Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Restaurants Blind Pig, I'll Be Watching You
Posted by Carrington Fox on Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 8:17 AM
The tone of this week's review of The Blind Pig No. 55 is cautiously optimistic. While there were more missteps than you might expect to find at an establishment from the people who brought you Watermark and the erstwhile Miro District, there are reasons to hope this 12South barbecue-sports-bar-meat-and-three will turn the corner soon.
When I spoke with esteemed Chef Louis Osteen, he anticipated many of my criticisms, as if he were already working on the kinks in question. Joe Shaw had just joined the team days earlier — bringing his admirable CV from Watermark, The Standard at Smith House and Miro — and a barbecue smoker was being installed as we spoke. I hung up hopeful.
I'll be keeping an eye on The Blind Pig No. 55, as I'm sure will the 12South neighborhood and the ever-vigilant Bites community. Have you been to Blind Pig in the last couple of weeks? How are things looking? Or, for those you who live nearby, I might ask, "How are things smelling?"
Comments (8)
Showing 1-8 of 8
Well, if this (insert location) "barbecue-sports-bar-meat-and-three" does not work out, there are only like 100 others to choose from. What diversity in dining.
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I had the open-faced brisket sandwich and was very disappointed. No smoke ring, no tenderness, all rubber-band chewiness. And the prices! Whoa are they high. The corn/jalapeno pudding was excellent though, but still I probably won't be going back.
worst ribs I have had, and the service was pretty bad too, even though there seemed to be more employees than customers. I won't be going back
I've only been once, and it was a week after it opened. The poblano corn pudding was good, but that's the only thing I can say. I told myself then that I wouldn't pass judgement, waiting until at least a second or third visit to do so. But after hearing numerous not-so-great reports from others, I don't even know if I feel like giving it a second chance.
At some point you have to separate the success of Watermark from the gross and repeated failure(s) of Miro District and this current blunder. As anyone who worked at Watermark can attest, the actual "people who brought you Watermark" have long since left this group.
My one word of advise to this place - HIRE A REAL PIT MASTER, use a REAL SMOKER, and TAKE TIME TO REALLY SMOKE the food. This place says it is an "upscale" BBQ restaurant. There is nothing upscale nor BBQ about it. My brisket and ribs were like David and Bad's experience. I am guessing they do not have a real Pit Master running the BBQ, as they assume anyone can make BBQ. Just because I have smoker rig at my house, that does not make me a Pit Master where I can charge $13 for a mis-steak brisket sandwich on white bread. The onion rings were terrible, cooked in oil that was too cool, so I had raw onions on the inside, and greasy oily soggy batter on the outside. I fell ill with symptoms like food poisoning shortly after getting home from this place.
I've been to the restaurant since the changes to the menu and I have nothing but good things to say. My friend ordered the ribs and after trying them I must say the "pit master" must have mastered the pit because they were delicious. I ordered the pig burger cooked medium. It was tender with the perfect blend of spices in the meat topped off worth a savory fried green tomato and juicy sauteed onions. The sides are deffinatly worth going out on a limb for. The fries are great but I would sub certain sides like the creamy mac and cheese or surprisingly tender and flavorful BBQ cabbage. The potato cake side will definatly keep me coming back to the blind pig as well. Overall I would recommend this little spot to any of my friends for a night out in the 12th south district.
Went there Thursday night for the 2nd visit. For some weird reason, I really am pulling for this place to succeed. But it was...bad. As in not good at all. The food was just tasteless. Even worse than "Taps and Tapas". The ribs were burnt, the slaw tasted like the stuff you buy at Harris Teeter in those little plastic containers, and the kitchen messed up our order twice (how hard it it when there's basically only 4 different things on the menu?). The guy waiting on us seemed frustrated, suggesting this has happened before. I think the problem is entirely in the kitchen. They need to get rid of whoever is managing the staff on a nightly basis and hire someone who knows the ropes. Ain't that hard. Look at PM. Big boss makes sure it tastes ok at a decent price, and then the staff simply repeats the formula.
