april eats.

april showers include a sprinkling of farm fare, neon lights and cookies and milk with this list of april foodie picks:

porker.
cesare casella likes his meat. now chef/owner of maremma is taking the haute barnyard concept to the next level. he already breeds cattle and now does the same with the rare breed of stonewall pig. the result? a lean, flavorful meat worthy of porcine praise. a seat at the first ever pig fest will be avail to those on a private mailing list, so call the resto. available mid-april. 228 west 10th street. at bleecker. 212.645.0200. www.maremmanyc.com


neon balance.
dim sum, soups and thai-focused small plates by chef andy yang (nouvelle, forbidden city, rochjin asian noodle) are planned in the karim rashid-designed kurve, in the former mosto space. the space is decked out with a circular bar and what is said to be lots of bright color, karim style. opens late april. 87 second avenue. at fifth. 212.260.8018.


sweet thing.
jean georges alum andrew lesturgeon (who most recently was creating dishes like chocolate absinthe cake at the EU) is now manning the pastry kitchen at fig & olive downtown (pictured). lesturgeon, who is a ripe 24 years old, is preparing decadent desserts like the marques de grinon gelato (flavored with olive oil and served with blood orange caramel) and a creme brulee cheecake with fig, thyme and olive oil. 420 west 13th street. between 9th and washington. 212.924.1200. www.figandolive.com


a dollar and a dream.
insomnia cookies is a new west village cookie nook and delivery service developed by seth berkowitz. walk-in service is avail until 3am or order a range of sweets for delivery to your doorstep complete with a glass of milk. satisfy your sweet tooth with freshly baked brownies (just a buck) and cookies. now open. 50 west 8th street. between 6th and macdougal. 877.632.6654. www.insomniacookies.com


transformers.
le cirque has transformed its café into a wine bar. gone are the dark tables and crimson chairs. instead, sit on bright orange ottomans and creamy leather couches. chef christophe bellanca will be offering a pairing menu to complement the over 30 wines by the glass on offer. now open. 151 east 58th street. at sixth. 212.644.0202. www.lecirque.com


move in.
all-day dining is avail at the lofty inside park terrace. the al fresco resto that replaces café st. barts is a contemporary, artisanal american menu being planned by chef matthew weingarten (savoy). and you can be sure he'll be putting his new brick oven to proper use. soon to follow is inside park at st. bart's, the terrace's indoor version. opening mid-april. 109 east 50th street. at park. 212.593.3333. www.insideparknyc.com