"PIGGING" IT UP IN AUSTIN!!!

Greetings again peeps!
Peter told me of a quaint little sandwich shop that he and his family like to visit, and since he has been right about places to go so far, we take off towards THE NOBLE PIG. I thought a sandwich shop is a sandwich shop, but once I stepped in the door, I saw that this place was MUCH different. A gourmet sandwich shop, hidden in a shopping center...YAY!!!



As I step in, the menu jumps out at me...Smoked duck pastrami? Seared beef tongue? Creole catfish? Today's terrine?
Has Peter taken me to a hoity-toity, nose-in-the-air, high-class eatery? How am I supposed to potentially suggest this to my variety of readers? But my concerns dissipated less than a minute inside this AMAZING eatery.  Everyone was pleasant, a variety of customers, the staff was pretty laid back and friendly. I am really gonna enjoy this, what a refreshing change to the Whataburger I've been eating all week. Fast food is fast food, much different than a delicious gourmet lunch at a reasonable price.

I start with the Terrine, today's variety was PORK AND PORCINI MUSHROOM.

TODAY'S TERRINE, PORK AND PORCINI MUSHROOM

This was a very tasty start, very mild though, but when paired with the sweet mustard and pickled vegetables that accompanied the two respectable slices of terrine, all came together in tasty bliss. I thought about ordering another one, but knew that there was much more that I wanted to sample at this stop, so I resisted.  I finished my appetizer, and just as I did, our sandwiches had arrived. 

THE NOBLE PIG, JALAPENO SLAW

THE DEVILED EGG

 MIKEY- ordered the namesake sandwich...THE NOBLE PIG!!
 I added the jalapeno slaw for a side...sounded amazing!

 PETER- ordered THE DEVILED EGG

Both of our sandwiches arrived, beautiful presentation on both, (not that easy to say about a sandwich) but after the diverse menu options on the menu, board presentation on the Terrine, and now the perfect display on something as simple as a sandwich, I knew that there was something different about this particular sandwich shop....Maybe chefs on staff??? But I digress.

Peter said that his sandwich, THE DEVILED EGG, was great, but didn't elaborate too much, he was going on and on about the GINGER ROOT SODA. LOL.

My sandwich, THE NOBLE PIG, did not disappoint. I expect much from anything served in a restaurant of ANY type that is the namesake of the restaurant, so I was especially critical on this sandwich.  Layers of spicy ham, fresh pulled pork, provolone cheese, bacon, mustard, and mayonnaise ( I requested no mustard, I personally don't like pork and mustard together) come together perfectly on the lightly toasted wheat bread (I believe an 8-grain?) All the flavors of the meats came together perfectly, you could distinguish each element of this sandwich, without any single element becoming overbearing. The only thing I can say that would be in any way negative, is that I wish that there was a touch more meat on this sandwich...but that is a personal complaint...I am fat lol.

I paired my sandwich with the JALAPENO SLAW, a delicious combination of shredded green cabbage, shredded red cabbage, carrot, fresh cilantro leaf, but happily no pieces of jalapeno!

That must mean that the jalapeno is in the dressing, which was very light and the texture was perfect.

This slaw was delicious, my only concern was that it had a bit of heat to it, which desensitized my mouth a bit, so switching back and forth from slaw to sandwich made it difficult to appreciate the sandwich again. This is in no way the restaurant's fault, being that jalapenos can vary greatly in heat level, or I may just be a wuss. LOL!

mmmm...dessert!

I finished my meal with the chocolate ganoche tarte with sea salt and smoked bacon. Such a satisfying finish to the meal, the perfect size, with the richness of the chocolate meshing with the sea salt, and the fattiness of the bacon....PERFECT!!!

I would highly recommend stopping here anytime you are in Austin. Chef John Bates and Chef Brandon Martinez have an amazing knack for taking something as simple as a sandwich, and elevating the quality with the freshest of ingredients, perfect preparation, and beautiful presentation. Being able to marry gourmet with casual dining is an amazing skill, and this eatery achieves it.

UNTIL NEXT TIME GUYS!!!

THE Michael Arrowsmith