Pricey Pig

A friend and I wound down after the first week back at work over a few glasses of vino at this lovely little wine bar. I've walked by this place way too many times and never stepped inside. It's a little wine and tapas bar named after the most expensive pig in Spain, Pata Negra. This is one happy pig, it lives freely in the mountains eating spends it's life eating nothing but acorns, which is what gives it it's unique flavour. The meat itself was priced at $40/plate here, so we sadly didn't get it. Instead we tried the next best one, the Jamón Ibérico, which was priced at $24/plate. This pig eats acorns and grass and is cured less years, making it less expensive.

I have always wanted to try it and have done some research on the subject over the last few months. (You can only buy it at Despana in Soho and Dean & Deluca and it will run you about $150/lb!) I had always heard that it was amazing and so much better than the Jamón Serrano... and boy were they right! It was like butter, too good to be true. I can only imagine what the Pata Negra is like! When I get my next big job I'll go back and treat myself to some Pata Negra!

Anyway this place is great, the wine is wonderful and the owner is very friendly. It's now definitely one of my favourite neighbourhood wine bars!

Pata Negra
345 East 12th Street
New York, NY
(212) 228-1696