Orlando Family’s dining critic sizes up James & Julie Petrakis’ flagship eatery at its new location

Crispy Shrimp Tacos

Orlando has been good to James and Julie Petrakis—the three-time James Beard-semifinalist duo behind such progressive eateries as Cask & Larder, Swine & Sons, and Disney Springs’ newly opened Polite Pig. But the Ravenous Pig is the gastropub that put these two amazing chefs at the forefront of our city’s sustainably sensitive food movement. A year after what locals call “the Pig” opened at its original location, I had the honor and privilege to work next to these chefs. The experience enhanced my own talent and gave me the confidence to seek an executive chef title for myself.

The Pig recently moved into a revamped space formerly used by Cask & Larder, which moved its operations to Orlando International Airport. With the renovation, the Petrakises have transformed the space into a gorgeous dining room with all the signature details that made the old location so charming. The first noticeable feature is that the entrance is now located on the side of the building. Also, the show kitchen is visible from any angle in the main dining room, which is laced with rich tones and beautiful wood. I was excited to see such a major aesthetic change that lets you know you are truly in a different restaurant.

The hostess seated my wife, Toni, and I promptly, and we perused the menu. I started with their classic Ravenous Pig Old Fashioned ($12) made with bacon-infused Old Forester bourbon, orange bitters and vanilla maple. Probably the best Old Fashioned you’ll find anywhere. My wife had the Kentucky Queen ($12) with Buffalo Trace, honey, peach and black walnut bitters, and a dash of white wine vinegar. (As you can tell, we like our whiskey.)

We started with the Bread Board ($8), which had pretzel bread with Taleggio fondue. The fondue could have been a bit thicker, but the flavor was spot on. It also came with two Gruyère-chive biscuits with smoked salt butter, plus a grilled carrot sourdough with a sugar snap pea puree— very smart pairing.

Lamb Ribs

Our first pick for appetizers were the Crispy Shrimp Tacos ($14), which consisted of three wonderful tacos loaded with cilantro, avocado, pickled jalapeños and cabbage slaw. The crispy shrimp paired with the avocado spread and crunchy cabbage slaw had great contrast, but the pickled jalapeños put it over the top. We also ordered the Lamb Ribs ($16) with fava bean falafel, Harissa yogurt and plum glaze. I needed to try these, because I have reviewed other lamb ribs lately and had coincidentally just made them for a dinner I hosted. I’d like to say that mine were just as good, but the Pig’s left me “ravenously” hungry for more.

For our entrees, Toni had the Steak Frites ($27): porcini-marinated Black Angus NY strip and truffle fries served with their “A-2” sauce, which is way better than A-1 Sauce. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the flavor was exquisite. I had the Pub Burger ($17), and I know what you’ll say: A burger? Really? Yes, really. The way they caramelize their onions for hours combined with buttermilk bleu cheese almost seared on the burger really sets it apart from the rest. On a side note, I’ve gotten many of their fresh fish dishes in the past and all have been worthy of excellence.

For dessert, I ordered the Chocolate Cake ($8), with plum cognac jam, lemongrass semifreddo, Marcona almonds and pickled plums. I thought the flavors maybe contrasted too much, but it was very good nonetheless.

My wife ordered the Sweets Board ($8), featuring lemon-rhubarb Pavlova, banana-coconut white-chocolate truffle, and a double-chocolate pistachio ice-cream sandwich. My only suggestion is to pre-scoop that ice cream and freeze it hard, because it did get on the melty side while we ate it. But again, the plate was cleaned.

Chef de cuisine Nick Sierputowski helmed the kitchen that evening, and he looked like he was in control and having a good time. That’s what I want to see in a chef: passion! He came over to our table to see how our meal was and gave some insight on new menu items, and he even invited us to his next pig roast.

This restaurant is a class act, and the Petrakises truly know how to hire, train and promote amazing chefs. You’ll want to make reservations, because this popular eatery gets busy. There is also a bar on the right side that showcases their Cask & Larder Brewery, which is just incredible to look at. With so many wonderful things going on at “the Pig,” you will surely want to make it one of your more frequent stops.

An Orlando resident for more than 25 years, Michael Lit is the executive chef for Central Florida Regional Hospital and also has extensive experience in both casual and fine dining.

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s May 2017 issue.