Pig's Head at Alla Spina, Philadelphia

Redneckhunter's brother came to visit and flew into Philadelphia airport, so we picked him up and immediately took him to Alla Spina for dinner. We sat in the "lounge" area, and the whole place was an entirely different atmosphere from brunch.  Much more bar-like with low lights, low-key hip-hop.

As soon as the waitress (the same one we had at brunch incidentally) told us that night's special was a pig's head for 2 served with thick cut toast and a blueberry reduction, we all knew what we were having for dinner.

We got that along with some starters -- homemade pretzels (served in a wooden cute piggy bowl) with beer cheese dipping sauce, rabbit terrine, and poutine with guinea hen ragu. The prices were similar to the brunch prices, so totally reasonable. Redneckhunter and his brother naturally ordered some sampling flights, and we settled in.

The starters were good (if I would have one complaint, it would be that I wished there were more cheese curds on the poutine), but the pig's head was absolutely heavenly!  The meat was falling off tender, juicy, with just enough gooey cartilage to be delicious but not fatty.  It went well with the wonderful sticky gooey sweet and tartness of the blueberry reduction. Even the toast was buttery and divine. I picked that poor piglet's head apart, but it was the perfect size for 3 people to share. 

Alla Spina
1410 Mt Vernon St
Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-600-0017

Alla Spina, Philadelphia

Sorry for the long absence in posting!  We're hoping to get more out and about in the spring.  We did have a great meal recently at Alla Spina, part of the Vetri family of restaurants in Philly. We pretty much wanted to eat everything on the menu, so did our best to sample as much as we could among 5 people.

We started with the testina hash poutine (pig head, french fries, mozzarella curd and sunny side up eggs) and donuts as starters.  The soft runny eggs on the poutine were the perfect addition to the Quebecoise classic, and the pig's head has was slightly crispy and very porky.  The donuts (a mix of 3 flavors) were disappointing though.

Redneckhunter and J. happily did a tasting flight of 3 beers - I could not even begin to remember the names, but there was one nice sour raspberry Belgian that even I liked!

K. got a tasty bloody mary, but D. and I were disappointed in our "mocktails." Not only were they very small considering their $5 price tag, but my basil spritz barely had any basil flavor.

But then the entrees came.  I got the alla spina gnocchi (with porcini mushrooms and tallegio).   Wow - such amazingly soft pillows of deliciousness.  Marc Vetri does know how to make great gnocchi - I remember fondly the brown butter spinach gnocchi we had at Vetri. 

K. got a beautiful smoked salmon salad - those soft-boiled eggs look amazing don't they?

Redneckhunter opted, of course, for their spin on his beloved biscuits and gravy -- these were sage biscuits with veal ragu and poached eggs.

D. got pancakes made of squash with bacon-maple syrup and walnut butter, and J. got  the “necci crespelle” chestnut crepe, honey, breakfast sausage and over easy eggs.

We also shared a side order of cheesy parmigiana polenta.

After another tasting flight of beer by Redneckhunter and J. and an after-brunch Negroni cocktail (that no one else liked), it was time for dessert. 

D. ordered the "choco taco" and Redneckhunter got the donut bread pudding. 


As J. put it, this place would be very dangerous to the wallet if it were in our neighborhood...

Alla Spina
1410 Mt. Vernon St.
Philadelphia, PA 19130
P: 215-600-0017

Mile End, Brooklyn

After wandering Boerum Hill for a while, we had worked up enough appetite to eat at Mile End, the Jewish-Canadian delicatessen (named after Montreal's traditionally Jewish newly hip neighborhood).

We had a big group so 6 of decided to order a bunch of dishes and share. We started out with chopped liver, served with onion relish, egg, and a "pletzel."  Even those unsure of whether they'd like liver thought it was delicious.  The onion and egg went nicely with the liver.  The "pletzel" was like an everything foccacia (not pretzel-like was we were expecting). 

Next up we had the Deli Meat Board - that day's selection was turkey rillette, duck proscuitto, and salami served with toast and apricot preserves.  All the house-cured meats were excellent.

Then came the lamb's tongue with onion raisin marmalade, served on pumpernickel toast with horseradish.  I didn't really taste the horseradish, which was fine with me. The pumpernickel had lots of great rye flavor which went well with the sweetness of the marmalade.  I think they really have a knack for not only preparing the meats well, but pairing them with great flavor combinations.

Our next dish was Veal Sweetbreads with pecan butter, concord grape jelly, apple and chili.  Of course deep-fried sweetbreads are always delicious, but again, it was the sauces and toppings that made the dish stand out.  Concord jelly with pecan butter - like schpanky PB&J -- with crisp spicy apples on top - who would think of such combinations?!  Somehow it worked!

Our last small plate was warm chanterelle salad with radicchio, chevre noir, and maple walnut vinaigrette - the mushrooms were perfect and worked well with the crunch of the radicchio - another great dish.

Then came our mains.  My friend Tricia ordered her own main which was the Hoyt Dog (named for the restaurant's address on Hoyt Street).  It was a house made beef frankfurter with smoked meat baked beans, and sauerkraut.  The beans were excellent - the meat to bean ratio was heavily meaty - and very satisfying.

Brian chose the Trout served on top of smoked trout bisque, with pickled mustard, horseradish.  I only got a small taste of this, but it was nice.

We all dug into the Smoked Meat Deluxe.  By this point, after so much food, we just dispensed of the bread and dug into the meat in the sandwich (pictured above).  Poutine came with it on the side.  Not as good as Montreal (the cheese curds got a bit too melty in my opinion, so there wasn't that nice texture contrast of chewy cheese, creamy gravy, and crisp fries), but I can't complain too much - it was still delicious.

Mile End
97a Hoyt Street
Brooklyn, NY
718.852.7510

Poutine at La Cantine Bistro Boutique, Montreal

Before this trip to Montreal, I found a blog Poutine Pundit, that rates their fav poutine places in Quebec, NYC and around the world. Their favorite poutine was at Montreal's Le Cantine Bistro Boutique, so one late night, Fougoo and I went.
Their iteration of this Quebecois classic is particular in that the gravy has Szechuan peppercorn. It arrives with a beautiful presentation, in a mason jar. However, per Poutine Pundit's recommendation, we removed all the contents from that jar quickly so the fries do not get soggy.
The result was spectacular: crispy fries, squeaky fresh cheese curds, and wonderfully flavored only mildly spicy gravy. It was one of the best versions of poutine I've ever had.

212 Avenue du Mont-Royal Est
Montreal, QC
(514)750-9800

Our Annual Au Pied De Cochon Dinner & The Tête De Cochon

Fougoo, Redneckhunter & I have loved our dinners at Montreal's Au Pied De Cochon going on for 4 years now. This year, we rounded up a several cousins from NYC to join us, which meant. . . more food!
I've had been eying the Tête de Cochon on their menu since we started planning our Montreal visit, so even though the APDC menu said it was a dish designed for 2, I knew that if we had 6, we would be able to tackle it.
More on that later. We started with a set of foie gras cromesquis - the deep fried cubes of liquid foie gras. You just pop the whole piece in your mouth, and when you bite, it's a wonderful splash of foie gras.


This year, we opted to not have wine with dinner. Instead Redneckhunter and Stacey ordered APDC's own house beer, while Xtine and I ordered some cocktails. We both a lemon-lime slush with vodka, and I ordered a very fresh raspberry mojito- both great for the heat of July.

Of course, it was imperative we order our compulsory plate of foie gras poutine- duck fat fries, foie gras gravy, fresh local cheese curds, and a slab of seared foie gras. It still is a perfect summation of APDC's outrageous take of Quebecois food.

We shared a very generous order of beef tartare. It was good, not quite as good as the one we had at Le Quartier Général earlier in the weekend, but good.

To prevent meat overload, Stacey wanted us to order some veggies, so we got a cone of wonderful deep fried zucchini blossoms.


Redneckhunter wanted again this year to get APDC's plateau of fresh seafood. I would say this year's platter was better than last year's. It was loaded with items like oysters, clams, mussels, razor clam, small snails, squid, conch, and fried cod. It came with housemade tartar and mignonette sauces.

Picking the small snails out of their shells with a toothpick reminded me of eating snails at a Chinese restaurant when I was young.

Since it was the first time for a few members of our dinner party, we ordered the Duck in a Can.
It's presented with a piece of toast and celery root puree on a plate. Then, the can is brought tableside. It is loaded with duck, foie gras, cabbage cooked with lardons, and a balsamic venison-based glaze.

The can has been heated, and is opened up a tableside and it's contents are poured onto the plate.
The combination of all those flavors and textures are just so spectacular. We did not get this the last time we ate at APDC, so it was like the return of an old friend.


A repeat from last year's visit was the APDC Lobster Roll. Served up in a toasted brioche, it was packed with lobster, cheese curds, lettuce, mayo with pieces of foie gras on top drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

The last entree was the Tête de Cochon. It is the whole head of a small pig slow roasted with herbs. Our was accompanied by a large lobster, it's head stuck in the pig's mouth, and then the pig's tongue sticking from the lobster's head. To the side was a pot of low cooked root vegetables and the generous lobster tail. Slathered over the eyes of the pig like a blindfold was APDC mashed potatoes, made with large amounts of cheese curds.

The meat from the pig's head was so tender, the gentlest push of a fork would peel off the meat and skin. Everyone got to try the wonderful cheeks, jowls, and ears. Redneckhunter & I both had an eye- which had the texture of a firm gelee with a small pop like a pea on the inside. The flavor was all pork- so good.
At first we figured that they surely would not leave the brain in, but no, APDC had served the pig's head in it's entirety. We dug into the delicious brain which had the consistency of egg yolk or firm tofu. Xtine was hesitant to try it, but once she did, she had seconds.
As you can see, we picked the whole skull clean. I think we may have terrified people near our table especially when we devoured the brain.

We certainly could not leave without dessert. We ordered the Dark Chocolate 'Pot de crème', the pecan pie, and an item we have not had since our first dinner there, the Pudding Chômeur.
Fougoo mentioned that she had eaten so much food our first trip up, that she had no recollection of trying the Pudding Chômeur, but since she paced herself well this night, she really enjoyed it. It is basically a hot maple syrup soup with a biscuit floating in it- a classic Quebecois dessert.

We hope next time we go up to Au Pied De Cochon to get the lamb for 4. Can't wait.


536 ave Duluth est
Montréal, QC H2L 1A9
(514) 281-1114

La Belle Province, Montreal

After grazing a little at the Marche Atwater in Montreal, we met up with our cousins from NYC who were hungry after a long wait at the US-Canada border.
We went to La Belle Province, a diner a block from the market for a snack. I ordered their poutine. Their version was solid- great fresh cheese curds and tasty gravy.

Redneckhunter tried their version of the Michigan hotdog. We had heard that the Montreal versions of the Michigan sauce were a little more runny than the ones in Plattsburgh. This was true in this case.
Stephen ordered a wonderfully fatty smoked meat sandwich. Xtine got a pogo, which basically was a corn dog.

3001, Rue Notre-Dame Ouest
Montreal, QC
(514) 931-2574

Lunch at Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia, MD

Poutine- the word takes me back to cold nights in Montreal getting fat on fries smothered in beef gravy with melting fresh cheese curds all sticky and gooey when you pull the fries up one by one.
It's a lot harder to find places who serve this dish in the area, so when I read that Columbia, MD's Victoria Gastro Pub had a version using duck fat fries, duck gravy, pieces of duck confit, & gruyere cheese, it warranted a visit. While gruyere is no substitute for curds, the Victoria poutine is still pretty good. The duck gravy has a more subtle flavor to it.
While eating lunch there, I also tried the very rich lobster grilled cheese that had brie in it. The sandwich was so decadent.
I also ate their Snake River Farms Kobe style burger with mushrooms & truffle cheese on a brioche roll. It was one tasty burger.

8201 Snowden River Parkway
Columbia, MD
(410)750-1880

Jack's Bistro, Baltimore

Redneckhunter and 1000yregg had gone to Jack's Bistro without me during one Baltimore Restaurant Week. But Redneckhunter, knowing that I would like the retro feel of the place, and craving foie gras poutine, wanted to go back.

This time around, we ordered everything off the small plates sections of the menu. We got The "Bacon + Egg"- and egg slow-poached at 147 degrees, fried pork belly, mushrooms with pig jus (above). Redneckhunter's perennial choice of chicken liver mousse topped with cognac and clarified butter and pickled onions (left).

We also got the Mac + Cheese + Chocolate -- an interesting mix though I got a little tired of the sweetness of the chocolate shavings. The cheese was nice and creamy though.

We also got a side order of the jalapeno bacon and gouda grits. And of course what Redneckhunter had been craving - the foie gras poutine.

It's not Au Pied de Cochon's (but then again, what is?) - obviously there's no slab of foie thrown on top - it's in the sauce instead, but when you can't drive up to Montreal, at least there's something closer...

Jack's Bistro
3123 Elliott Street
Baltimore, MD
410-878-6542