Blind Pig: How Fun are They?

'Luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity.'

Paint me lucky. I ran into forumite Jeremy J at a recent tasting for Bryant Distributing (actually, I beelined for him, like a heat-seeking missle.) I have been wondering where he's gone to...

Now I know- he's Crazybusy. He was representing a fun little Beajoulais at the event, he's the GM of a busy restaurant and the expansion is- expansive. Never mind the raising of a familly. I wondered if the fella had a clone made of himself to handle the workload.

On to the experience:

Above all else, Blind Pig was packed at 9:30 on a Thursday night. The service was flowing- I surveyed the tables and saw nothing but happy people chatting and enjoying each other's company, not snearing and looking toward the kitchen..

We were sat in view of the kitchen and I can say this was a staff that showed harmony. Smooth as silk, with the toughest shifts behind them. Once again- flowing.

We brought along our three-year old, Wyatt and he was treated like a king. The host offered us a window seat- and I'll be dammed- the kid was entranced by the comings and goings of the street. It reminded me of a snake charmer. Toddlers don't sit, by definition- or eat thier whole meal. He did both, happily. That makes the parents comfortable diners and regulars, promise.

The beverage program is fun and I'm sorry I couldn't explore it fully. I had been working on some cocktail recipes and had blown my palate for spirits. I will say that the beajolais Jeremy was repping was wine geek goodness and that I am most impressed with the Whistle Pig Rye (at the Bryant Tasting,) but I don't think I even finished the cocktail that I had ordered. The Chianti Classico I had with the entree was such a great contrast pairing with our entrees that it was heartilly and thankfully finished. No digestifs, this evening and the fiancee's turn to drive home...

Ahh! The entrees. I had the pork belly and she had the cassoulet. I enjoyed mine, but reveled in hers- there's something about a properly cooked bean that makes me happy. Sorry, rest-of-menu, I'll probably never taste you, unless it's off someone else's plate.

I got the walk-through of the upstairs lounge. WOW. This is gonna be one sexy room, with a separate entrance. I think I should be there opening night (hint-hint!) to christen the ship properly!

Aw shucks, Stephen! It was great to see you...I'm glad you had a nice visit and your son is adorable! One point of clarification- I wasn't repping that Beaujolais, it was just one of my favorite wines ever (Marcel Lapierre Morgon). Didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. And as for opening night upstairs? I'm betting we can work something out...

We tried Blind Pig for the first time this past weekend and we enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed the vibe of the place and they had a solid beer list.

The mussels app was awesome, as was a cup of the soup of the day, some sort of duck stew.

My girlfriend enjoyed her flounder, although I found the texture to be slightly odd.

I ordered the cassoulet mentioned above, even though I am not the biggest fan of bean-based dishes.

I only managed a few bites, as I was pretty full from appetizers and a day's worth of beer, and I deemed it to be pretty decent, but a bad order on my part, given my stance on beans.

However, when I reheated my leftovers the next day, for whatever reason, I thought that the cassoulet was delicious. The beans aborbed all of the flavors and were tender without being mushy, and both the duck confit and the housemade garlic sausage were delicious and generously distributed.

The rare dish where I thought it tasted much better the next day.

We will definitely be back.

Try the fresh pork sausages with cabbage, the bison patty melt, the charcutrie (sp?) plate, the pasta special........ can you tell I eat there a lot? And the desserts. OMG. Bacon pecan brittle ice cream? The pineapple with marscapone?

Love the food and the staff. They've always made me feel especially welcomed, from the first time I visited.

You can always count on interesting wine selections, good beer, and tasty cocktails. Try the Ohio River Fizz.

I just wish they could keep their web page updated with the current specials! I hate learning that the lamb (for ex) that they had the previous night was superb.

Hope to see more forumites there! I'll be at the end of the bar