Aldine Is Throwing Itself A Birthday Party This Weekend

Aldine is turning two on Sunday, November 6, and they’re celebrating the way that all chefs and restaurants should (and generally do) celebrate such things: By throwing a big-ass party, inviting the public, and roasting a whole pig.

Now granted, this is George Sabatino and his crew we’re talking about. So don’t think luau or BBQ so much as carefully choreographed and exquisitely sourced meta-buffet in which a pig (in its entirety) will be served in a variety of fancy and innovative ways. But hey, if that’s your jam (and why wouldn’t it be?), and you have $45 burning a hole in your pocket, you should make your reservations right now in order to guarantee your place at the table.

You know what I like about Aldine? Well the food, obviously. And the Sabatinos (George and Jennifer). But beyond that, I like Aldine because it is a survivor. It is a restaurant that began with ridiculously high expectations, failed to meet them, but then relentlessly fought for two years to become the restaurant it wanted to be–a place strung out somewhere halfway between the modern and the ancient, a neighborhood spot for drinks and dinner that also (somehow) gets away with serving beets that require days of preparation or roasted quail with grapes and caramel sauce. It has always been a place where the friction between the classic and the new shoots sparks right out into the dining room, translating into dishes that are occasionally brilliant, occasionally not, but always unique.

Proof? Okay. George is getting a whole, heritage-breed Hereford pig for the event, raised by Jennifer’s family on their farm, and you know the picture he excitedly Facebooked to pimp the birthday party just a few hours ago? This one.

“Veggies on veggies on veggies!” he wrote. “Thanks @greenmeadowfarmpa for all your wonderful goodies. So excited to use all of this beautiful product for the pig dinner Sunday night.”

So anyway, whatever it is he’s going to be doing with that pig (and all that romanesco), it’s probably going to be interesting. And it’ll certainly be different. And it’ll probably be awesome. Dinner is going to be served buffet style to all comers. Tickets are $45. And you can call Aldine right now to reserve your spot.

Aldine [f8b8z]