Pana II & MILON

"Where chili pepper lights meet Christmas lights."

-Milon & Pana II website

If you are a big group looking to celebrate a non-classy/cheap birthday, a going away, a welcome back,  a WHATEVER.. Milon & Pana II are the places to go. These two Indian restaurants are located next to each other on 6th St and 1st Ave in the East Village. They both appear to be almost identical inside and out. They are jam packed with bright Christmas tree and chili pepper lights, adding to the slightly cheesball/charming ambiance. The music inside can only be described as "Bollywoodesque"... and beware for the lowering of the lights and the blasting of the music if it's your birthday.

These restaurants are BYOB (looking for a cheap wine to take? Check out Trader Joe's Charles Shaw wines- a.ka. the "two buck chuck") keeping the costs of the night down to a minimum. The Indian food is decent (depending on who you ask), and they can accommodate large groups.

For big groups I recommend getting the Tandoori dinner. It is $15.00 dollars per person and includes:

Soup, Pakora, Samosa & Papadum, Main Entree choice of any: beef, chicken, lamb, tandoori or tikka tandoori served with rice, dal, partha or poori and dessert tea or coffee.

Reservations are accepted.

**Disclaimer: Only go here with big groups. Food here is not quality Indian, but the wine will help!

The Spotted Pig

Odds are that at whatever time you go to The Spotted Pig there will be a wait. Expect to have the restaurant look more like a mosh pit than a casual dining establishment. If you can not find the host he/she is probably in hiding as this is one of the most popular places in town... and the hunt for the hostess's attention resembles trading on the floor of the NY stock exchange.

HOWEVER, do not let this scare you away. If so many people want to eat here, it's for a reason. And what's that reason? THE BURGER. The Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries is OUTSTANDING. Be sure to order it medium rare to experience the best "burgasim" ever. Other than the burger they serve seasonal British & Italian food using local ingredients when possible.


The charming pub-like ambiance, dark wooded and pig infested ironically gives it a very comforting feel. It feels like you have been transported to an old English pub on the outskirts of London. Only difference? You will be taking in your food with trend setting fashionistas and urban pop foodies. The pig ornaments and flea market type memorabilia makes for a visually entertaining atmosphere.

The restaurant is owned by April Bloomfield (the chef), Ken Friedman and some other investors including Mario Batali. The Spotted Pig takes no reservations, so get there early and book a table! This past Saturday I went there, we put our name down at 6:30pm and didn't get seated until 9pm...just sayin, plan accordingly!

The Spotted Pig is located at 314 West 11th St. It is open for:
Brunch: 11am-3pm(weekends)
Lunch: 12-3pm
Bar Menu: 3pm-5pm
Dinner:5:30pm-2am


Fun Fact: According to The New York Times article, the Spotted Pig was named after the allusion of one of his investors. Mario Batalli. Why so? "He's got freckles!" Mr Friedman stated.

Taken from here