A Whole Lotta' Piggy In The Emerald City

There's something about Elizabeth Ray.

My sister noticed it first, observing how her brand-new daughter was, well, particularly porcine. Terms of endearment often take their cue from the animal kingdom; "Monkey" and "Bunny" are affectionate nicknames my friends dub their significant others. With babies, these pet names increase exponentially. Their newborn adorableness elicits even serious folk to coo "Lamb Chop" and "Chicken" in high-pitched sillyness.

In my niece's case, the piglet analogy was inevitable. Elizabeth's wee wardrobe is predominantly pink.  Swaddled tight, she resembles a piggy in a blanket or a pork burrito. When she nurses noisily, she's a suckling pig. With her newborn cold, her snores sound like little oinks. To use a, er, literary reference, dainty Elizabeth takes after Olivia, the pretty pig of children's book fame, who I discovered while honing my Auntie chops with my other lovely nieces, Isla & Syla.

In honor of this little piggy--and her aunt's penchant for pork--here are my porcine picks in her hometown, Seattle.

Jambon @ Bar Ferd'nand
www.ferdinandthebar.com
Capitol Hill

Alone, this buttery jambon is luscious. Blanketed on fresh-baked, Corson Building sourdough (slathered Spanish-style with tomato) and drizzled with olive oil, it's downright decadent. This is as sexy as ham gets--glistening and unfurled on this open-faced awesomeness. Paired with a chilled albariño or a tart cider, this is the happiest of hours at this gem of a bar.

Salumi sampler @ Bar Cotto
www.ethanstowellrestaurants.com/barcotto/
Capitol Hill

Ethan Stowell's latest addition to his epicurean empire is Bar Cotto, a salumeria featuring local and international cured meats. Make like a taste-tester and order a 3- or 5-sampler: ribbons of silky mortadella--Italy's refined cousin of our pedestrian lunchmeat, bologna, culatello--the tender, creamy,  "king of salami", speck--a smoked prosciutto, succulent house-made porchetta, and soppressata picante for a spice kick.

Opt for the traditional Parma accompaniment, torta fritta: fried bread pillows. Still hungry for more pig? Bar Cotto offers a rare, pizza topping: n'duja, a spreadable salami from SF's salumi sorcerers, Boccalone.  Imagine the heat of Mexican chorizo and the texture of French rillettes...and voila, n'duja!

Cured pork loin @ Agrodolce

www.agrodolcerestaurant.net

Fremont

The lighter side of pork is showcased at Maria Hines' Sicilian ristorante. Thinly-sliced lobes of house-cured pork loin, lonzino, are topped with crunchy, raw fennel, snipped chives, and chili oil made from sweet Aleppo peppers. Just in time for the warm weather, this delicate, lean, refreshing dish proves that pork need not be heavy.

Pâté albigeois @ Le Pichet

www.lepichetseattle.com

Belltown

At this oh-so-Parisian charmer, the country-style pâté is a marriage of two types of pig: ground pork and bacon. Served with classic accoutrements, cornichons and grainy mustard, each bite of this rustic, hefty pâté whisks you across the Atlantic. Thankfully, this traditional French pâté is served in an American-sized portion.

Porchetta @ Salumi

www.salumicuredmeats.com

Pioneer Square

At Armandino Batali's palace of pork, arrive early to snag their much-lauded, so-good-it-sells-out porchetta sandwich.This behemoth is stuffed with toasty, fragrant, fennel-spiced pork shoulder, meatballs, onions & peppers, and a garlic-caper spread. Juicy is an understatement--prepare to get messy with each dripping bite.  Don't be intimidated by the lines outside.

A bevy of cured meats are available for purchase, either whole or sliced onto delectable sandwiches. I'm partial to the finochiona (fennel) and piquant mole salami. Win over your out-of-town friends--Salumi can be shipped throughout the U.S. of A. 

Dinner: No Utensils Required

When I was young, it was a special treat to have breakfast for dinner. Whether it was waffles at home or pancakes at the local diner, supper was made special by simply reversing the order of eating.  Part of its appeal was the sheer fun of shaking things up, part was that we were breaking the rules.  Nowadays, when I want to recreate that childhood tradition, I order a sandwich for dinner.   I like the simplicity and whimsy of a meal in a bun.  Eating with my hands, I feel like a kid again, yet with gourmet ingredients, sandwiches have been elevated to adult fare.  I know bread gets a bad rap here in L.A., but here are 5 sandwiches that are worth the carbs. 

Sloppy Roast Pork @ Next Door By Josie
http://www.nextdoorbyjosie.com/
Santa Monica


Sloppy, yet refined, this behemoth bursts with succulent, slow-roasted pork, crispy, fried rapini, aged provolone, and creamy garlic mayo.  Due to its Hungry Man-proportions, You may be tempted to use a knife and fork, but by eating with your hands, you get all the drippy, finger-licking goodness.  FYI, Josie's has 2 TVs above the bar, so this is the spot for way above-average, sports bar food.  

Duck Confit Bahn Mi

Josie's offers another gourmet twist on a classic sandwich.  Delectable duck confit, pickled daikon, shredded carrots & cucumber, and more of that addictive garlic mayo.  Often, baguettes have the unfortunate tendency to scrape the roof of your mouth with their crunchy crust, but this version is just-enough-crisp, with a chewy, soak-up-goodness interior.  It's worth crossing the 405 for these two sammies.

Spicy Bird @ Umamicatessen

www.umami.com/umamicatessen/
Downtown

I never understood the praise for Umami burgers until I tasted the Spicy Bird.  You won't miss the beef in this super-tender turkey burger, which is topped with melted beer cheddar cheese, hatch chilis, frizzled onions, and diablo sauce.  Insider tip: the Spicy Bird is only on the secret menu: Umami's method for testing new recipes or bringing burgers from other locations.   For the adventurous, order the accompanying fries with brainaise, a pig-brain blended aioli.

Short Rib Sandwich @ Olive & Thyme
www.oliveandthyme.com
Toluca Lake


This is L.A.'s gourmet answer to the Philly Cheesesteak.  Tender, braised short ribs are tempered by cool, horseradish crème fraîche.  Combined with melt-in-your-mouth, caramelized onions on country sourdough toast, it is an almost orgasmic experience.  So hearty, this sandwich begs to be shared; plus you'll want to save room for the abundance of fresh-baked desserts at this shabby chic cafe.

Lobster Roll @ Son Of A Gun
www.sonofagunrestaurant.com
West Hollywood

Sandwiches also make good appetizers.  At Son Of A Gun, the itty-bitty lobster roll (see lemon wedge for size comparison) whets your whistle for their delicious menu of maritime delights.  A buttery, toasted bun brims with luscious lobster salad, creamy lemon aioli, and truffle, potato chips.  Good things do come in small packages.