New York got a little smaller this trip, more on that later.
The whole point of the trip was the wine tasting,
www.viaswine.com and it was
insane. On the ninth floor of the Marriot Marquis were at least 30 tables, each with 4-9 wines at them along with maybe 800 people all trying to spit into white (possibly scallop) buckets. I was so hungover from the night before, I almost didn't make it. I'm know it was worth going to for our sommelier, but it was way too much for me. Too many (stereotypical) snobby wine connoisseurs, although I am very grateful to the owner for taking me along and to Mary for suggesting that we attend.
I have to say, I feel slightly influenced right now, ...I read
Kitchen Confidential years ago when it first came out. And, recently, I acquired the book on CD version with
Anthony Bourdain reading in his own tones and personalized expressions and emphasis on words. I've been listening to it for the past couple days, and I can hear his voice in my head as I type....kinda weird. More on that later.
Back track, the first night in NY on Sunday, we went out to get sushi, It was stuck in my head do to all the Sake conversations as of late. We hit a place called
Sushi Samba, the food was good but very very small. We did try some sakes though. It was late and we asked our server for a bar nearby that would still be open.
Off to Barfly, about three blocks away on 3rd ave, Five minutes into getting comfortable at the bar I notice someone walking towards me out of the corner of my eye.
"hey man? aren't you....???"
"Heyyy?..? , oh yeah! You're Foster's old roommate."
"Yeah, so are you, right?"
Long story short, New York gets smaller when you run into someone you met twice in your life at 1am in a
random bar around Gramercy Park.
Hours of conversations ensued, along with 2 other bars, and hence the hangover for the wine tasting the next day.
BUT!, I got up fairly early the next day (all things considered, 5am bedtime) and decided to walk around town (everyone I was with were still asleep). It was nice, cool air, refreshing, and I wanted to really figure out how the streets were lined up. And I was starving.
I started off to my right, figured I'd loop the block and get my bearings, 3/4 around and what do I see....
Les Halles! the restaurant made famous in my mind by the the aforementioned book Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdains kitchen of the time. Although, as far as I know, aside from his books up on a shelf in the dining room, he has little to do with it now.
Everything's coming together. The guy I ran into the previous night (and his current roommate) strongly suggested a well know gastropub,
The Spotted Pig. 
Stating that I would be able to divulge in every part of the pig, a tour de pork, inside and out, "the ear confit are amazing", head cheese, intestines, trotters, everything....
Yeah. Look at the menu, no pig on it.
After an hour and a half hour wait, well spent really watching the bartender "pull" beer from an old school pressure system....she was hot that's all I need to say, we sat down to a cramped table setup, a server who'd been asking me to "move!" out of his way for the past hour and a half that all the sudden was willing to treat my like a human (or patron of
his) and several plates of really good food....although this plate of Skirt Steak was like $28 or something ridiculous like that.
The Mop Rolls and the Chicken Livers where amazing though.
Turns out, the Pig From Head to Toe menu only happens on certain occasions.
It was a good time though. New York Usually is though.
After a rinse, a soak and thoroughly dried, the cured bellies where put into our smoker and slow smoked for several hours. It was a cold night. Bringing these steaming, smoking slabs of love into the kitchen was a pure moment of absolute pleasure. First by just the aroma filling the room, then admiring the color and the beauty of each piece. The fat cap was quivering and almost completely see-through. The flavors of each where extremely distinctive and special. Salty. But, each very special and hope for future pork belly adventures. The blue cheese cure worked so well, I can't wait to apply to other cuts.
One lucky customer got a piece freshly cut from a slab, still hot from the smoker and added to their appetizer of Scallops and Bacon with Toasted Blue Cheese Polenta, Balsamic Braised Red Cabbage, Candied Pears and Poblano Honey.
