For some, the sight of a pig head on a street corner causes trepidation. For me, it creates salivation.
To be fair, the pig head I saw at 2nd and Bell didn’t surprise me, as the restaurant on that very street corner had invited me in to try their weekly pig roast dinner platter. Each Sunday evening, Bell + Whete fires up the above ground Caja China (a coal-operated metal roasting box) around lunchtime to have a Heritage Meats pig ready for dinner service. They leave the pig head out on the box for giggles and gigs. (Bell + Whete can cater your home or office party in similar fashion.)
For $24 each, diners get a plate of mixed pulled pork meat, cracklings, citrus chili garlic drippings, a seasonal vegetable, a starch or grain side dish, and housemade bannock bread—which some use to make simulated tacos. On this particular day, the sides were a farro and lentil pilaf, Moroccan-spiced summer squash salad with yogurt, and a smear of harissa.
Personally, I’d prefer a sampling of different pig parts, but I understand that would create quite a logistical issue. The mixed pork was incredibly moist, such that the drippings weren’t necessary—but liquid pig only made dinner more decadent. The cracklings were terrific (especially if you break them into small pieces if you’re making the aforementioned “tacos”), and the Middle Eastern-influenced sides had nice flavors. Harissa’s always a winner for me.
Bell + Whete boasts a menu of 60 beers. I paired my pig with Backwoods’ Copperline Amber, though what I enjoyed even more was the Lagunitas CitruSinensis with its distinct blood orange flavor. I savored this while nibbling on an order of “Chilled Ocean Snacks.” At $28, the seafood comes in at a higher price than the pig platter, but with a pretty presentation, and the Kusshi oysters the king of this particular plate.
