The Girl Who Ate Everything

Blogging about food and whatever since 2004.

The Spotted Pig, a Stomach-Burning Break, and Too Much Gelato

lil mustard plop!  AW?!
fat.

"Is that a layer of fat on top?"

Ed, Alaina, Adam, Raphael and I (aka the Serious Eats family of awesome people) were getting our first look at the Berkshire pork rillette while eating a congratulatory, "Hooray, you didn't eff up the redesign!" lunch at the Spotted Pig. It was the first time all five of us ate out as a group, meaning that there wasn't anyone left in the office to look after the site. It vaguely felt as though we had left an infant alone at home to fend for himself and if anything really bad were to happen in his life, it would be at this very point that the bad thing would happen, when the baby was most vulnerable. Like he would suddenly decide that the knobs in the bathtub were the height of all possible amusement, even better than that the stuffed animal cow that mooed when he hugged it, and that he must turn them while sitting in the tub and after a while he would experience a funny floating feeling and...oops, he's dead. Things like that are God's way of saying, "You really shouldn't have left your baby at home by himself."

But God doesn't care about websites and our baby website fared perfectly fine on its own. It didn't drown or poison itself or fall of a window or nuttin! What a good lil' website. So smart. So full of hope for the future.

So...back to our meal. As long as a layer of fat is an intentional part of a dish, it's probably a sign of good things to come. (Example of a bad thing: if your pizza is drowning under a pool of bright orange fat that drips down your hand in rivulets of grease as you lift up a slice. That is wrong.) And as this layer of fat lies atop a mash of pork and spices, that's even more of a sign of good things a-comin'. And, oh, HOW THE GOOD THINGS CAME!

grilled bread, perfecto
grilled bread

Although you could just eat the rillette with a spoon like some kind of luscious pork dessert (...mmm...), it's best to ease into the porkness with some carbohydrate filler. A plate of grilled bread of some delicious variety that I cannot name did just the trick of easing our mouths into the saturated pork compound that was smooshed upon its cavity-ridden surface.

bread + rillette = awesum
awsum

But...actually, I missed a step. First you smear a thin layer of nose-burning mustard onto the bread before spreading on another layer of pork goo (or do it the other way around if you already spread on the pork goo) and crowning it with a cornichon, aka a tiny pickle that looks like it has a hideous case of warty-bubbly-skin-itis. The retched green knob has obviously never felt love before as its horrifying skin ailment disgusts all those who unfortunately cast a glance in its direction. The knob, it feels nothing. But at least it imparts a pleasant sharp, sour taste to your pork rillette-eating experience!

So we ate that pork rillette to its last bit and it was damn tasty. Moving on.

BURGER, IT IS GOOD!
burger, it is good

If the Spotted Pig wanted to advertise their burger, they could truthfully claim that 4 out of 5 Serious Eaters choose the burger. The advertisement would be a bit confusing since it wouldn't say what we choose the burger over ("The other leading gastropub burger!"), but no matter—this is all hypothetical. Ed was the odd man out, deciding that he would rather indulge in a swine-centric cubano than the bovine pattied beast of a sandwich. The remaining four of us gnawed into our perfectly composed burgers, whose top brioche buns were so evenly branded with grill marks that the marks could've been painted on...by Michelangelo...

medium raare
medium rare

The medium-rare innards of the smashed meat sphere glowed with angelic pink juiciness as melting Roquefort cheese dribbled into the crevices, mixing with the juices, turning into a new thing altogether that could be marketed under the name, "Beef-Flavored Roquefort Cheese Dribblin's." The bottom bun acted like a sponge for the burger juices, which was a little gross, but still tasty. That too could be marketed under the name, "Beef-Flavored Bread Sponge." Oh, how the consumers would flock!

Ah, but what about the meat itself? It's like a warm pillow of meat-ness. Yeah. With a slight outer crust and a soft belly like a baby kitten. Yeah. A kitten with a hat of strong, earthy cheese. That is one weird-ass cat.

I eats it
I eated it

I successfully demolished about 96% of the burger, thus distending my belly into new levels of distension. My mouth destroyed 99.99% of the shoestring fries tossed with rosemary and fried garlic. So delicious. Sooo delicioussss, those fried potato noodlings swaddled in fatty, oily goodness are. Swaddled. Noodlings. Noodlings of swadlage.

And then we retreated back to our air-conditioned office to allow our bodies to churn and waddle the chunk of meat we had ingested.

And now for your stomach-burning break

The following Friday the office ordered delivery from Grand Sichuan International so that we wouldn't have to step into that cold, outside world...the world filled with hot steamy garbage and smells that rise from the pores of New York City's asphalt-covered skin. That world is full of good Chinese food.

fire breathing chicken
fire breathing chicken

This dish, which wasn't called "Fire Breathing Chicken" but could be called that if I were writing the menu, consist of tender chicken chunks smothered in whole chiles that you can't eat unless you want to feel pain beyond your wildest nightmares. But the chiles are important, for they impart their caustic flavors upon their meaty brothers, resulting in really, really spicy hot chicken that tastes like awesome.

ginger chicken
ginger chicken

Ginger chicken comes with the same ethereally tender chicken bits but instead of chiles contained ginger chunks, green onions and red peppers. Why is it so tasty? Whyyyy?

my first place of maybe 5
I ate 5 plates or more

I also got to eat mapo tofu for the first time, which is now one of my favorite dishes. Who knew that a heaping dish of extra soft, very jiggly tofu cubes crammed into a pool of spicy sauce and beef nibblets could be so good? ...Wait, you did know? Oh. Well. I didn't.

After polishing off a plate or ten of rice accompanied by spicified meats and vegetables, my belly gurgled and burned like a disgruntled fire-breathing dragon whose nasal passages were singed with the ghosts of the fires that had previously passed within them. Oh, my belly...how I clutched thee. Which did absolutely nothing but make me look like I was in more pain than I really was. I thought that maybe I experiencing the early stages of stomach cancer/disintegration, but man...it was so worth it.

Gelato, I heart you, kind of!

The next day I went to a faraway land about 45 minutes out of Manhattan on the subway. A land of residential buildings and Italians (mobsters!) and at least one OutbackBensonhurst. This is also where my main food/travel/movie buddy Diana sleeps at night. Her presence was a big contributor to why I went out there for the day...or the main one, as I wouldn't have gone out there otherwise.

[On a random note, if you or anyone you know is in need of an insanely talented and reliable illustrator/graphic designer/web designer/photographer, hook up with Diana. Her current job ain't so cool and while she can flex her creative muscles just fine on her own, it's a lot nicer to get paid for it]

Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa

Our first stop was Mona Lisa Bakery, an Italian bakery and cafe with a hard-to-miss facade meant to echo the beauty of Italy, except it sits across the street from an Outback (which in turn is supposed to give a sense of Australian-ness) so its rather hard to forget that you're in America.

crazy chandelier type thing
ooh

But step inside and BOOYA, flagellating chandelier!

ceiling painting is waiting you
ceiling painting

And a mural on the ceiling! And more crazy stuff that even the Outback cannot claim to have!

another view
sammich

Although we went to Mona Lisa mainly for gelato, we decided it would be best to buffer the effects of the gelato with a sandwich. The sandwiches are pretty expensive, this baby stuffed with grilled chicken, broccoli rabe and mozzarella costing around $10, but that may be because they're large enough to split between two people. Or four very small people.

INNURDS
innards

And this sandwich...ooh...it was rather dreamy. The slightly chewy bread was toasted to the point of developing a thin, crispy shell, kind of like a good pizza crust. And I do love my crust. Chicken was tender and juicy, broccoli rabe was...seasoned with something but I'm not sure what, and melted fresh mozzarella stretched its gooey wonder in thick, sweet strands like no other cheese dares to do because if it tries the mozzarella will KICK ITS ASSSSSS.

Yeah, I like mozzarella a lot. It kicks ass.

gelato time!
gelato!

We were now prepped for gelato. For our three-scoop dish we chose black cherry, pistachio and gianduja, which were topped with unnecessary whipped cream and a shortbread cookie of some sort. The gelato was super creamy and smooth without any gumminess and had fairly strong flavors, which for me makes it well above average. I wouldn't say head out to Bensonhurst for it, but if you're close by it's definitely worth going to.

Awesome.
le menu

You also must check out their menu, which seems to have been produced without a copy editor. The back of the menu explained the lengths to which the owner went to decorate and build the restaurant in an authentic Italian way:

The entire internal structure of Mona Lisa Pastry Shoppe and Cafe was built in Italy. The creator of the Shoppe came from Italy, took all the measurements, then went back to Italy to design and assemble it in their own warehouses. When they were finished, they dismantled everything (when I say everything, I mean everything) and sent it to Brooklyn. It arrive here in three shipping containers and was custom fitted by the Italian technicians. As you can see the owner has spared no expense to give his patrons a European environment as well as the European delicacies in which the whole family can enjoy.

Ye damn right no expense was spared.

gelatooooooo...pre-melting
gelato!

Our next stop was famous Italian bakery Villabate, where I heard they make a mean gelato sandwich using a brioche bun. Although I saw a large case of the buns atop the gelato case, my stomach cried, "NO, YOU'RE KIND OF FULL, NO BREAD PLZ," so I settled for an inedible paper vessel. The young woman behind the counter packed in as much gelato-matter as she could while scooping the pistachio and Ferrero Rocher flavors for my cup. Really, five minutes of labor right there. I hope they pay her well.

gelatooo after being subjected to heat
oh, it melts

We stepped out of the semi-crowded bakery to dig into our cup of overflowing dairy-ness and straight into the sticky humid wrath of Mother Nature, who wanted nothing but to destroy the lives of frozen beings everywhere. Our cup of gelato started to turn into a pool of gelato base. Crap. So we ate fast. And while eating fast, realized that this gelato wasn't so awesome. The Ferrero Rocher was alright, but the pistachio was missing...pistachio taste. The only parts of it that tasted of pistachio were the pistachio bits, while the green cream they were suspended it held little pistachio essence. Damn. Besides that, the texture wasn't very smooth or creamy. After eating gelato from Mona Lisa, we were disappointed with Villabate's and threw our the half-eaten cup laden with sticky gelato guts.

We spent the rest of the hot afternoon in Diana's room where we could comfortably freeze under the icy blasts of her air conditioner. Mmm...sweet sweet AC...

Random note about randomness

I'm going to Phoenix next week for a little vacation. You wouldn't really notice considering how little I update this blog anyway (I'm slow, I'm sorry, I JUST CAN'T DEW IT, cos when I get home at 10 or 11 PM after working and eating and editing photos my brain goes beepbeepboopmelt) but I thought I'd remind you anyway. Of course, I'm bringing Mr. Laptop with me so I can continue to procrastinate with updating my blog.

YAY, THE 'ZONA AWAITS ME!!!

Addresses

The Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St

Grand Sichuan International
229 9th Ave

Mona Lisa Bakery
1476 86th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11228

Villabate
7117 18th
Brooklyn, NY 11204

Comments

Tina / August 4, 2007 4:55 PM

Too funny in regards to the Spotted Pig portion of your entry! I would've skipped the throat burning, sinus clearing mustard on the rillets sandwich. Mustard and me don't go too well that often.

I'm kind of shocked that you never had mapo tofu before. I guess because I'm spoiled by parents who happen to love to cook a lot of Chinese food almost every night.

Ooh! Have fun in Arizona! I just hope you won't get burnt there since their temps these days are in the mid 90s. Or the fact that your ice cream or gelato would face another death like the one from Villabate.

Su-Lin / August 4, 2007 6:00 PM

Oooh, mapo tofu is sooo good. And so oily. And that burger...might have to skip my original plans for barbeque shrimp tomorrow and replace them with a burger instead.

Have fun in Arizona!

Bonnie / August 4, 2007 8:38 PM

Ooo I love mapo tofu too! Anyway, if you really like it it's actually pretty easy to make because now they sell the sauces in jars/packs so you just cook it with tofu and beef(or pork, tastes just as good) and you're done =D

kathryn / August 5, 2007 12:36 AM

You've never eaten mapo tofu before?! What kind of CHINESE person are you?

If Diana doesn't mind working in marketing, my company is always looking for talented illustrators, visual designers, etc.

Also, we're a two minute walk from Shake Shack.

roboppy / August 5, 2007 1:44 AM

Tina: I do not have these parents (or cooking-loving grandparents). :( But...well, I love my mum, so I guess it's okay. Hehe. If I didn't, THEN I'd be bitter...

Yeah, weather.com is telling me that I will pretty much die in Arizona. Or sweat off the pounds! :D

Su-Lin: YES, oil! Sometimes I do love my oil. With tofu.

Bonnie: Perhaps I will look for this sauce because I'd be too lazy to make it myself. Woo!

Kathryn: I think my last name and squinty-eyed visage really make me seem much more Chinese than I really am. If I had a "Chinese person" gauge, it'd be like...god, I hope at least 50%.

I wonder if part of the problem of not being more knowledgeable about Chinese food is, as I told Tina, the lack of Chinese home cooking growing up. As far as I know, I don't have any relatives who are very into cooking. Or in a food-related field....hm....MAYBE I AM THE FIRST!

I'll let Diana know about the possibility of Shake Shack-filled afternoons. :D

Ace / August 5, 2007 6:02 AM

Gah! Hamburger buns with diamond grill marks and those oh-so-fancy miniature pickles? Makes me feel bad that most of my lunches come in some sort of styrofoam container.

By the way, I've continued to look through your flickr account. My family now thinks I'm insane because I spend portions of the night looking at food and making random guttural noises when I see something yummy. I guess not everyone can understand the mind of a foodie.

B / August 5, 2007 8:22 AM

I love mapo tofu - in fact, I love any silken tofu with spiciness... my favourite might be soondubu jhigae (sic) - korean spicy soft tofu soup in a bubbling bowl and you crack in egg in it and they serve it to you exploding hot and its wonderful.

I also love mustard, and will often plan a whole meal out of my desire to consume it.

B
Hand to Mouth
A blog for the penniless gourmet

Mila / August 5, 2007 7:57 PM

The rillette looks wonderful with the pyramid of cornichons next to it, and I'd definitely add lots of the dijon/horseradish mustard to that lot. I love pickles and any sinus opening, searing mustard to go with my pork.

And the peppers with the chicken, ah that reminds me of china. We'd order a dish similar to that, where the meat (usually pork) would be hidden deep in a pot of chilli oil, topped with garlic, ginger, and chillis, and sprinkled with pepper flakes. Whoosh!

I first tasted mapo doufu in China, loved it. Made me love tofu. Made my first mapo in New Haven of all places. Came out better than expected, but do use ground pork when you make it, more flavor.

skiwi / August 6, 2007 1:25 AM

I must say that I'm not a big fan of pork (actually, I would consider myself a half vegetarian if thats possible?)
so the idea of pork fat on bread doesn't sound too appetizing for me hehe!

I also LOVE mozzarella cheese, probably my favourite type of cheese b/c it's so light.

The pistachio gelato reminds me of the gelato I ate a couple days ago at a fancy Italian restaurant called Cin Cin in Vancouver.
SO good!
have u ever been to Vancouver?

Steph / August 6, 2007 11:24 AM

Ro -
Seriously, you need to come to one of my family BBQs. Because there's lots o' meat, the chili sauce is a flowin'... there are those little fishballs and yards and yards of stir-fryed noodles and shrimp with chiles or homemade gravlax and bruschetta and roasted red potatoes with garlic... along with dessert - sometimes a pie, sometimes cookies, sometimes cupcakes.. you never know.
Let's just say -- it's the closest thing to heaven on Earth. :)
-S
- S

Andrea / August 6, 2007 3:52 PM

Grand Sichuan and the Spotted Pig burger all within the week? So jealous..(I live for the double cooked pork at GS.)

roboppy / August 6, 2007 10:24 PM

Ace: Most of my lunches consist of fruit and no burgery goodness, so...ya! Cannot have burgery goodness all the time. Sadly. :(

Random guttural noises....yeah, those DO attract attention. As long as your family doesn't send you to a crazy house, you should be fiiiine....

B: Oooh, I like Korean soupy things. Shall have to try the tofu one next time I see it!

Jamie: I suggested that to Lee Anne so we might do it!

Mila: Uhhhhh that pork in a pot pf chili stuff sounds REALLY GOOD.

Pork makes things tasty.

skiwi: OMG PORK! Pork! Tasty pork! I didn't know I loved pork so much until I had it in incredibly moist and tender form. I don't like bacon and ham, but roast and stewed and whatnot...sooo good.

I haven't been to Vancouver! .__. Yet.

Marvo: Ah, YOU TOO are amused by the different forms of flagella. OMG IT'S SUCH A COOL WORD. I also like the word UNDULATE. Ehehehe..hehe..um.

It was oddly cool today! Like even cooler than NJ. Weird.

Steph: OH MY GOD I WOULD TOTALLY GO. :D :D :D

Andrea: Double cooked pork? I HAVE NOT EATEN THAT. And now...I must. Yes. Next chance I get.

Steamy Kitchen / August 7, 2007 8:32 AM

Swaddladge of Noodibbles? Garlic & Rosemary? Of everything that you've described...this is what got my heart racing.

I think I might have to make some for bfast. French fries are ok for bfast, right? Esp if they are gourmet-ish and shoestringy.

ParisBreakfasts / August 7, 2007 9:14 PM

I know just the nice over-the-counter Frenchie medication for you and the SE crew.
Called Odibile - they are just charcole tablets but perfect after rillette or escargot or any of the other fat-glomed things you like to wolf down.
I promise to bring you back a happy supply :)

roboppy / August 8, 2007 4:04 AM

Steamy Kitchen: It is very heart racing-worthy. Ohh delicious...potato...noodlings...

I think fries are fine. I mean, people eat worse things. I really don't like has browns; I'd much rather eat fries.

Carol: HAHA, is that the French secret? Mm, fat glomed...delicious. I may have to keep some Odibile on hand. ;)

quentina / August 12, 2007 8:42 PM

dabbing my tears from laughter! Best post ever! One more month till I get to sink my teeth into that juicy burger and fatty porky mustardy warty pickley goodness at the Spotted Pig. Glad you finally discovered mapo tofu. :-o

Ken / August 29, 2007 12:33 PM

I live here in the land of rillettes (and it's always plural) and I've never seen anybody eat mustard with them. Cornichons, yes. But reserve the mustard for steaks and lambchops. Really, the cornichons and mustard do the same thing: they cut the richness of the meat with their acidic character.

Rillettes de Tours or Rillettes du Mans, that's the big controversy in this part of France.

Love your photos and all the food.

ckenb / August 29, 2007 12:37 PM

I live here in the land of rillettes (and it's always plural) and I've never seen anybody eat mustard with them. Cornichons, yes. But reserve the mustard for steaks and lambchops. Really, the cornichons and mustard do the same thing: they cut the richness of the meat with their acidic character.

Rillettes de Tours or Rillettes du Mans, that's the big controversy in this part of France.

Love your photos and all the food.

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