The Ravenous Pig: An American Gastropub--1234 N. Orange Avenue, Winter Park
What a name. Well, this new restaurant is great but I need to bitch first. The only thing worse than having such an unappetizing name is billing itself as a gastropub. Having lived in England for 15 years I come with some baggage here. Pubs are known for quality/simple food. The English call it comfort food. Great sausages, fresh (read real) mashed potatoes and gravy. A filling, delicious, non-fusion meal. A good bangers and mash can't be beat.
A few years a go, pubs in England started going through some silly phases. There was this gastropub thing where gravy became a reduction. Nothing worse than a pub pretending it was a restaurant.
And then there was the name thing. Our favorite pubs had names like The Victoria, The Fossebridge Inn, The Seven Tuns, The Hare and Hounds, The Fox and The Plough at Ford. I'm sorry. I'm just not going into a place called The Slug and Lettuce.
So it was with considerable reluctance that Susan and I wandered into this new restaurant billed as The Ravenous Pig: An American Gastropub. I was also a bit ticked off that Susan had chickened out yet again from going to may favorite dirty Mexican restaurant, P.R.'s Taco Palace. As soon as we pulled up in front of P.R's, I heard this, "can't we go someplace else?"
But, boy are we glad we did give the new place a try. No sooner than we hit the door than I noticed a familiar face behind the bar. OK, I'm predictable. It was Anderson, my favorite Disney bartender last seen at The Flying Fish Café a couple of years ago. He left to run the bar at the Season's 52 in Altamonte Springs--a northeast suburb of Orlando (if you think Winter Park is far from Disney Property...)
Luckily, the tables were all taken and there was an hour and a half wait. Dang it...stuck eating at the bar again. Anderson, the bartender really knows his stuff, is quite anxious to talk your ear off but is also quite willing to leave you alone, knows his wine and he was in good form. I really like a good bartender who knows his wine and his customers and just pours you a glass of something he thinks you'll like. Susan had a new addition to their wine list--a chardonnay called Four Hearts that was excellent.
Anderson may know his wine but I was wary of the menu and headed over to the "pub menu" where I found a burger. Pubs generally don't mess up hamburgers. Susan wanted a starter and suggested we share the scallops. Now I'm a bit of a scallop snob and I rarely order them unless I'm really confident of the restaurant. So I just asked for some bread.
Well, the scallops were beyond dandy. They were juicy and not too big, came in a light sauce and were served with small bits of cauliflower. Sounds weird but they were yummy beyond description. The bread turned out to be biscuits loaded with cheese and they were the best I've ever had---and I'm from Kentucky where biscuits are considered a vegetable.
I had the pub burger which was absolutely excellent and cooked perfectly. It was a bit too covered with blue cheese which I think can overpower a moose but I'd get it again--but with a different cheese. But here's the really good part: the burger came with truffle fries. They were served in a large glass tumbler which is just flat odd, but, by golly, they definitely had a truffle flavor which meant Susan and I were fighting for them---after I emptied them from the glass onto my plate. Andy said they used truffle salt. Never heard of it but I'd like to find some!!
Susan had the mussels which she thought were fantastic. I don't do mussels so all I can say is that she's a mussel snob and I trust her judgment.
I switched from white to red wine and I can't recall what I had. I just told Andy I wanted something with a Cabernet grape. As usual, he delivered but I sadly can't recall what it was.
Let me also say something about the clientele. First of all, not a tourist in sight and we really found the people there refreshing. We sat next to a seriously interesting couple. They were a bit older but were very interested in Susan's business as well as Owner's Locker. On the other side of us was a younger couple who were interesting as well. There was quite a cross section of people there but nothing approaching a pick up joint, if you know what I mean.
It's so nice to go to a place you've never been to and feel comfortable. So I'll definitely go back and if I ever meet the owners, I'll congratulate them on snagging Anderson and I'll suggest they seriously consider changing the name...or at least quit calling it a gastropub.
The Ravenous Pig: An American Gastropub, is located at 1234 N. Orange Avenue in Winter Park. You can't really read the menus on their website but it doesn't matter. I think it's worth a drive. And if you couple it with some shopping in Winter park or a visit to the Morse Museum, it's well worth the trip.
and here's a review from Orlando Weekly which I think is a bit lame.
and one from the Orlando Sentinel which is a bit better, but not much.
JDVM
www.ownerslocker.com
