Three Tipsy Piglets!

If you are looking for something healthy to eat, do not go to Hogshead Tavern.  Luckily, James, Kyle, and I were not in the mood for a salad.

Spring!

On Saturday we spent four glorious hours walking the grounds of The Botanical Gardens and racking up steps on James's Fitbit.  By the time we got back to Harlem it was past wine o'clock, and we had walked about 11,000 steps.  It was time to eat!

And drink! Never having heard of a 'beer cocktail," I concluded that I should definitely try one.  I got the Pink Squealer which was a refreshing blend of rum, fresh lemon juice, Merlet Creme de Fraise, and Crispen Pear Cider.  Next time, I am going to try The Tipsy Piglet on the basis of the name alone!

Since we were famished (a walk in the park will do that), we decided to order practically everything on the menu.  We enjoyed  Kale and Artichoke Dip, Spicy Moroccan Meatballs, Korean Beef Tacos
Hogshead Sliders, and Crispy Pork Belly Grilled Cheese.

The food definitely exceeded my expectations.  It is what you need from bar food: salt, cheese, and carbs-while being flavorful and sophisticated (think gouda and sweet onion relish, rather than cheddar on the grilled cheese).

Our visit to Hogshead would have been perfect if the crowd had been more diverse (I don't think that I will ever get used to being one of  four black people at an establishment on 143rd and Amsterdam).  It's a weird feeling to go from this:

To this:

Where are the colored people?

Just by walking through a door . . . It all felt oddly colonial.  We were seated next to three annoying Columbia students who talked loudly about their escapades on Tinder and their dislike of President Obama.  According to them, Obama is "articulate" but "too moderate."  I hope that they don't think that traveling above 116th Street to drink beer with other white people makes them liberal.  I prefer not to be a minority on the weekend, but the food and drink at Hogshead Tavern was worth having to think about race on a Saturday.