Brilliantly Good Pub Grub at The Spotted Dog

By: Finance Foodie

The Lenox Hill section of Manhattan is probably more known for its namesake hospital than the selection of restaurant options. However, the Mister and I happened to be in the area last weekend checking out the new Second Avenue Subway line when the hunger bells struck, so we decided to have dinner in the area. We walked around perusing some of the neighborhood joints down 1st Avenue and finally decided on The Spotted Dog, a newly opened Irish/British/American gastro pub.

Entrance

The interior of The Spotted Dog is warm and inviting, with dark leather booths and exposed brick with candle-lit nooks. We started off with the Chicken Parm Sticks ($10), basically a dish where chicken fingers had a baby with mozzarella sticks. These five large fingers were well fried and the tomato sauce it was served with was divine (only wish there was more of the sauce!)

Chicken Parm Sticks

For my entrée, I went with the Eggplant Casserole ($18). This monster of a dish (feeds three) was chock full of vegetables but still tasted like comfort food. I also liked that despite the eggplant not being fried, it still had great flavor - but minus half the fat!

Eggplant Casserole

The Mister, who is trying to watch his diet, went with the Half Roasted Chicken ($19) served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. While probably the healthiest and most simple thing on the menu, it certainly wasn’t boring. The chicken was really well seasoned and cooked to tender perfection. The asparagus was drizzled with a fragrant olive oil and the mashed potatoes were soft and fluffy – nothing wrong at all with simple dish done well!

Half  Roasted Chicken

For dessert, we splurged and got the Ice Cream Sundae ($8), a sinful but wonderful gulp of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, Nilla wafers and Nutella served in wine goblet.

Ice Cream Sundae

The Spotted Dog is a welcome addition the area - when I was there, I saw all occasions being celebrated - from romantic dates (ask for a spot in the back room) to gatherings with friends (ask for a patio table). I can’t wait to return to this spot that is doing a great job of putting Lenox Hill on the map for excellent food and drink.

Finance Foodie Money $avvy Tip – The entrée prices here are extremely reasonable (most are less than $20) and the portions are big enough for a meal the next day.

The Spotted Dog
1154 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10065
(646) 649-5331
www.thespotteddognyc.com
Cuisine: British / American / Irish