Pig Ate My Pizza

This was my second trip to Pig Ate My Pizza, the pizza joint brought to you by the Travail crew. I can't remark on its progeny as a Travail-birthed establishment because I haven't actually been to Travail. I know, I know. It's on my list. My ever-growing list.  Minneapolis/St. Paul is an embarrassment of riches...

I didn't write about Pig the first time I visited because I was fighting a monster head cold and couldn't string enough words together beyond, "mmm...good...sudafed."  I felt liked I'd be shortchanging the place with that kind of post.

The restaurant is an easy find off Highway 100, for those like me coming from the south. It's not so easy to find a table unless you're a smarty like we were on the second attempt and arrive immediately when they open.  There were already several people waiting outside the door on Monday night, but we still sat down with no problem.  The tables are long wooden picnic-ish tables so if you're averse to sitting next to a stranger, be forewarned. By the time we were digging into our pies, the place was getting busy, so it doesn't take long after 5 pm for spots to be at a premium.

A few notes for the newcomers, the seating process can feel disjointed if you're a newbie. My first time I arrived with a friend and I think we stood next to the bar for a good 5 minutes wondering what was going on until a friendly patron informed us that we had to give our name to the bartender. Gotcha. Not intuitive. Suffice it to say, there's no host/hostess to guide this process.  If you're new to the place and you arrive to find a crowd, just ask somebody who's standing nearby who to talk to. People are friendly, don't be scared. And get yourself a beer, you're going to wait a good half hour at least.

The pizza itself is delicious and worth the wait and hassle to figure out seating arrangements.  The ingredient combinations are exciting and the staff is enthusiastic about pointing out their personal favorites.  I had the Smoking Cubano last night, pretty much a "must" for anybody who has ever in life craved a Cuban sandwich. Pizzas are easily shareable but also pretty easy to do one apiece if you're cool with leftovers. We tackled the Piggy Pizza, too, which is exactly what it sounds like. Every delicious part of a pig piled on top of brioche (!!) crust.  Honestly, it was a little overwhelming for me and my companion echoed the sentiment that he preferred my pizza to his. The Piggy might be a fun, decadent one to tackle with a sizeable crew, so you're each overloading on that sticky brioche in a reasonable portion. We eyed the desserts nearby, a new creation each night, but were adequately stuffed to say no. The liquid nitrogen element of the desserts (on both nights I've visited) inspires me to save room for that sweet experiment next time.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is casual and fun, definitely a great place for friends to toast with local beers on tap and test pizza concepts they hadn't dreamed up (mini tacos on a pizza?? somebody take a picture of the Nacho Libre pizza and post it, please).  I'd caution those on first dates or in the company of shy/quiet folk, if only because the decibel level can get a bit overwhelming with the combo of music and boisterous patrons. Monday night was a manageable noise level, but the first time I went I was cupping my hands around my mouth to quasi-shout at my friend across the table. That was a Friday night, so may be more of an issue in the busier hours.

All in all, a great addition to the impressive pizza scene in the Cities. As the pizza selections rotate, there are still many I'll need to take a crack at, so the Pig will call me back soon, I'm sure.

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