"So what kind of food are you gonna serve?"

I get asked this question all the time when people hear that I am opening a restaurant.  And almost every time I give a variation of an answer to them.  I haven't yet concisely iterated what kind of food I will serve at the Black Hogg.  It's not because I don't know what I want to serve, but because it's hard to really categorize my menu into a neat little box.  Hopefully, I can provide a sufficient answer here on my blog...

In a nutshell, the food I will serve is the food I love to eat.  I am going to be serving you the food that I like, and I believe that most of you will like it as well.  So what do I like to eat?  First of all, I love meat.  Grill it, braise it, stew it, sear it, roast it, or even give it to me raw...  As long as its done proper and seasoned perfect, there is nothing more satisfying.  My menu will definitely be "meat-centric."  Meatballs, sausages, steaks, chops, burgers, stews, braises - given the season, they will all be on my menu at one time or another.

Second, I love "old-world" culinary traditions.  "Old world" meaning the timeless, lasting cooking styles found all throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.  This style of cooking really embraces simplicity.  The food is rustic, hearty, straightforward.  Ingredients are not manipulated much.  It is the quality of the meats, produce, and the seafood that speak for themselves.  It is simple things like jamon serrano on bread and butter.  It's raw oysters and minionette.  It's brandade of salt cod,  It's chicken liver on toast.  It's olive oil drizzled on almost anything.  It's fish and chips... It's just simple delicious food!

Lastly,  I love bold flavors.  I love chilies, curries, vinegars, peppery olive oils, garlic, ginger, spices, tangy citrus, cilantro, pungent herbs.  Alongside "old world" dishes, look for "new world" spices and sauces.  Chimichuris, mojos, salsas, adobos, turmeric, asafetida, five-spice, szechuan pepper, ras el hanout... all these bold flavors will find their way onto my menu.

This is the food I am gonna serve.  How do I say this in a short succinct way?  Maybe I'll just tell them to read my blog...



[This week I really want to start testing out the deep-fryer.  Dishes I will be working on: Salt and Pepper Calamari, Fried Castelvetrano Olives, Minted Fries, Fried Oysters and Chipotle Remoulade, Fish and Chips w/ Malt Vinegar Tartar Sauce.  Will keep you posted.]