The Salty Pig

Boston and Cambridge are simply teeming with new restaurants! With marathon training in full swing (I ran almost 9 yesterday!), I am trying to cook more at home and to eat more healthily, so I have not been as up on my restaurant visits as I normally am. Plus, there are so many new Boston restaurants, I feel like I can’t keep up!

Last week I met up with Megan for an event, and after we decided to check one of the restaurants off of our lists. It was a warm December night, and we walked to The Salty Pig, located across from the Back Bay MBTA stop.

Despite the crowd we encountered at The Salty Pig, we were seated pretty much immediately at a high top, communal table near the bar.

While we scanned the menu, trying to decide on meats and cheeses to share, I sipped on a glass of Verdejo. The Salty Pig definitely gets a thumbs up for its beer and wine lists which are diverse and offer some interesting choices.

Watching the action in the open kitchen, including the slicing of tons of raw onions on to a pizza, provided entertainment and warmth. I’d say my only complaint about the restaurant was that it was too warm.

We decided to take advantage of the opportunity to create our own tasting board. Our board included:

Hot Soppressata, Citterio, USA

Pork Rillettes

Speck, Alto Adige, ITA

Reading Raclette, Reading, VT

Balsamic Onion Jam

A Pumpkin Ginger Spread

Basque Peppers

And some other cheeses that I can not recall, but I enjoyed them! Megan?

Eating little bites is such a great way to dine with a friend. Over more wine and this fresh and flavorful variety of meats, cheeses, and condiments, we had a great time catching up. And while the Pork Rillettes were my favorite (along with the homemade pickles, of course!), I really loved everything. You could tell that there is a great attention to detail to the ingredients chosen at The Salty Pig. When you eat so simply, the ingredients have to be good!

My husband arrived toward the end of our meal, and he ordered meatballs and salad to go. I promptly snagged a meatball when we got home, and I have to say that they were some of the best meatballs I have ever eaten. Even the salad, dressed in a nice balsamic vinaigrette, was really good. I have a feeling we will be dining at The Salty Pig again soon!

Have you tried any new restaurants lately, or do you have a wish list?

Mine is SO long: Hawthorne, Kika, Trade, Sweet Cheeks, Casa B, Bondir. . . and on and on and on.