Il Buco's Sixth Annual Outdoor Pig Festival On Bond Street - Celebrates 15th Anniversary

On Sunday, September 20, 2009, il Buco restaurant will celebrate its 15th anniversary while hosting its sixth annual "Sagra del Maiale", an outdoor Pig and Apple Festival commemorating the Autumnal Equinox (when day and night are of equal length). The celebration will take place outside il Buco on Bond Street between Lafayette and Bowery from 1:00 - 8:00pm.

Chef Ignacio Mattos and staff will rise before the sun and start a bonfire on Bond Street, where they will slow-roast a 200 lb heritage breed Crossabaw Pig. Cooked on an "infiernillo" (literally "little inferno" but known as "little hell"), the pig slowly roasts between two large iron griddles with an intense wood fire above and below, a method developed by Chef Mattos' South American Mentor, Chef Francis Mallmann.

Throughout the night, Chef Mattos will tend to the flames while encountering late-night passersby for an incredibly fun New York night. Starting at 1pm, friends and family alike will line up early for a convivial feast of all things pig.

Select Menu Items
Whole Infiernillo Slow-Roasted Eco-Friendly Foods Crossabaw Heritage Pig

Flying Pigs Farm Porchetta Panini on Ciabatta with Blueberry Balsamic Mostarda

House-made Flying Pigs Farm Pig, Apple and Peperoncino Sausage

Farmer's Market Panzanella

Wild Arugula with Lemon, Red Onion and Pecorino

Apple Ricotta Fritters with Saba

House-made Lemonade and Iced Tea

Executive Chef: Ignacio Mattos

Tickets will be available on-site for $20 per plate, which includes all items mentioned above. Alcoholic beverages including Red and White Wine, Prosecco, Lambrusco, and Wolffer Estates Apple Wine will be $10 per beverage. Beer will be $8.

Many of il Buco's local farm producers will be in attendance at the event.

il Buco will keep in line with its commitment to the environment by using only biodegradable and compostable paper goods, cutlery and drinking cups during the festival.

About il Buco's Pig
il Buco works extensively with the Crossabaw Pig, a special hybrid of the a rare breed Ossabaw, a pig from Georgia's coast on Ossabaw Island. The Ossabaw, left by the Spaniards more than a century ago, is a direct descendant of the "Pata Negra", or black-footed pig so treasured for its flavorful meat. These Ossabaw pigs are raised in the open woods in North Carolina, on a diet of acorns and peanuts, both extremely high in oleic acid, the same fats that make olive oil so healthy. These pigs come from il Buco's dear friend, Bev Eggleston from Eco-Friendly Foods.

Executive Chef Ignacio Mattos is from Santa Lucia, Uruguay. A prot�g� of the renowned South American Chef, Francis Mallmann, Ignacio has also worked with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, Spain's Mart�n Berasategui, and with Judy Rodgers at Zuni Caf�. As Executive Chef of il Buco, a beloved NYC establishment that has been open for 15 years, Ignacio has had the honor of cooking at the James Beard Foundation, has taught cooking classes with the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), the French Culinary Institute (FCI), DeGustibus and The New School and has participated in numerous food events in and around New York City.

About il Buco
Owned by Independent Filmmaker Donna Lennard, il Buco is a New York institution known for its Mediterranean cuisine - an under the radar gathering spot for designers, actors, writers, and food lovers who are inspired by great food amongst friends in comfortable surroundings. Il Buco originally started as an antique shop and provides a warm, romantic setting in which to enjoy the flavorful combinations of Executive Chef Ignacio Mattos paired with the extensive boutique wine collection of Sommelier Roberto Paris and Wine Director Pa