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“Daisy May's”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Midtown	Moderate	Great

was about to do some sort of exam on a large animal, not eat one. It was fairly hilarious, all of us sitting there sweaty and smiley and suited in Latex like human prophylactics. We fanned ourselves with paper plates as we drank cold beer and passed around the bottle of bourbon that Adam and David, my friends from the Thrillist (www.thrillist.com, a great site if you have not checked it out yet) had brought along. The heat was stifling at first, but soon we adjusted. Plus it made it feel more like a barbecue somewhere in the deep South, which added to the drama of the evening nicely.

Every dinner in the Big Pig Gig begins with the platters of Texas Toast—big triangles of fluffy brioche rubbed with roasted garlic—sliced watermelon so sweet and juicy we thought it was rubbed with simple syrup, and a vat of unusually (and wonderfully) zesty cole slaw. The arrival of the pig is next and it is quite ceremonious. Two chefs bring it out, carrying it out like royalty on a large wooden slab, and place it gingerly on the table with a ramekin of flaky sea salt and a tub of barbecue sauce that is thick and rich—mustardy, spicy, and just a little sweet. If you are squeamish about heads, snouts and tails, you might want to address those issues in therapy before dining at Daisy May’s. A few people I invited actually declined to come because they could not bear to see the pig so close to its natural, once living form. I find this attitude unfortunate.

First of all, what about those lobsters people have no difficulty eating? But beyond that, if you are going to eat animals—if you are not going to commit to a life as a vegetarian—you might as well get next to that animal and honor it and face the fact that something—this suckling pig—lost its life so you could eat it. It’s almost more insulting to say, I will eat a pork chop but I don’t want to eat it if I have to know that it came from a real pig. To eat a pig in this whole form, head, tail, oink, all of it, in my opinion, is the most respectful way to eat an animal. Many will disagree, I know. But if you are not going to be a vegetarian, if you are going to partake in the world of the carnivore, then face the pig, and love it while you eat it.

Anyway, those who will come will find the pig is a glossy beauty with a deep amber caramelized skin like spun sugar, crispy on one side, glistening with fat on the other. Underneath the ... [more, click below]

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Posted: July 30, 2006

Other restaurants in Midtown :
+ Lever House   + Aquavit   + RM   + Joseph's (formerly Citarella The Restaurant)   + Town   + Artisanal   + The Oyster Bar   + Geisha   + David Burke and Donatella Restaurant   + Riingo   + Amma   + Cafe Sabarsky   + The Stone Rose Lounge   + BLT Steak   + V, The Steakhouse-- Closed   + Bar Masa   + Cafe Gray   + The Bar Room at The Modern   + The Cafe at Aquavit   + The Cafe at Aquavit   + Bistro du Vent-- Closed   + Shaburi   + Xing   + The Modern   + Bar Americain   + Alto   + Park Blue   + Mainland-- Closed   + Nobu 57   + Quality Meats   + Dona-- CLOSED   + Daisy May's   + 7Square-- CLOSED   + Amalia   + Fireside   + Anthos   + Patroon   + BLT Market   + Toloache   + Mia Dona   + Park Avenue Summer   + Convivio   + The Oak Room by guest reviewer Julie Besonen   + At Vermilion by guest reviewer Elaine Weiner   + Lunching at Inakaya, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Marea, by Guest Reviewer Susan Kane Walkush   + Le Bernardin   + New York Central -- A Reason To Eat at the Grand Hyatt Again   + Pampano Botaneria by Dara Pollak   

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