Pata Negra - Spanish/Tapas - East Village

Food: 7/10
Everything else: 7/10 
We'd travel with a pig in tow on the L-train if it ended up on our plates at this restaurant.

We were aimlessly wandering 12th street in a hungry state when we noticed Pata Negra, a tapas bar devoted to Spanish swine.

As lovers of pig, we just had to explore this spot -- and you should do the same.

With a full but not overwhelming crowd, the bar had pleasant Spanish music and elegant lighting.

The sangria we found a bit dull and uninspired and drove us to worry the place was all talk and no game. But as soon as the pig began to appear, our fears were erased.

We started with blood sausage, or Morcilla as it's called in Spain, and the stuff was black, gooey, and delicious. It lacked the firmness and structure that real Spanish Morcillas tend to have, but the flavors were there, such as they are.

Next were some patitas, or pieces of crisp (but not quite crunchy like crostini) toast with meat and melted cheese. The patitas of the sausage and manchego variety made us quite happy.

Finally, the coup-de-grace was an epic cheese and meat plate, the Dehesa, with lomo (pork loin, very similar in appearance to what Americans think of as ham), chorizo, jamon serrano (much like prosciutto), and manchego.

Huge and a delightful sight to behold, the platter sold us on the place. The meat was just as salty as it needed to be without overwhelming the taste-buds.

All we could see looking around the place were (surprisingly thin) people gorging themselves on big plates of pig -- and this made us existentially happy.

So if you enjoy enormous plates of meat and cheese in a romantic setting -- and you don't have a soft spot for pigs (or maybe you do but it doesn't stop you from eating them) -- this is the place for you. 

TLDR: Plate o' pig.