We speak of none other than Spitzer’s Corner, the LES gastropub that, in our humble opinion, hasn’t gotten due credit for just being a fine place to drink delicious brews. After a strong debut as a beer bar, yet a disappointing one as a gastropub, the menu has been fully rehabbed. As of last Sunday, there’s a new bill of fare and a new chef in the kitchen (his story after the jump). The doctor is Wayne Nish (pictured), who spent a mere three weeks giving Spitzer’s formerly minor-league menu (mussels, pasta, a burger) some serious pedigree.

Though we were a little skeptical of the silly names (the French Kisses, which happen to be intensely good foie gras–stuffed prunes) and the trendy organ-heavy menu (a sweetbreads po’ boy keeps company with a frisée salad with duck gizzards, and mac and cheese is enriched with lard and duck cracklings), our inner cynics were quieted once we actually tasted the food, which is the real deal. We caught up with owner Rob Shamlian and Nish today, who both seem pretty pleased with how things are working out. "What I’m really looking to do here is three-star bar food," says Nish, who handpicked the new chef de cuisine, Sung Park—his cred includes stints at Brasserie Ruhlmann, Jean Georges and Nish-era Varietal—to execute the task.

"A lot of people in town think that gastropubs are traditional pubs with traditional foods like steak-and-kidney pie and fish-and-chips, and they’re not," says Nish. "I went to several gastropubs in London, and the overwhelming commonality is organ meat. I think I had tongue four times in a week—I loved it." Amen to that. Meanwhile, it might be time to assign some rereviews. Critics, start your engines…