Friday Fillup: Pig and Porker Edition

The food news continues to come in fast and furious here in Nashville, so much so that I’m splitting up next week’s Monday Menu into an early and late installment. That's largely because I don’t feel like writing it all at once and would hate for you to have to slog through it all and possibly miss out on something important as your eyes glaze over.

First up is some big news for dining in the Gulch. After months of anticipation, The Iberian Pig finally opened this week at 607 Overton St. in part of the building that once housed Colt’s Bolts. Castellucci Hospitality Group’s first restaurant foray outside the state of Georgia is the third sow in the litter of Pigs, joining Atlanta locations in Buckhead and Decatur. The menu is rooted in Spain and offers tapas, charcuterie plates and an extensive selection of extravagant imported cheeses along with a deep wine list and full bar.

Dishes that look like highlights include pork cheek tacos, bacon-wrapped dates and larger meat and seafood dishes. Future additions to service will include brunch and a jamón happy hour, where you’ll surely find me posted up soon at the restaurant’s attractive bar on the ground floor behind the main dining space. Keep your eyes peeled for a First Bite as soon as I can get in to try it out!

In other porcine news, it’s been a great year for Carey Bringle’s Peg Leg Porker Straight Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey on the awards circuit. After already winning Double Golds at the prestigious San Francisco Spirits Awards and Singapore World Spirits Awards, Bringle’s most affordable whiskey completed the trifecta with yet another Double Gold Award at the New World Spirits Awards, earning the whiskey a rare “Triple Distill” designation from the organizer of the competitions, The Tasting Panel.

As best as I can tell, that makes Peg Leg Porker Straight Bourbon Whiskey the only Tennessee spirit to take home three Double Golds. When you consider that this is a $40 bottle competing against some products costing up to 10 times as much, it’s an even more impressive accomplishment. Kudos to the local hero!

Speaking of local heroes, Shane Nasby of Cledis Burgers and Beer Garden has gathered a trio of fellow burgermeisters to join him at his restaurant at 1011 Elm Hill Pike for the inaugural Nashville Burger Bash Benefit from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1. The event will offer sliders from Cledis along with Bad Luck Burger Club, Dreamburger and Cabin Attic Burgers to raise funds and draw attention to Nashville’s unhoused community. It's part of Cledis’ mission to fight hunger and hopelessness in Nashville. 

The restaurant will be closed during the event, but attendees can purchase sliders from any or all of the participants as well as beer and ciders from the 24 taps at the bar. Soft drinks will also be available, and there will be live music on the beer garden stage throughout the evening. There is no cover charge or admission fee for this event, which will take place rain or shine. Guests of all ages are invited, and leashed dogs are welcomed in the beer garden. 

Finally, your friends here at the Scene are proud to bring back The Nashville Food Faire for its second year on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the green space at OneC1ty. The free-to-attend faire will showcase dozens of local specialty food artisans selling teas, pastas, marinades, jams and jellies plus other fun foodstuffs.

You can upgrade your experience with a ticket to the Biscuits + Bloody Mary Garden, which entitles you to complimentary biscuit tastings, a full-sized bloody with all the accouterments and a shaded area to get out of the sun between shopping binges. For a list of all the vendors so you can plan your local shopping experience, visit the event’s website.

Talk to you again on Monday for even more food and booze news!