A Fine Culinary Experience
Whenever I decide to review a restaurant, the inspiration to do it can come from the most unlikely of places. In this case, it was the box office at the FedExForum where I work my second job. Actually, that last sentence is a bit of a misnomer, because I've had the "second job" much longer than my primary revenue source. Because of my full-time job, I can only work evenings at the FedExForum while many of my coworkers are available throughout the day. A lot of times, there aren’t any "seller" positions left when I arrive at the box office which in turn gets me reassigned to another job. Occasionally, I'm assigned to the "will call" section that is responsible for issuing reserved tickets to arena events. As this relates to this review, I was working this assignment on the day I met Andrew Ticer, one of the chefs/owners (along with Michael Hudman) of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. For some reason, I envisioned him as a pudgy, middle-aged guy like Emeril Lagasse or local chef Kelly English, not a young, good-looking fit man straight out of central casting. Upon meeting him, I thought of TV food shows like "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" that feature up-and-coming chefs and innovative restaurants serving unique dishes. Mr. Ticer, with his hippie-like long hair, struck me as a wunderkind that a TV producer might (and probably will) take interest in. Although my lowly blog will never obtain the stature of the Travel Channel, meeting Ticer (and handing him his Grizzlies tickets) inspired me to visit Hog and Hominy, the "Italian Kitchen's" lower-priced sister restaurant.
Hog and Hominy serves a hybrid of Italian and Southern dishes, specializing in pizza and small plates. In my opinion, the restaurant is a combination of a classic pizzeria like Aldo's Pizza Pies and a Southern eatery (McEwen's comes to mind). Hog & Hominy has a unique menu that demonstrates the creativity of the owners, such as beef heart with Vidalia kimchee, and biscuit gnocchi, something that sounds wacky (as in Foghorn Leghorn meeting the Mario Brothers) but is probably very good. In venturing into the menu, I got the Buffalo Pork Tails, which is an offshoot of traditional buffalo wings. Compared to them, the nuggets of pig tail are just as savory as wings from places like Kelvin's Hot Wings (which moved to Millington, news that should have been issued through its Twitter account). The sauce has a nice balance of peppery spices and vinegar for a moderately spicy taste that is very good. The pig tail is garnished with shreds of celery leaves and fried pig ears that has the same texture and taste of bacon. It seems like the guys at Hog and Hominy have some "black" in them when it comes to making the most out of what they have. Now before you accuse me of playing the dreaded "race card," what I'm saying is that Hog and Hominy are adhering to the "Soul Food" tradition of using unconventional pieces of meat (as in scraps similar to what African-American slaves ate) to make dishes that are not only palatable, but delicious. It's this kind of creativity that separates Hog and Hominy from most restaurants and will probably be the foundation for its long-term success.
SIDE NOTE: By the way, I know that poverty isn't the sole province of black people, as Granny and her "vittles" can attest to.
After having the Buffalo Pork Tails, I moved on to the main course, the pizza. I didn't know what I wanted, even after reading reviews on Foursquare and Urbanspoon (it folded into Zomato, which isn't blogger-friendly). I was at a loss on what to order even though most recommended The Red Eye. In a leap of faith, I settled on The Prewitt because it had something that I never had before, boudin sausage. Generally, most boudin consists of pork (I know what you're thinking, "duh") but beyond that, other ingredients depend on where you get it. Assuming that the sausage was made in-house (or at Porcellino's, Andrew and Michael's butcher shop that's adjacent to the restaurant) with locally sourced ingredients, my guess is that the boudin has pork liver, rice and pork heart stuffed in it. Boudin in the United States (especially in Louisiana) has that combination along with seasoning for added flavor. Bottom line, the boudin (along with the Fortina cheese) stood out in the brick oven-cooked pizza that I enjoyed every bite of. The pizza also has scrambled eggs on it, but the boudin was so good that I barely noticed anything else on the pizza. Overall, The Prewitt is an outstanding pizza that I want to have again.
While I ate my pizza, I thought about one menu item that people were raving about: Hog and Hominy's "collards" as in collard greens. I was going to pass on them but a recommendation from Memphis' other black food blogger (who lives in New York), Tiffany Langston of Tiffany Tastes, convinced me into getting a bowl of greens. I'm glad I did, for the "collards" are exceptionally good. Unlike most places not named "Mama's house," many restaurants serve greens that aren't appealing in terms of smell and taste. Hog and Hominy's collards have a good aroma to it with a taste that has a strong vinegar-like presence with just enough salt and black pepper to liven it up. I'm not sure if any "hog" is in H & H's recipe, but there is hominy in it that adds a nice, complementing touch to the greens. Summing it up, Hog and Hominy's collard greens are the best I've had outside of my family and is on a short list with The Little Tea Shop (who has the best turnip greens I ever had) as places to go whenever I need a "greens" fix.
SIDE NOTE: I know this is late, but I want to wish a belated Happy Mother's Day to all the ladies who are the backbone of families. If you haven't done it lately, tell and show your Mom how much you love her. I'm sure it will mean a lot to her.
After having a well-rounded meal at Hog and Hominy, I left with a great impression of the place. Given what I had, I'm confident in saying that the restaurant is excellent and I recommend it to anyone looking for an awesome culinary experience. The menu is creative and utilizes locally sourced meats and vegetables to provide high quality meals to its customers. To go along with the food, the restaurant has an extensive alcohol menu for those who enjoy their libations. That includes a beer selection that excludes domestics like Bud Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon in favor of premium craft brews (I started off with an Abita Andygator that gave me a really nice buzz). Overall, Hog and Hominy is an awesome restaurant and if you haven't been there yet, you are missing out. Go there!
Website: www.HogAndHominy.com
1 Comments
Great detail on this post! Awesome read and cool pictures of the food. I have never been to Hog and Hominy but I look forward to making a trip soon. Thanks for sharing!
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