Finger-lickin' good: Get dirty and eat with your hands

Cutlery — forks, knives, spoons — is customary at a table setting. But Filipino “gastropub” Jeepney recently introduced a series that seriously challenges that custom.

Every Thursday night, Jeepney hosts a “Kamayan” night, which features a prix fixe menu designed to be eaten solely with the hands. Sound entertaining, messy and delicious? Well, that’s the point.

“When you’re home amongst family, or when you feel the most comfortable, is when you eat with your hands,” said owner Nicole Ponseca. “People always say, ‘Why does it always taste better when we eat Kamayan?’ It’s a testament that food isn’t just about the dish, it’s about the experience.”

There are actually other spots to find finger-lickin’ good eats, too. Here's where:

Jeepney, 201 1st Ave. 212-533-4121, jeepneynyc.com
The dish: Kamayan Nights, with banana leaf plates, sticky rice, a selection of pork shoulder, fish and other proteins and sauces and side dishes.
The price: $40 per person

Talde, 369 7th Ave., Park Slope, 347-916-0031, taldebrooklyn.com
The dish: Perilla Leaf. Chef Dale Talde’s appetizer features a decadent combination of toasted shrimp, coconut, bacon-tamarind caramel and peanuts, all wrapped into a bite-sized piece meant to be grabbed with your fingers.
The price: $5

The Marrow: Berliners, 99 Bank St., 212-428-6000, themarrownyc.com
The dish: Harold Dieterle’s newest venture focusing on German and Italian cuisine features this quirky version of a classic dessert. This donut without the hole is filled with Goldschläger cream and served with malted chocolate. Deliciously grabbable, we think.
The price: $10

Fatty Cue, 91 S. 6th St., Williamsburg, 718-599-3090, fattycue.com
The dish: Whole Pigs Head. At Zak Pelaccio’s newly re-opened Brooklyn outpost of Fatty Cue, the chef whose cookbook is actually called “Eat With Your Hands” is offering a whole pigs head as a party platter to be shared. It’s served with steamed bao (buns) and a changing list of garnishes like bread and butter pickles and garlic sauce. Oh, and gloves for the table are included, if digging in a pigs head for tender meat isn’t quite your thing.
The price: $32

Sticky’s Finger Joint, 31 W. 8th St., 212-777-7131, stickysfingerjoint.com
The dish: The Salted Caramel Pretzel. This casual, back-to-basics-with-a-twist eatery features modern and creative takes on a beloved American fast food: chicken fingers. And they do it with hormone and antibiotic free chicken.
The price: $10