The Other White Meat

Porchetta Hits The Patio at Cecconi’s; Ford’s Filling Station Prepares Pig Skin Pasta

Andrea Cavaliere, pouring one out for Piggy Smalls
Andrea Cavaliere, pouring one out for Piggy Smalls Photo: Cecconi’s

August introduces more pig on L.A.’s wings, as Cecconi’s and Ford’s Filling Station both plan to go whole hog in the coming weeks. First, Andrea Cavaliere will hold an early celebration of Ferragosto, Italy’s mid-August work-break holiday that stretches back to Roman tradition, by bringing a 200-pound porker to West Hollywood Cecconi’s on August 12. The chef will debone, stuff, and put lipstick on roast the pig over an open fire on the restaurant’s patio, offering a $26 plate of porchetta to diners, along with apple sauce, wood-oven roasted potatoes, and pork cracklings, until he’s all run out. Reservations are available at 310-432-2000, unless you have fancier Ferragosto plans in store.

Ben Ford’s nose-to-tail restaurant in Culver City, Ford’s Filling Station, is hosting an August 14 pig dinner with Death’s Door Spirits, the Washington Island, Wisconsin-based makers of an organic white whiskey, gin, and grain vodka. The distillery’s founder, Brian Ellison, will be on-hand for a dinner said to be honoring Wisconsin.

Ford’s team will cook a $75 six-course menu to suit the spirits, with a starter course of cured meats and Wisconsin cheese, and subsequent servings including house guanciale with grilled peaches and pig ears, pork belly with brown butter sage biscuits, and a pig-skin pasta, each paired to a cocktail using Death’s Door spirits. Reservations can be made by calling Ford’s 310-202-1470 or over email, and we have the full menu below for you to inspect.


Death’s Door Spirits Pig Dinner
Tuesday, August 14
7:00-9:00 P.M.

$75 for menu and cocktails

MENU

1st Course
House Cured Meats & Wisconsin Cheese Tasting
warm marinated olives, quince paste, toasted bread
Death’s Door White Whisky, Cherry Herring, Dry Vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur, Tonic

2nd Course
Grilled Peaches & House Guanciale
crispy pigs ears, chive flowers, lemon oil
Death’s Door Vodka, Campari, Lemon Juice, Lindemans Lambic Peche

3rd Course
Pork Tartare
confit shallot, serrano chile, mint, walnut oil, quail egg
Death’s Door Gin, Lime, Mint, White Peppercorn, Sparkling Water

4th Course
Pig Skin Pasta
wild mushrooms, pearl onions, mustard bread crumbs, celery leaves
Death’s Door Gin, Death’s Door Vodka, Pinot Noir, Orange Marmalade

5th Course
Belly ‘n Biscuits
brown butter sage biscuit, escarole, spiced apple chutney, cider jus
Butter & Green Apple -infused Death’s Door Vodka, Grand Marnier, Cocchi, Lemon, Vanilla Tears

6th Course
Chocolate & Bacon
chocolate ganache bar, bacon ice cream, bacon caramel chocolate doughnut
Bacon-infused Death’s Door White Whisky, Coffee Liqueur, Crème de Cacao, Cream

Porchetta Hits The Patio at Cecconi’s; Ford’s Filling Station Prepares Pig Skin