Nov. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Pork is no longer just the ``Other White Meat.''

It's fatty. It's delicious. Nowadays, a New York restaurant that doesn't serve pig belly is like one that doesn't serve steak. Never mind that its consumption is prohibited by two major religions. And if the offerings at Irving Mill are any indication of things to come, swine could soon become an official cause of death.

Pig pervades about 40 percent of menu items at the Gramercy Park restaurant. Even the hamachi is sprinkled with chorizo and the overcooked macaroni has cracklings.

The cholesterol comes courtesy of the new chef, Ryan Skeen, who earned citywide fame for his pork-fat burger at Resto in Murray Hill. The 30-year-old should have a Surgeon General's warning tattooed onto his chest: His fare at Irving, while more refined than before, seems as healthy as a pack of cigarettes. (But if it makes you feel better, I'm told the pigs are humanely raised.)

The sprawling, ambitious menu includes gastro-pub snacks, raw fish, charcuterie, pastas and pricey meats sourced from designer farms. The unifying factor? Most of it is tasty. And porky.

Start with the $15 burger. We passed it around like a communal joint, each taking a hit of the moist patty, relishing the meaty high.

Dogging It

It's more upscale than the crumbly, well-done version at Resto. Here, Skeen blends chuck flap, beef cheek and pork fatback. It's cooked on a black-steel pan for a salty, crispy exterior and a soft, rare interior. Garnished with nothing but a slice of cheddar. Wet-aging gives it a gentle mineral funk. The soft potato bun does its best to soak up the juices and get out of the way of the meat. One of the city's best.

Traditionalists might balk at the $7 ``blanc dog,'' a hot dog made of boudin blanc -- a pork-mousse sausage. It's mild and delicate, with none of the snap or spiciness of a Hebrew National. But grilled bacon adds smoke. Chili onions add sweetness. And a hint of citrus zest in the frank imparts bright complexity. It's a thinking man's hot dog that's more fine-dining than football game.

Expect a few of Skeen's greatest hits from Resto, tweaked. His famous pork toasts (fried jowl croquettes) get caviar instead of deviled eggs; they're less greasy here too. The spicy pig's face sandwich is on a soft roll instead of the brioche; the old version was crispier. The pig's ear salad gets the addition of radicchio, which does nothing to save this flawed dish. The ears are too chewy and bony.

Beer Here

Wash everything down with a Coney Island Albino Python lager (white and spicy), a Young's Oatmeal Stout (dark and chocolaty) or a bottle of Normandy cider (dry and crisp). Irving's extensive beer list complements the gastro-pub side of the menu. The dark woods, soaring ceilings and comfy booths evoke the haute-barnyard half. Looks like a rich urban farm.

Waiters will warn that even the small pig-meat platter is too big for one person. Heed that advice. Just $22 gets you boudin blanc, smoky boudin noir, tender shoulder, fatty feet, creamy face and ribs that have been braised, then fried; a brilliant hint of lime cuts the richness.

Americans like to overcook their pastas. Not Skeen. He gives us a toothsome pappardelle paired with braised rabbit and butter- drenched gnocchi dotted with delicate rock shrimp.

A Niman Ranch bavette ($28) doubles its flavor with a bone- marrow sauce. Lamb rests over rich bacon and beans. Skip the bland, Four Story Hill Farm chicken for two ($55). Finish with brown-butter ice cream.

Rating: **

The Bloomberg Questions

Cost? Snacks under $10; most mains under $30.

Sound level? Never too loud, but never quiet.

Date place? If your date wants to gain weight.

Inside tip? A burger and a beer is the ideal meal here.

Special feature? A tart and strong rum punch cocktail.

Private room? Yes.

Will I be back? I'll check with my doctor.

    Irving Mill is at 116 E. 16th St. near Irving Place. Information: +1-212-254-1600; http://www.irvingmill.com.

What the Stars Mean:
****         Incomparable food, service, ambience.
***          First-class of its kind.
**           Good, reliable.
*            Fair
No stars     Poor.

(Ryan Sutton writes about New York City restaurants for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this column: Ryan Sutton in New York at rsutton1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 11, 2008 00:01 EST