The Ravenous Pig - Winter Park

"Your reputation precedes you." As we made our way to The Ravenous Pig in Winter Park I couldn't help but think of that saying. Ever since this place opened up it has been noted as one of Central Florida's must try eateries. Word of mouth spread like wild fire, all positively glowing reviews. In fact, while dining at the very well received Kress Chophouse, our server told us that "The Pig" was her favorite place to eat in town. It was high time we made it over for a first-hand taste. We swung through on a Saturday night, right around 5 when we pulled up to the valet. It's complimentary (especially if you're a miser like me and don't tip...EVER) and located in the brick-lined alley right next to the entrance. You can't miss it, just look for the murals of beef and pork cuts. Now, if you plan on heading out on Saturday or Sunday you'll wanna make sure to call ahead well in advance. I was informed that the dining area gets booked solid on the weekends very regularly. However, we were going to have a few drinks and watch some March Madness over on the pub side of the restaurant, so we were able to slide in at the bar right away. As we plopped down the friendly bartender gave us our menus and two bowls filled with snacks. "It's your lucky day, " he told us. "What's usually just popcorn is actually caramel corn mixed with sweet-glazed pecans tonight." Well, aren't we off to a smashing start? I ordered a pint and took a look at the menu and our surroundings. A very modern selection complimented the very modern interior. There were assorted works of art strapped flat against the ceilings on the pub side, the vibe on the dining side was very open and airy...airy? Is that a word? I think you catch my rift. The whole place has a very relaxed feel to it, despite the busy wait staff rushing food from kitchen to table. The lighting in the pub area was a little dark, but not so bad that you can't see the drink you're trying to dump roofies in. It felt cozy what with all the bottles of wine resting behind the draft taps and all. The dining area was very bright with simple light fixtures dangling and windows allowing the beaming rays of the late afternoon sun to brighten up the room. We decided to start with an appetizer--Pub Fare as it is noted on their menu. After a little debate, we tried the House-made Soft Pretzels (winning just by a nose over the trio of Lobster Tacos). What a treat...the soft, doughy pretzels were perfect parts crispy/buttery crust and chewy/warm insides. What really made this appetizer work though, was the dipping sauces it came with. A very intense house mustard alongside their taleggio-porter fondue. Heaven. Straight up Heaven. The Cheese was soft and mild, while the mustard was bold and basically cleared your sinuses like a mouthful of horseradish...just the way I like it. When it came time to order our entrees, I went with the Roasted Duck Breast. It came on a bed of heirloom carrots, one smoked potato peirogi (extra large) and some cipollini onions, all dressed with their red wine jus. The Steak Frittes with truffle fries was also ordered, as well as the Maine Lobster tail. For as bustling as the dining and pub area were, it was only a short wait before our food arrived. The duck was so succulent I was cutting it with my fork. I was able to snag a bite of the steak fritte and lobster too before they were all gobbled up--top notch. The duck was crispy but just fell off the bone as you cut into it. The meat was cooked perfectly and the portion was just-right. The smoked pierogi was huge, almost the same size as an empanda! Inside we find the rich texture of potatoes and cheese. It tasted like the finest Gouda was swimming in mash. The steak fritte was delicious, the flavor of the char on the outside mixed with the tender middle, perfection...but lets not skip to the lobster yet. Someone has to tell you about these truffle fries. Cut shoestring style and served in a pint glass; between the serving size and taste--it was as if 5 Guys was transformed into 5 star dining. The thinly cut potatoes were overflowing from the glass, how lucky for us...how lucky for us all. The salty, crispy morsels were some of the best tasting fries I've had in a while. The lobster was delicate and flavorful as well, served with glazed radishes and lobster foam (lobster foam?). I'm not going to front and act like I can compare this lobster to all the others I have enjoyed in my life--in fact I could probably count on one hand how many times I've enjoyed this dish. That said, this was still a great selection and I would highly recommend it. If you should happen to go to the RP, order the lobster and hate it...you can call me a liar. At the end of the night after the bill was delivered: many drinks, appetizer and 5 entrees--we got outta there right around $200.00. Steep you might say but thinking about it, I spent $15.00 on dinner for 2 at Krystals not long ago. By my guesstimate, that would be just about congruent to what we spent over at "The Pig."

So, did this place live up to the hype? Mos Def. And I'm glad! My buddy Tyler works there. I reckon I would've had to give him a hard time for being employed by a poseur had it not. Throw in the fact that they regularly have whole pig feasts and we also saw an advertisement on their chalk board for a lamb roast coming up in April. Thanks for the excuse to go back sooner than later!

The Ravenous Pig. Great name, great food.

1234 N. Orange Ave.(between Orlando and Denning)
Winter Park, FL 32789
Phone: (407) 628-2333
Email: info@theravenouspig.com

4 Rivers (4R) Smokehouse - Winter Park

When you think of good barbecue, a few cities may come to mind: Memphis, TN--Austin, TX--St. Louis, MO--Winter Park, FL???

You read it right...word on the street was, this little hole in the wall on Fairbanks Ave. was slinging slathered sandwiches, dinner platters and delicious home-cooked sides to a line out the door all day every day. So, I finally made the trek out to taste for myself.

Before I make with the food critique, lemme just tell this to you straight...I am not, and have never claimed to be, a BBQ expert. I love all sorts of sauces, be it tangy and sweet or make you cry, hot. This also goes for meat--brisket, pulled pork, baby-back ribs, it's all good. So I don't want you to think I have any type of expertise on the subjacue at hand. That noted, I can rightfully say that Bubbalou's, to me, is pretty 'meh' when it comes to their meals. Same goes for Sonny's. It's like comparing a McDonald's burger to one from 5 guys. Sure they're both tasty, and I won't turn it down--but given a choice, I'd prefer the latter. This, my enemies, is whereabouts I place 4 Rivers' product. A superior sauce and meat, with sides that taste like you got them at a family picnic, not out of a buffet style chafing dish. So take my words with a dollop of sauce, lump it or lather it. This is what I think about a smokehouse named 4R.

As you're driving west down Fairbanks Ave...coming from 17-92, you might find yourself wondering, what's with all the people standing around that wooden-looking building? Take a right and pull into the parking lot out back. As you make your way to the door, you pass by the outside dining area, which is actually the only dining area...then you wait. This place is so popular, that it is not uncommon to have to stand outside for a while before you can make it in to order. Feel like getting a leg up on the pack? Call in ahead of time, that might shave off a few minutes. Supply and demand in all its glory folks--sure this place wants to feed you, but you have to be patient...because EVERYBODY wants in on this.

There were 3 or 4 people already waiting outside of the door to get in when we walked up to the take-out window. We gave them our name and order details and luckily, as we timed it quite well, only had to wait a few minutes before our bag of sop-loving barbecue was ready. Before we made off with the loot though, I wanted to give this place a better look.

Stepping inside it was immediately evident that this place was not an eating establishment before. The waiting/ordering area was about the size of an apartment's kitchen and the line snaked up one wall, against the cold drinks on the far side, then back toward the exit. Maybe 15 or so people could be in there at any given time. If you are in a hurry, this place isn't for you. Your patience needs to be not unlike the delicious sauces and slow-smoked meats that are awaiting your tongue's pallet...remember, good things come to those who wait.

The staff was friendly, despite the fact they were crazy-busy. While we were there, I saw about 5-6 people darting around behind the prep line and a few others walking around making sure the dining area was clean and had plenty of napkins. I ordered, as recommended, a pulled pork sandwich with a side of mac and cheese and BBQ beans. They have all sorts of other sides to choose from, but my friend told me these, although typical, were not to be missed. There are many other items on the menu that looked equally amazing, specifically the Texas Destroyer sandwich and The Smokehouse Prime Rib sandwich, which comes doused in homemade horseradish.

I got outta there, no drink, for less than 8 bucks...add a tip and you're still getting outta there without burning a ten spot. So the price is definitely nice. If you want to add a huge piece of cake or an order of chocolate awesomeness (yes, that really is the name) for dessert, that's only gonna add a few more dollars, plus the portion is hefty, plenty to share.

When we got home, it was time to see what all the hub barb was about...got my meal all ready to eat and dove in. The pulled pork was juicy and tender, not to mention ample! The poor bun had its work cut out for it, trying to maintain its integrity against the forces of the meat and sauce. We had some extra regular and hot barbecue on the side for dipping, both were quite complimentary. The hot barb wasn't so bad that it'd make you sweat, but it definitely gave you a touch of that lame thing Emeril does. Okay so the sandwich is good, but a meal can live or die on its side items--so lets see what's going on with this mac and cheese. Straight up, killer. It wasn't your typical style of mac and cheese (although, I do love it) this was your homemade, cheesy mac and cheese. Big, fat, elbow macaroni noodles choking for dear life because of the cheese's suffocating grip on each one. Creamy and tasty, the noodles were cooked perfectly...nothing worse than overcooked noodles. Am I right? Am I right? This guy knows what I'm talking about. After the mac and cheese we had the barbecue baked beans...good LAWD--tell'em Uncle Jesse. This was almost like a whole other meal in itself. The sauce, was rich and deep. The beans must've been loving life, just chilling in a vat of that thick, dark goodness. There were smoky flavors, sweet flavors, some tid bits of meat in there too. I think you probably coulda put the beans on a hoagie and made a sandwich out of them alone!

4 Rivers for me, was an eye opening experience. I was always under the impression that in order to get good seafood, you need to be close to the ocean, if you want good pastries, you need to be at a bakery before noon and if you want good barbecue, you need to be in Texas or Mizzou or one of those fine BBQ states, not so. Debunked. Good barb can be served in the middle of the hoity-toityest part of Orlando. Slather on friendly service, affordable pricing and a fine selection of new and old BBQ standards and you got yourself, well...a place where you will need to be patient cuz the line--it's out the door.

4R Smokehouse
Hours: M-T 11am-8pm/Friday and Saturday 11am-9pm/Closed Sunday
Address: 2103 West Fairbanks Orlando FL ~ 407-474-8377 Fax: 321.972.5641
http://4rbbq.com/index.php