April Bloomfield made a splash in 2004, when she and business partner Ken Friedman opened the Spotted Pig in Manhattan's West Village. The celeb-backed gastropub fast became a gathering place for fashionistas and food cognoscenti, who come to nosh on deviled eggs, burgers with Roquefort cheese and ricotta gnudi, among other stick-to-your-ribs dishes. Since then, she has opened two additional New York hot spots and earned a couple of Michelin stars.

Though Ms. Bloomfield's cooking may come off as casual, in the kitchen the...