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A charming all-day brunch spot that opened during the pandemic has just expanded with a bar nearby.
Owner Sherry Grimes follows Pig & Butter on the Lower East Side, which she opened in early 2021, with Pig & Butter Bar a few blocks away in the East Village. The bright, airy space seats 32, including room for six on the patio up front. Inside, white brick walls and bottle-lined shelves are lit by modern chandeliers and neon lettering that reads, “Black Owned.”
“The sign was custom made,” Grimes says. “We have the same sign at the brunch location, and made this one pink to capture the energy of the space. It also captures how proud we are of the space and what we have achieved as women of color. The design of the space is both elegant and inviting. The goal was to create an elevated fusion bar experience without breaking the bank, and I believe we’ve achieved this.”
Grimes' wife, Dr. Shavonne Hylton, who has a PhD in environmental science, authored Pig & Butter Bar’s signature cocktail list. “Beyond the art, there is a science and chemistry to cocktail making that underlies the perfect drink,” Grimes says. Those specialties include The Pinup, made with makgeolli, pineapple, coconut milk and lime ($14) and The Raleigh Smoke Show, a mix of mezcal, Ancho Reyes, grapefruit and housemade ginger syrup ($15). Wine and beer are also available and, befitting the bar’s predecessor, an assortment of spritzes, bellinis, mimosas and bloodies. A trio of gin and tonics was added for Hylton’s fondness of the tipple.
There’s food, too, with most of the prep work done at Grimes' original locale. Pig & Butter Bar has a convection oven and an air fryer. Between the other address and tools here, the fare is a varied collection of items like the bacon egg and cheese on brioche, grilled Spanish tuna pizza, Korean fried chicken tostada, churro French toast and Thai red curry mushrooms with cheesy grits.
The fun “Shot & a Bite” section of the menu is exactly what it sounds like. Present pairs join peanut butter whiskey with a bit of waffle with concord grape jelly, bacon and banana, or a spicy bloody Mary with a taste of smoky grilled cheese.
Each is reminiscent of what’s on the menu at the original Pig & butter, and “just a taste meant to be a larger amuse-bouche,” Grimes says. “We wanted a section of the menu that combined both of our creative strengths.”
Now about a month into operating, Pig & Butter Bar will begin hosting Soul Sessions, with curated music, cocktails and food, Grimes says. The first is scheduled for Thursday, October 12, from 7pm-midnight. Drink specials like $5 mimosas are available at brunch every weekend, and happy hour is Wednesday-Friday from 2pm-7pm.
Pig & Butter Bar is located at 42 Avenue B. It is open Wednesday from 2pm-10pm, Thursday from 2pm-11pm, Friday from 2pm-midnight, Saturday from 11am-midnight and Sunday from 11am-10pm.