Chopped Liver and Male Models

by Erin

Last weekend, I went to NYC for the first weekend of my Spring Break to visit with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Lauren. You might remember our NYC eating adventures from October, and this trip was no different - we ate our way through parts of downtown and Brooklyn, and it was AWESOME.

We began our first day by heading into the city, the West Village to be exact, where we had brunch at The Spotted Pig. I've been hearing how great this place is for years now, and I've also heard about the notoriously long waits to get a table. So when Lauren and I arrived, we were prepared to wander around the Village for hours to await a table, but when we walked into the restaurant, we didn't have to wait AT ALL! Clearly they knew they were dealing with D-list (um...Z-list?) celebs.

The Spotted Pig is a gastropub, and both the menu and the ambiance reflected that vibe. It was a cozy space with (usually pig-related) chachkis on the walls, and a menu that was sort of upscale comfort foods.

Since it was brunch, we immediately ordered a cup of coffee, which they poured from a French press. Then we set to ordering. The first thing we ordered was something that I could only order with a member of my immediate family, or Lauren: Chicken Liver Toast. OMG this was AMAZING! (ps. Mom, you know I love your chopped liver, but I think they put crack in this one, so it wins...). The livers were cooked with wine and onions and some sort of fat (chicken fat, maybe?) and chopped up and served warm on a toasted slice of crusty bread with a drizzle of olive oil on top. It was incredibly rich and flavorful, and we savored every bite.

Upscale Chopped Liver

Next we ordered Pumpkin Pancakes with Chile Maple Syrup, which were sweet and delicious. The pancakes had a bite to them, as if the chef had used some sort of whole-grain or multi-grain flour, and they were topped with a pumpkin puree, the chile maple syrup, and of course, butter. The syrup was sweet but the heat hit the back of your throat at the end and added a whole other element. So good!!

Pumpkin Pancakes with Chile Maple Syrup

Then we ordered the specialty of the day, a Brisket Hash with Poached Eggs. This was absolutely wonderful - the brisket and potatoes and onions were really cooked down and melded together, and the eggs were perfectly cooked and delicious. I want to eat it every day!!

Brisket Hash with Poached Eggs

So as we were eating our pancakes and brisket hash, a nice (beautiful) young man at the table next to us jumped into our in-depth food conversation since he too loves food! (But really, who doesn't?? No friend of mine!) His name was Chase and it turns out he's a model (of course) and we chatted with him and his beautiful friend (Travis) for about half an hour. I love making new friends! It was a great ending to our first fabulous NYC meal. Stay tuned for more NYC posts. I love New York!

Lauren and I in front of The Spotted Pig after our lovely meal

Happy eating,

EP