Tiny East Village counter joint Whitmans has been slinging burgers for a few months now, but tonight marks the opening of the restaurant’s decidedly more sit-down-oriented — though no less meat-friendly — downstairs dining room. With seating for 26, the rustic room nearly triples the restaurant’s capacity and is decked out with chicken-print wallpaper, reclaimed New Hampshire barn wood, and windows recovered from the old New York Times building.
Diners order off an expanded version of the upstairs menu — yes, the pimento-cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy is available for table service, as is the flash-fried “crack kale.” New additions to the menu include the peanut-butter-and-bacon-topped PB&B; burger, a Meat Hook garlic sausage dressed with spicy mustard and beer-caramelized onions, and a comparatively heart-friendly iceberg wedge dressed with bacon, croutons, and buttermilk blue cheese. Like the upstairs counter, the dining room will be open weekdays from 5 to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to midnight. Check out the full menu below and tour the space in our slideshow.
Whitmans Dinner Menu [PDF]
Whitmans, 406 W. 9th St., nr. 1st Ave.; 212-228-8011
