If it ain’t baroque, don’t fix it!
The Bourgeois Pig, an East Village staple, has descended on Carroll Gardens with all of its unapologetic opulence intact — forgoing rough hewn butcher block tables, salvaged, mismatched chairs and all things rustic or twee in favor of blood red walls, dripping chandeliers, plush velvet banquets, and gilded — well — everything.
And while such lavish interiors seem better suited to Marie Antoinette than to a young professional looking for a neighborhood hang, the Pig’s hoity toity trappings belie its solidly middle class nature.
“I love the dichotomy of it all,” said owner Ravi DeRossi. “When you walk in the door, it doesn’t feel like the kind of place where you’re going to get a good deal. And yet, $50 gets you a bottle of great wine and enough food for two people.”
$10-$12 also gets you an expertly made cocktail, courtesy of mixologist Frank Cisneros, from Dram and Prime Meats.
His unique roster of “Mediterranean Tiki” tipples give a Euro-centric bent to kitschy Polynesian favorites — like in the Zombie Amaro (a mind-altering blend of amaro montenegro, Italian aqua vitae, overproof rum, fernet branca, maraschino liqueur, grenadine, lime, grapefruit, pineapple, cinnamon, absinthe and tiki bitters) and a Mai Tai Espanola (Spanish brandy, Italian aqua vitae, lime, toasted hazelnut syrup, orange liqueur, and branca menta).
“We wanted to step up Brooklyn’s cocktail scene, putting out the best quality we possibly can at an affordable price,” said DeRossi, whose admirable mixed-drink empire also includes Mayahuel, Death and Co., and Cienfuegos in Manhattan.
“As far as food goes, we wanted to elevate our own game,” he continued. “The palates of the people that live out here are very sophisticated, as compared to our other location, where we get mostly NYU kids.”
Refined Brooklyn francophiles can graze on oysters and escargot, charcuterie plates and open faced tartines, although nothing feels as effortlessly luxe as the savory fondues for two ($24-26).
Little piggies can dip into the French onion with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, beef broth and thyme, with asparagus and apples; the lobster bisque with shrimp, crab and cheddar in lobster broth with herbed potatoes and toast; and the Mushroom Royale — gruyere and emmenthaler cheeses, roasted wild mushrooms, and Pineau Des Chantres wine, served with braised artichokes and bacon.
The Bourgeois Pig will also let you eat cake — sandwiched between molten rivers of sweet chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter or dulce de leche fondue ($30).
It’ll have you going oui oui oui, all the way home.
The Bourgeois Pig [387 Court St. between First and Second Places in Carroll Gardens, (718) 858-5483].
