Immaculate Infatuation

First off, much respect goes out to Ken Friedman who owns The Spotted Pig. Dude worked in the music biz for years before venturing into the culinary world and we obviously applaud the marriage of music and food. The fact that Bono, Trent Reznor, and Courtney Love are all listed as investors is awesome. Friedman’s landlord, Jay-Z, can now add the 173-year-old building that houses The Spotted Pig to his resume of timeless classics which already include Infatuation favorites Reasonable Doubt and The Black Album. Jigga decided to buy the place and renovate, adding more dining/bar space on the second floor and an exclusive third floor room where he and his crew can dine in peace, away from the riff-raff.

Appearing in Page Six on a regular basis and having a lively bar scene has led The Spotted Pig to become one of New York’s most infamous eateries. Don’t be fooled by the hype on the food though – this is next level gastro-pub fare, not fine dining. The food isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but you’re coming here for the scene first, food second. Although The Spotted Pig is only five years old, the interior space properly reflects its vintage home. Sporting plaid booths and an overabundance of pork related paraphernalia, the space has a real old New York feel to it. The Spotted Pig doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared to commit at least an hour to wait for your table. Hopefully you’ve got money to spend at the bar while you wait. The Spotted Pig is ideal for evenings where you’re looking to mix it up, throw a couple down, and see where the night takes you.

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Let’s be honest. White tablecloth fine dining establishments are not places that you will typically find the staff of immaculateinfatuation.com. We like things a little bit looser, a little bit dirtier, and a little bit more laid back. That said, every once in a while a man needs to throw on a pair of wrinkle-free Dockers and dine like a gentleman. Every once in a while, a man also gets a gift card to a restaurant for his birthday.

Whatever the motivation, on a recent weekday night, we found ourselves heading for an Immaculate Infatuation man date at Eleven Madison Park. It was clear from the start that this would not be a typical night out stuffing our faces with burgers and pork buns. The dinner menu at Eleven Madison Park consists of different prix fixe configurations, including an eleven course chef’s tasting menu. No, this would not be another night of casual eating. This night we were going to be tucking our napkins into our collars and doing things real fancy like.

Fancy though it may be, the restaurant is surprisingly lively, and the room wide open and airy – definitely not typical of a place serving this kind of food. Make no mistake, Eleven Madison Park is fine dining at its most serious. The staff is polite, yet rigid and focused like they’re on a mission from God. I think one of them folded my napkin with his mind. While the formality of the staff can be a little bit awkward at times, their knowledge and focus is appreciated when eating at this level. The food rundown will give you the details, but our meal at Eleven Madison Park was amazing. With a menu that sources many local ingredients via the Union Square Greenmarket, from start to finish, you get what you pay for and more. Save it for the right occasion. You won’t be disappointed.

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There isn’t much in the way of Mexican to choose from in this town, so to some extent, I can understand why Mole gets good reviews. It’s a charming enough little spot – a handful of tables, walls painted in vivid colors, Spanish tiles – with all the necessary trimmings for a “family run” Mexican restaurant. Considering that most other Mexican joints around town either double as Chinese food restaurants (see Happy Taco) or downright suck, I get why Mole receives some love. The margaritas are good, and after a few, that guacamole is pretty slammin’. However, the food is average at best. In addition, it’s not cheap, it’s cash only, and the quality of service varies wildly from visit to visit. It’s almost like the restaurant equivalent of a bipolar kid with a really nice boat. You want to like him, and you give him a few chances, but you don’t want to hang out on a boat with someone that unpredictable. At the end of the day, there are other places to better satisfy your Mexican cravings than Mole, and they don’t require you to hit an ATM like you’re about to board a plane for Vegas. If you’re looking for some quality Mexican, head to Mexico Lindo instead.

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