Hog & Hominy — Restaurant in Memphis

Nationally recognized Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman are the two chefs in Memphis every Memphian should be telling their friends and relatives about. In a town with a lot of creative minds and great food options, these guys are my favorite. I love each of their restaurants.

A friend told me about their poutine (a dish I had heard of but not tried at that point) and told me I had to go try it. The best French fry, pulled pork, cheese curds, neck bone pork gravy and chili oil are ingredients that build Andrew and Michael's version of this Canadian dish. It did not disappoint and is part of my order each time I visit them.

Most of the dishes are small platings of Southern and Italian dishes. Bring one or two friends and be prepared to share and enjoy. One other thing I tell all of my friends about Hog and Hominy is that if you are going alone or on a date and are looking for more entree based plates (entree and sides with less sharing), go on Sunday Funday or at lunch. You will be happier there.

Lastly, Hog and Hominy has the best pizza in town. They cook a pizza that is wood fired and I would describe it as very close to pizza Napolitano. The crust has a perfect chew and just the right amount of char for my tastes. From there, they are very imaginative and use a full range of ingredients to create wonderful blends of salty, sweet, and savory on the perfect canvas of dough. Recently they have started offering the pies from 2-5 at an incredible price of $10 each. Go get one today. Ask them about the Lil Red Ed. ( They don't serve it anymore but I'm trying to put the pressure on...

Retarded.

That's all I really want to say. It's just that damn good.

It was a rare occasion where we were childless on a weeknight, so this was the first thing on our(let's be honest, food is always the second thing on a man's mind) mind.

So, to honor that rarity, we had like a 9 course meal here Monday night.

PRO TIP: They've got a special board behind the hostess station, check it. We had a tasting of 3 different Atlantic oysters ranging from sweet to briny. All fantastic.

Homemade pork skins. YES. Crunchy and awesome.

Arancini (fried risotto balls). YES. Amazingly good.

Crudo (think Italian ceviche or marinated sashimi) . YES. I'm not sure what the citrus juice used here was, but it was amazing. And the olive oil? Some of the finest I've ever had. And the fish was amazing, too. Honestly one of the best dishes I've ever tasted. It embodies freshness. You put it in your mouth, and you're all, "Man, forget umami, freshness is the fifth flavor.

Pizza with prosciutto, figs, balsamic reduction et al. YES. The only other Pizza crust in Memphis I've found that's worth eating (Little Italy is the other). Crunchy, charred, thin, awesomeness. Very well balanced.

Buffalo Pig Tails. GOD YES. They somehow stole my sauce recipe. It's like eating the best hotwing you've ever had, but with the gristly, fatty, porky, fineness that is a pig's tail. Phenomenal.

The relaxed environment and superior service are perfect accompaniments to what is some of the best food in the city. And this is like a week after opening. If there's still bugs to work out, I...

Delicious. But not without some issues.

The restaurant has maybe 20 tables and a bar that seats about 12 or so. It is fairly loud, I wouldn't recommend taking a date or anyone for deep conversation. . But it is a fabulous place to take a group of friends.

I sat at the bar, which was sticky (gross), and watch Lauren diligently make drink after drink. She is a skilled bartender and appeared to be the only one behind the bar who knew what they were doing. I had 4 drinks. All very good. The old fashioned was very good.

She recommended the collards and meatballs. Both of which were fantastic. The meatballs were seasoned to perfection. I savored every bite. And scrapped my plate wanting more. You know it's good when you get that savory umame feeling in the back of your mouth.

The collards had hominy and diced pork. They also were exceptional. The collards were not cooked to mush and were savory and tangy. I would order both items again.

The peanut butter pie was also very good. It was not overly sweet.

A few issues.

The bar was sticky. The kitchen is open and I watched the expeditor wipe his hands across his mouth, scratch his nose, sneeze, and cough into his hands then continue to prepare food without washing his hands. That was a little gross. One of the bartenders tried the mixed drink with a straw, then reused the straw in another drink. That was gross too.

These are pretty basic personal hygiene issues, which makes me wonder what else is going on.

Overlooking the heavy set expeditor wiping his nose in my food, it was...