In Praise of the Pig

I think I may be turning into a foodie. Since I have so many accrued vacation days, and no budget to actually go away anywhere, I took today off specifically to have brunch with Joel and Suresh at The Hoof Cafe.

I'd been eager to try the suckling pig benny since I saw it on the board the last time I visited the Hoof (okay, it was also the first time), especially after trying the pork belly, also from a suckling pig. The boys wanted me to try a few of the brunch items, so we also got the Ploughman's Lunch and the pastrami to share. The pastrami was gorgeous, tender and flavourful, with a sweet glaze that went well with the saltiness of the pork. Sadly, by the time I finished my dish, I was too full to have much of the charcuterie, but the cheese was delish.

The sucking pig benny did not disappoint. Tender, savoury pieces of pulled pork, topped with an unf**ked with hollandaise, all atop a light, fluffy biscuit. The portion size was more than enough for me. I still wasn't hungry 6 hours later. I have to admit, the sides didn't wow me though. The salad was agressively salted, and the puffed pork rinds were surprisingly bland. I did however, get a taste of Joel's onion ring and that I could definitely have a basket of. Normally with onion rings, I can't have more than 3 before I start removing the breading to get at the sweet onion. Not an issue with these rings, as they are very lightly and crisply breaded, leaving the onion as the star.

This was another memorable meal from the good folks at the Hoof, and I'll definitely be back to try the french toast that's been gaining such rave reviews. Nice running into Christopher from Union too. I need more days like these.