The Ravenous Pig

So, after weeks of hearing good reports and being curious, I finally put my money where my mouth is and hit The Ravenous Pig for dinner last Saturday night.

After reading and hearing about the hoards of people waiting hours for a table, I went ahead and called for ressies. I was ecstatic for my 6pm time (the other choice being 9pm); I figured we would beat the crowds and avoid the wait. The restaurant is located in WP where Za Bella (and then Popollo-but who ever went there?) was located. They’ve done some nice renovations on the inside-the atmosphere was very comfy and inviting.

We started with a bottle of Adami “Garbel” Prosecco just to celebrate, well, life I guess. My dinner companions and I decided to start the meal with a carb overload, so along with the house biscuits (super yummy with a hint of sweetness) we ordered the homemade pretzels from the bar menu. They were quite good, served with a grainy mustard and a taleggio-porter “fondue”.


My veg-friendly friend ordered the Forager and the Gatherer salads for her main course (as usual the only veg option being pasta. Or pretzels). The other meat eater and myself both got the Harris Ranch Ribeye, which is now offered as a single entrée. Unfortunately my entrée was a bit on the done side, so while another portion was being prepared I enjoyed my sides: a tomato tart, roasted fingerling potatoes, and fresh arugula. The tart was absolutely delicious. Large roasted tomatoes covered the savory tart and I quickly ate the entire thing.

I love having some greens with a nice cut of beef; I only would have liked just an inkling of a vinaigrette (or something of the sort) to go with the arugula. By the time I got a new ribeye, I was pretty much done eating, which was a good thing considering the condition of the second portion. I guess I was a bit like Goldilocks, this time the meat was really quite rare. No worries though, we enjoyed a bottle of the Santa Rita “Medalla Real” Cab 2004 from the Maipo region of Chile. (And yes, my entrée was comped.)


I often have people (ok, usually students) ask where the best desserts are in Orlando. I’m thinking they may actually be in WP. To continue with the theme of overindulgence, we ordered three desserts: the tart, the pudding and the cake and ice cream. Oh, and a bottle of the Schloss Wallhausen “Two Princes” 2006 Riesling from Nahe. The desserts immediately impressed me before I even tried them. It’s nice to see the thoughtfulness of multiple elements on a dessert plate. The pear tart was accompanied by a honey tuile (which held up well in the humidity), cinnamon ice cream, and a spoonful of Riesling granita. All were fantastic.


The chocolate-hazelnut bread pudding was a bit dry, but the with accompanying caramel ice cream (my personal fav) it was delicious. Lastly we had three mini chocolate cakes topped with a caramel buttercream and served with a mini coffee milkshake. It even had a mini straw!

I had a fantastic time at The Ravenous Pig. There was one glitch that was quickly fixed by the professional manager and our server was very amiable. I even liked the semi loud music. (Classic rock. I love eating to Queen.) The masses were certainly not there-why we were forced to such an early ressie is anyone’s guess. But I’m thrilled to have a new and imaginative menu being offered in town.