[Pigging by Wilfrid: November 30, 2009]
A week off, more or less, for the post-Thanksgiving Pig, and I send belated holiday wishes to all my readers. I hope you enjoyed your turkey, wild or tame, roast or deep-fried or cooked for eighty hours sous vide.
But to give you a taste of what's been going on, and what's to come in December, here are a few pictures from restaurants I won't be reviewing, as well as some hints about reviews in progress.
Here, for example, is some nicely crisped tofu at Greenwich Village Bistro - far from a dining destination, but a cozy little hang-out if you feel like getting out of the cold and into some live blues.
And here's a puzzle. Anyone recognize this? A neatly contructed small-plate from a recently opened wine bar just off the beaten track.
Three of Cups has been serving casual Italian in its rambling First Avenue dining rooms as long as I can remember. Not a place to travel too, but the lingering aroma of truffle oil directed me to the tartufo pizza. Vinny's does it better.
And guess which very recently opened hunting lodge is so badly lit you can't hardly photograph the house- terrines?
Just when i thought I knew every dive bar in Manhattan, at least, I stumble across something right under my nose. Not far from MSG, here's an ungentrified barn of a place - sloping linoleum floors, a bar so long you can hardly see the end of it, and studiously labeled pictures of heavyweight champs on the walls.
Finally, which former, long-time holder of three New York Times is setting out especially juicy pork chops in a neighborhood gem? Here's a clue.
Cheers, and come back next Monday when we'll start getting some of these done.
