Bites: Restaurant Report: The Piggy in Walker, Minn.

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 04 September 2013 | 17.35

Robert Lillegard

Pulled pork, beans and coleslaw at The Piggy.

Walker, a classic resort town in the heart of Minnesota's lake country (population: 1,000) is exactly the sort of place you'd expect to find pine trees, sandy beaches, plentiful fishing opportunities and nighttime campfires. But thanks to one Steve Blake, you can add a more surprising delight to that list: Kansas City-style barbecue.

As the chief executive of a car dealership group in Kansas City, Kan., Mr. Blake dreaded retirement. So he went from chef to chef learning how to cook barbecue, and spent long weekends back home in Walker selling his wares from a food truck. In May 2012, he and his wife, Kathy, opened The Piggy next to a pawnshop and across the street from a hunting and fishing store. His two small smokers are constantly running, and leftovers are nonexistent.

"I don't have a cooler to put this in," Mr. Blake said, gesturing to a smoker loaded with meat. "I need to sell out every day."

And he does; no surprise there. On a recent visit, the flavors and textures of hickory-smoked pork back ribs evolved as I ate. I wrestled for the briefest of moments with a chewy spot on the edge, bit through the pink, smoky middle, and was rewarded with a bursting pocket of fat. The sauce — thick, sweet and tomatoey, with sharp notes of vinegar and chile — is optional; the rust-red dry rub provided enough spicy flavor.

Most dishes are equally hearty. Pulled pork comes in still-pink shards, with a gentle but appealing bite at the edges. The brisket is tender but not overly fatty, with a clean, robust beef flavor.

The best dish, though, may have been a side: corn bread. It's rich and moist, like a cross between Bundt cake and bread pudding. Studded with sweet kernels of corn and deeply buttery, it's better than corn bread has any right to be.

By the time my lunch was over, the room, which features log furniture and paintings of lighthouses and canoes, felt like a family reunion. A young boy in a hockey sweatshirt sipped spicy, custom-made root beer out of a frosted mug while men in baseball caps munched on pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw.

At the front door, Ms. Blake was warning about an hour wait, but that didn't seem to deter new arrivals. And in the kitchen, her husband was slicing up the next meal, far from Kansas City but right at home. 

The Piggy, 607 Minnesota Avenue West, Walker, Minn.; (218) 547-6465; thepiggybbq.com. Dinner for two, without drinks or tip, is about $25.


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