The food was delicious, but management was atrocious. One of the least welcoming restaurants in NY.
I live a block south of the place. Strolling past “the pig” this morning, I noted that the space was empty but they hadn’t bothered to move away any of their vermin-and-rodent-infested shrubbery crowding the adjoining Greenwich street sidewalk.
We went there a couple of times when it opened and found it overpriced and underwhelming. Still miss “Le Zoo”, the prior tenant, a great neighborhood hang.
5
Poor man, boo hoo. He tried to save his employees he loved so much? He obviously loved some a lot more than others and felt free to harass, degrade and steal their souls and lively hood. Shame on to him and his righteousness .
5
Personally, I've always preferred Fanelli's.
2
So many of these trendy restaurants don't live up, for long, to the hype. There wasn't just one or two who claimed harassment...there were many. Had Bloomfield done her job and taken action and addressed this internally, perhaps this place would still be viable. The harassed women had no other choice...they had no where else to go to file their complaints. This should be a lesson to others...pay attention, listen, and take action to handle these complaints internally.
6
I find it hard to believe that anyone who runs a cash business like Mr Friedman really “lost everything”. Look hard enough and you’ll find plenty to keep him fed and housed for the rest of his life. Not sure the employees he settled with are in the same position.
13
But the Gnuddi was fantastic!
1
It is really too bad that everyone has to lose their job because a jerk in power abused their control. However, I have eaten at this restaurant and I can NOT believe it had a michelin Star. The food was truly truly truly over rated. Their "string fries" were difficult to maneuver and yet people revered it, why? I feel like it was one of those restaurants that was really good in the beginning but because such a cult classic that people were afraid to debase it in any way. It was simply not a good restaurant. The service was terrible and the food was subpar. Good riddance.
17
@Mark W
Yet again, it isn't, sorry wasn't, a restaurant, there's ten thousand of those in NYC. Also just because something wasn't to your taste doesn't mean others do not like it. The place was unique in New York, now its the White Horse Tavern and if you consider that for w moment or two you might be able to work out what has been lost.
1
What's missing here is the statement that the restaurant had been losing money for time. When the AG settled the case was there not an audit for the future viability of the business.
It seems this fellow was allowed to enter the profits as part of the settlement and then allowed to close the business depriving the staff of future monies.
What does the AG say about this?
18
Food was always overrated -- one trick pony. And the "vibe" was masking something far more sinister.
Those of us who lived in the W Village will not miss it.
14
A pig cannot change its spots.
9
The pigs were spotted and dealt with.
10
The Spotted Pig was a welcoming neighborhood spot for many years, where I made great friends among staff and neighbors. The food was great, the drinks better, and it was always fun. I refuse to confuse what the place meant for me with the despicable behavior of the owners; to me, the restaurant was always its staff, and, for the past two years since I've stopped going, I've missed them dearly.
10
@Craig
Exactly. It is a bit like despising the USA for its President who seems very similar indeed to the owners of the Spotted Pig.
21
Ate lunch squeezed in at the bar once way before the scandal. The place felt a bit too precious, trying hard to feel ye olde taverny, and the clients decidedly hoidy toidy and female. I went for the burger, but can’t remember eating it which doesn’t say much. The bartender was very prompt about refilling my carafe of tap water without any attitude. That I do remember.
10
wildly uncomfortable space, ordinary food, dirt and grime ground into every surface like some sort of archeological dig....the only sadness I have is for former employees who now have the added burden of unemployment.
20
The root is the tip system in American restaurants. Waitresses especially feel they must smile, be nice to the clients, etc. This gives some patrons the impression they can go further; add a certain type of management, and voila; spotted pig, well named! Do away with tips and a lot of this will never get started. I've never heard of this behaviour in any European restaurant.
18
Tips lead to workplace sexual harassment?
That’s a bit of a stretch
But if tips lead to amicable service , I’m all for that… or do you think it a winning strategy for business to hire/retain people who are going to be sour/dour/rude to people? Tips motivate for decent service… if that’s not the job for you, then don’t go into it!
"Devastated the career of Batali" or the lives of the many who were sexually harrassed there?
42
@Uno Mas Batali always seemed a crude man in the same unbecoming childish looking clothing - the way a lazy person dresses. & please the played out look-me-pony tail.
15
I prefer to mourn the good places that died of old age, like Florent, or those struck down by recessions like Chez Michallet or Jarnac. Or lease-losers like Grange Hall. But I find it hard to muster a tear for The Spotted Pig. This abrupt closure seems like a way to dodge the consequences and give the bad guy in this story a last hearty guffaw. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
39
@Brendan Hasenstab - Ahhh.... Grange Hall. That place was sweet.
4
@Brendan Hasenstab I loved Grange Hall. Many lovely.evenings there. I.womder what is there now....
good news. Less pork eaten, the cleaner the environment.
10
Well now everyone is out of a job. That’s justice!
11
@Matthew He stated he helped many of them find new jobs. The tone of your comment suggests that his accusers should have just shut up and let him continue his abusive ways.
11
@Zoenzo they should have. Grow up, not an easy world and you can always leave
1
Haha. Let’s not fix problems. Let’s just leave.
A very sad day. I do not condone the harassment but the place itself was a treasure where one could get the best pint of real ale in the city and decent if expensive food, basically exactly what a gastropub should be. The view out of the window over 11th street where three (four if you were really good friends) could fit watching the world go by is something I will always remember.
3
The burger just wasn't that great. The bun was stiff, and lacked the yeasty sweetness of a potato (or brioche) bun, and it was a mouthful in-and-of-itself, detracting from the burger, which was irregular in quality. There was nothing there that one couldn't find better at a 5 Guys (or the trendy burger establishment of your choice). Certainly, no reason to pay nearly $30.
Outside of the 'famed' burger, the rest of the menu was generic. I never understood why the restaurant had such a following. The whole Spotted Pig phenomenon was an example of trendiness in dining taken to the extreme.
28
@David
As someone who did understand please let me explain what a ‘gastropub’ is. It’s a place that first gets the drinks and the ambience right, the food follows. I don’t spend 3 hours at a 5 guys quaffing ales.
10
@David Just go to Corner Bistro, you'll be fine.
9
@David I think we know what a gastropub is, sadly you do not. A gastropub focuses on high quality food and drink. A pub or public house focuses primarily on drinks. Good food should paramount. The drinks were nothing that you could not get anywhere else. Fanelli's, The Ear etc. and the food is good. If you cannot get a burger right then you have no business being in the business.
3
Although I have never been to "Spotted Pig", I followed with interest Ms. Moskin's and Ms. Severson's coverage of its decline.
Well, if the restaurant was still able to serve its last meal yesterday, in late January of 2020, there must have been patrons who did not commingle the cuisine with the owners' behavior. But any form of harassement of employees by chefs and/or restaurant owners has become a new hurdle on the way of restaurants' survival.
7
behave like a creep---or turn a blind eye to that behavior---and you get to lose your business. Bummer.
32
And the dishwashers and the bar tends and the wait staff, etc. Apparently they were all guilty of crimes too.
7
@Matthew No, they're just a different kind of victim.
8
@anna
Indeed, and now unemployed ones. I suppose they are getting some of that settlement.
1
I know I'm not politically correct. Any woman that has ever worked in a restaurant has been subjected to some form of sexual harassment. I take that back, any woman that has ever worked has been subjected to some form of sexual harassment. I'm over #metoo. So the 'victims' would rather see the restaurant close and everyone lose their jobs as long as they get their settlement.
24
@politicsandamericanpie The winners were the lawyers, and probably not so much those who actually suffered from the harassment -- if they indeed suffered at all. A passing comment, a wolf-whistle, or even a slap on the backside is easy enough to set straight... it's when that leads to loss of employment or other retaliations that you have the situation that the laws were enacted to address. They were not intended to provide a high-stakes proxy war that leaves victims holding a worthless profit sharing deal, and their lawyers with six-figures in cash for legal services rendered sitting free and clear in the bank.... Please let's talk about tort reform. And the breakdown of justice in the age of the 1%.
22
Its call operating a professional work environment, which the owners failed to do. Dont blame the people who sued. The owners run the business, they brought it onto themselves. Running a restaurant is risky enough. Before the magazine article came out the place was still very popular. I know business associates who decided against holding their holiday parties there after the article.
43
@politicsandamericanpie
They are not "victims." They are victims.
Imagine if your spouse or daughter was sexually harassed.
Would you be so glibly "over" it?
43
"that devastated the careers of the celebrated chefs Mario Batali and April Bloomfield"
I think the writers meant to say "that rightfully torpedoed the careers of the (alleged) serial sexual assaulter, Mario Batali, and the celebrated recklessly-indifferent-to-her-employees'-wellbeing chef April Bloomfield."
111
@WWD
I'm sure that the writer meant to say that the sexually-targeted employees were "devastated" and not the alleged perpetrators, but I could be wrong.
4
@WWD
Never understood why Batali had so much time on his hands with all his other businesses to hang out there as much as he reportedly did. The NYT once had one of those ‘what they do on Sunday’ features about him, his being such a big family man and constantly running back and forth between his many restaurants. Guess he was playing hooky on both the businesses and the family.
6
Aside from the absolutely despicable behavior by despicable people, I am genuinely sorry to hear that the Spotted Pig has closed. The West Village has lost so many greats, so many classic establishments that help define the neighborhood in a Gastronomical field that differs greatly throughout New York City. Of course this is bound to happen over time, but my West Village is littered with the Ghosts of amazing Eateries that shuttered for whatever the reason at the cost of the casual Diner that relied on those places in a day and age when generic chains dot the City like Lice. We miss you Mama Buddah, Blue Ribbon Bakery, and Shopsins General Store, we miss walking into a place where they know your name, we miss the notoriety, we miss the fare, we miss the personalities, the shade, even the chaos.
12
@Southern Comfort
go to Pastis. Great atmosphere. Great food. Great service. The Standard Grill is okay too (or it was five years ago).
9
@Southern Comfort
When I furst started cooking professionally, back in the mid 80s, we would work, close a bar, then get a sunrise meal at 24 hour Florent. I loved that place.
27
@Southern Comfort Go to Queens next time you want a culinary adventure, start with Flushing. Lots to discover for those of us who are unlikely to miss the Spotted Pig.
1
First, we read the 20% of the restaurant profits would go to the victims for 10 years. Then, Mr. Friedman said "The Pig has been running in the red for a long time. And so it must close." How convenient. They didn't know this when they drew up the settlement? As usual, it is hard working regular employees who lose the most.
70
@Paul Shindler
But the owners sink their savings into a place. An employee can lose his or her job, but an owner can lose his or her life savings. I've met bartenders who used to own restaurants that closed. Now, they bartend for someone else. So, what you say isn't exactly true. The owners may escape some pay outs, but they are finished. They'll be working for someone ELSE from now on.
The owners lose more, because they lose their initial investment. The employees never invested any savings in the place. So, they walk away without having lost any initial invested capital. many owners wind up in debt or at least out their life savings. Employees need owners to start restaurants so that they can have jobs being employees. Without capital investment, there wouldn't be any places to work.
17
@Anti-Marx
Working for someone else is a disgrace, so that's their real punishment?
How about they screwed up royally in allowing horrible behavior and are lucky all they lost is money and face?
39
@Anti-Marx
"The employees never invested any savings in the place."
True.
They did invest their human capital, their career choices, their time and effort.
But that pales compares to you, to investing...money.
54
Cute. So they get to dodge out of the profit sharing part of the settlement by closing. That should be seen a material breach of settlement. Jail for them.
70
@Jen in Astoria
The agreement must apply to future ventures as well as to The Spotted Pig. If the agreement doesn't include a clause about that, it's not a very perspicacious agreement. It does include a clause about revenue from a sale of The Spotted Pig, right? It must include some provision for a percentage of Mr. Friedman's future earnings at ANY restaurant or similar (say he starts a food truck or nightclub).
14
@Anti-Marx But they didn't sell it. They just folded and ran.
11
Well, since there were no law suits no one should complain.
1