraping about 90 percent of the cheese off has always served me well there. And I can neither confirm nor deny that I've snuck mayo packets into the Pig.
greenolivemedia at 4:29PM on 07/14/08
I ask for the blue cheese on the side--it's aggressive, man!
Those fries ROCK.
dbdtron
dbdtron at 4:46PM on 07/16/08