I’m not going to lie to you. Writing this review of our week 6 pizza date has been a teeth-gnashing, nail-biting, blood-pressure raising, anxiety producing exercise, and not just because of my natural tendency to procrastinate. (Although, let me be clear. That’s a factor, too). Not even my favorite daily five mg pill can attack the anxiety associated with reviewing an establishment that is so new and so trendy that it recently received national recognition on CNN’s list of best new pizza places across the US.
Our Week 6 destination, Pig Ate My Pizza, was recommended by friends both near and as far away as Indiana. Since I am a firm and lifelong subscriber to what I affectionately call “food porn” (restaurant reviews) and since I am not living under a rock, Pig Ate My Pizza was on my radar. Located just a few miles from our front door in my hometown of Robbinsdale, Pig Ate My Pizza is new on the scene and is definitely turning heads. From the clever name to the pork-centric menu, Pig Ate My Pizza is definitely transforming Robbinsdale from “Bird-town” to “Pig-town”!
Given the aforementioned press, I decided to do a little research prior to our pizza date night – and it’s a darned good thing I did. After learning that Pig Ate My Pizza doesn’t have a website but rather, relies on social media in the form of Facebook and Twitter to create a buzz about their food, I consulted Urban Spoon and Yelp for further pig intel. What I learned was that this pizza joint would likely test the limits of my aforementioned patience (or total lack thereof). Some reviewers mentioned wait times in excess of an hour (kill me) and others suggested that I plan to arrive early and stand in line to secure a seat. I am buying One Direction concert tickets or getting dinner? Wait in line?!? For a pizza?
I alerted the hubby to the popularity of Pig Ate My Pizza and the very real possibility of waiting upwards of an hour to get a seat, and against our better judgment, we left the house for dinner at 4:45 PM so we could be at Pig Ate My Pizza when they flung open the doors for dinner at 5 PM.
Pre-pizza mood Ratings:
Princess D: 7
Hubby: 7
We were both in fairly high spirits as we arrived at Pig Ate My Pizza. Because “Pig” is the site of the former Travail Kitchen & Amusements and is under the same ownership, I had a deep and abiding fear of being overrun by hipster doofuses and pretentious foodies. My research also warned me that “Pig” featured family-style seating, and as a party of two with a healthy disdain for my fellow humans, the idea of eating dinner with friends I hadn’t met yet was unappealing at best. However, in spite of these niggling fears, it was a beautiful Saturday and I looked forward to a pizza date with my beloved. His pre-pizza mood, although decent, was marred by a rough day at work.
Parking Situation:
A large parking lot with nice, wide parking spaces is conveniently located behind Pig Ate My Pizza, next to the McDonald’s. If you can figure out how to enter the parking lot, you’re in luck. There is some on-street parking in front of the restaurant as well. My pre-pizza investigating warned me that although there is a front door at Pig Ate My Pizza, you should plan to enter at the back, so we parked in the rear of the building. I wasn’t driving, but even I can handle parking in this joint. Bonus points for a nice parking lot, Pig!
Exterior Appearance:
While it’s entirely possible that the front of the building is quaint and welcoming, I didn’t get a good gander at it since we parked in back. The back isn’t much to look at. There’s some concrete, a door, a sign . . . and the night we were there, I was distracted by the line of people already waiting for the doors to open.
Entrance/Welcome: We stood in line with the other pizza zombies. At a few minutes after 5 PM, the door opened and a guy came out and said, “Sorry folks – we’re out of pizza!” Since he then laughed uproariously, we assumed it was a joke and we all filed through the door like sheep. It was very clear that we should follow the crowd, so we did. If you arrived later, I’m not sure it would be quite as obvious as there is not a host/hostess and if you enter through the back, you have to walk down a little windy hallway. We were promptly seated at the bar – not with friends we hadn’t met yet – and left to our own devices.
Interior Appearance:
If you are a pig-o-phile; a lover of the color pink; or a cross-stitch enthusiast, you are going to love this place. The interior of the restaurant, frankly, looks unfinished. There’s an open floor-plan that allows you to see what’s going on in the kitchen – because at “Pig”, the food is the entertainment. The menu is written on chalkboards on the walls, and there are pigs of various shapes and sizes everywhere. There is also a wall featuring beer mugs and it appears that repeat patrons are invited to bring their own mug to hang on the wall and drink out of in future visits. I didn’t really get the full gist of how that worked and didn’t have an opportunity to inquire. Perhaps you know and would like to explain it to me?
Clientele & Overall Vibe: This is a busy, bustling, loud place. After standing in line to get a seat, we were placed at the bar. We had a great view of what was going on all over the restaurant, but as the night went on, we couldn’t help but notice that there were people literally breathing down our necks, standing behind us at the bar, waiting for a table. The feeling of a stranger’s hot breath on your neck while you attempt to eat your dinner is not appetizing, FYI. The clientele was a mix of foodies (possibly of the pretentious variety – since it was so loud in there, I couldn’t judge or mock others to the extent I wanted to), hipsters, and people like us.
Wait staff: Everyone here is a chef, a server, a bartender, and a comedian. We were primarily served by the bartender, who was helpful in explaining the menu and making recommendations.
Menu Selection: Ok, gang . . . here’s the truth of the matter. While I definitely enjoyed our experience at Pig Ate My Pizza, it’s not exactly your traditional pizza parlor. It’s part charcuterie, part theater, part pizza joint. The food is definitely ‘pizza-like’ but it’s not your father’s pizza. In fact, if you didn’t know that you were eating pizza, you might be fooled into thinking you were in some kind of gourmet restaurant. “Pig’s” pizza is round and has a crust, but that’s where the similarity to regular pizza ends. You can choose from their signature dish, “Cider Ham Rules” or you can opt for a pork-heavy tasting menu. They also feature a wide selection of craft beers and wine.
The chalkboard menu describes the food but doesn’t really provide a lot of clues about portions – so be advised. What is advertised as a pizza is really more of a meal for one. Or a meal for two people if they are both on a diet, but if they were really on a diet, why would they be out eating pizza at someplace that features so much pork?
Food Wait Time: Like everything at Pig Ate My Pizza, you should be prepared to wait. This is a place that emphasizes quality, showmanship, and fun – and you have a front row seat to all of it. It takes about 30 minutes for your pizza to arrive.
Drumroll, please . . . the Pizza Itself:We didn’t realize that the pizzas were more of a meal for one, but we filled up on appetizers and ordered something called the “Piggy Pie”, which is Pig’s version of a deep dish pizza. Served on a crisp brioche-style crust (turns out the pan is greased with bacon fat), it features a tangy marinara sauce, topped with pulled pork shoulder, pork belly, bacon crumbles, and pepperoni. The cheese is a blend of mozzarella and asiago and maybe something else (my notes say “three cheese” but I didn’t get specific). Cut into small slices, it’s worth the wait. This is a pizza for almost all senses – it looks, smells, feels, and tastes amazing. Sadly, it’s not much to listen to or we’d be five for five on the senses.
Although it was a petite meal, maybe it was all that pig product; maybe it was the fat content; or maybe it was the Surly Furious I drank, but half of the Piggy Pie filled this little piggy up. I managed to choke down some dessert (also delicious and lovely to look at) though.
Price & Value: A night out at Pig Ate My Pizza isn’t cheap. Be prepared to drop $50+ on dinner. This was our most expensive pizza date at just under $60 and we didn’t even have leftovers! Did the pig also eat my wallet? Perhaps.
Waiting for the Check:
We were ready to hit the road – particularly since we were being circled by vultures who were desperate for our seats. We did have to request the check but upon request, it came quickly and we were able to make a hasty escape to the car.
Post-Pizza Mood:
Pig Ate My Pizza is definitely an experience. We left with plans to return – next time, to tackle one of the tasting menus. We left at a mood of 8, but in agreement that Pig Ate My Pizza is really more of a culinary journey than a pizza date.
Bottom Line: This is an experience you won’t want to miss. Plan ahead or be prepared to stand in line. Save your pennies because pigs aren’t cheap. And if you’re just plain craving some good, old-fashioned pizza, you’ll probably want to head someplace else. But if you like good food, creative presentation, and enjoy eating while surrounded by piggy banks, this is the place for you. Bon Appetit!
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