What happened to Lil Pig Market?
What happened to the Lil Pig Market at Lafayette and South Elliott, next to the Smoke Joint? It seems to have been turned into overflow seating for Smoke Joint. This is sad, because I think Smoke Joint is bad and Lil Pig is/was good. Is it coming back?
What happened to the Lil Pig Market at Lafayette and South Elliott, next to the Smoke Joint? It seems to have been turned into overflow seating for Smoke Joint. This is sad, because I think Smoke Joint is bad and Lil Pig is/was good. Is it coming back?
I was absolutely in love with Lil Pig and went at least a couple times a week for lunch or dinner. Dinner was an especially pleasant experience as, even with the tables full, the vibe stayed calm and pleasant, and so many of the Fort Greene restaurants get noisy, delicious as they are.
I spoke with one of the chefs, who said the issue had been that the Lil Pig kitchen was too small for handling the crowds they’d get, and that was the reason for the kitchen merge. That makes fine sense, but I hope they limit the Smoke Joint overflow and try to keep Pig on the quieter side so that people wanting the original Lil Pig experience, with this full bar addition, can still have something approximating it.
I would think two different vibes– one original Lil Pig plus bar, and one original Smoke Joint — would capture more facets and angles of the Fort Greene eats population than Smoke Joint split between two spaces.
Godsavebklyn summed it up far more concisely, but those are my thoughts– hope the owner is reading.
Lil’ Pig is a unique type of offering in Fort Greene (that seemed increasingly crowded until it randomly disappeared), whereas Smoke Joint just feels like another restaurant. I hope its owner reads this and brings Lil’ Pig back!
My friend told me ( he’s a chef) that the last time he ate at Smoke Joint (and it was not his first experience) that the ribs were completely different and incredibly tasty.
Zinka–
I have no more useful information but totally agree with you about the food. The last time I got a sandwich at SJ, it was covered with a “sauce” that was mostly Chinese bottled hoisin.
Just awful. And I’m not a stickler for authenticity as some are, but this was really a stretch.
Lil Pig is still alive; the plan is to absorb it into Smoke Joint’s kitchen and share the dining room. There’s going to be a full bar and Smoke Joint will take over the space in the evenings. So I guess the short form is that you’ll still be able to enjoy Li’l Pig’s offerings, but in a more limited capacity and pretty much strictly for lunch.
I think Smoke Joint is fairly delicious. Fette Sau’s BBQ is mindblowing, but their sides are bad enough to kep me from wanting to go back. Have you tried Lookout Hill on 5th Ave yet? Good BBQ and good sides, but wound up a bit pricey as everything’s sold by the pound.
Any useful replies out there?
Fette Sau rocks!