Though it’s been almost two months since RMFR broke the news that Whistle Pig Brewing Company will open near the Dublin House, the restaurant and brewery ran into the typical gauntlet of inspections and build-out, delaying opening day.
However, the stars have aligned and Whistle Pig, which features the brewing talents of Eric Merrell and Rob Beers and the culinary chops of ninja chef Bobby Couch, is looking at a soft-opening on Friday. Beginning hours will be Wednesday through Sunday.
It’s then you’ll find nine beers backed by around 50 kegs for the big weekend, including a velvety oatmeal stout tasted the other night when the Report was hosted by ownership.
“The scariest thing about opening for me is you are opening with your experimental,” says Beers. “You have a system that you can’t touch until you get your license, and then you get to brew, and then you open. … But the beer has been tasty, certainly.”
The eminently quotable Couch, who also owns and operates the Green Line Grill downtown, will keep the menu to a short five to seven items for opening weekend, but each packs a punch.
For instance, we sampled the pulled-pork egg rolls and they were ridiculous: smoke from a 13-hour jag in the smoker pouring off crisp rounds full of moist pork swimming in a bold sauce.
“We don’t go crazy: There’s no fillers or anything, it’s just straight, awesome smoked pulled pork,” says Couch. “And then I’ve taken all the drippings, the bones, any fat trimmings, everything, and reduced it down, took out the fat, then added some cream to it, so it’s got a real nice, deep liquid-bacon, monster flavor to it. And then, that’s my house slaw that you might recognize from somewhere else …”
Then came the Rocky Mountain Brats, a regional wink considering the house-made sausages consist of ground bull testicles and pork, resulting in a crazy delicious bite with the texture of meatloaf. Couch serves it with organic baby carrots sautéed in butter, olives and garlic mashed potatoes.
“And then obviously I cooked the brats in the [Whistle Pig] stout, so the gravy on there, it’s purely made with the stout.”
Take a look:
[Images: Bryce Crawford]
