It's noisy – but the overall vibe is great.
The food isn't consistently wondrous – but I'd go back again in a sec.
There's an energy, a momentum to The Copper Pig that's almost irresistible. Located along the stretch of Macklind south of Chippewa that's turning into this decade's Restaurant Row, its decor deceptively simple, the place simply buzzes unless you arrive very early for their Sunday brunch, when it's quiet enough to honor a hangover. Eat quickly, though, if that's your situation; the joint soon goes back to jumping. Plenty of industry types – which is to say, restaurant industry – can be seen. For instance, if a table of four twentysomething guys wearing various chapeaus are drinking wine by the bottle, they're probably in the biz.
Someone out there has probably already referred to poutine as Canadian nachos. If you haven't come across it, it's french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. The Pig offers it in three variations, standard, with duck confit and with a red curry sauce and paneer, the soft Indian curd cheese. The latter was pretty close to brilliant, the soft paneer a nice contrast to the crisp-chewy potatoes, the curry markedly spicy. If there had been enough left over, it would have made a great addition, chopped up a little more, to a fritatta the next day. The duck version will have to wait for a return visit. Beet fries, quarter-inch batons of beet were lightly battered and deepfried, served with whipped goat cheese. The beet-goat cheese pairing, long a standard, doesn't live up to its potential here unless it's for people who aren't beet fanciers; the cooking process for the vegetable mutes its flavors considerably.
The Korean rice dish bi bim bap contained bulgogi beef, plenty of vegetables, and a generous serving of the Chinese sausage lop cheung, plus a fried egg, the yolk meant to be broken and mixed with the rice. Definitely some garlic in there, and of course kimchee, another of-the-moment thing, which gave a nice kick. This kitchen isn't afraid of vigorous spicing, which is a swell approach. There's also an unstingy ratio of rice to everything else, which may not be authentic, but is appreciated by the American palate.
Avocado tacos have nothing to do with authenticity, of course. But they come wrapped in flour tortillas, some slaw for crunch to add to that of the panko crumb coat on the avocado. The slaw has just a little kick to it, but also some sweetness, making this a very approachable dish for someone who's just starting to broaden their dining horizons, whether vegetarian or otherwise. Instead of the suggested sides of fries, tater tots or salad, we went for the brussels sprouts with bacon, which turned out to be a brilliant move. The quartered sprouts are roasted at a very high heat, which crisps up some out the outer layers like autumn leaves, a new texture for many diners, and the bacon, nice fat pieces, chimes in. Excellent stuff.
Speaking of bacon, that takes us to brunch. They use good bacon, thick and smoky, particularly noticeable in skewers of bacon intertwined with blue-cheese stuffed dates that are grilled. Good stuff, and a reminder that not all that goofy-seeming cocktail food out of the Fifties was disgusting. Avocado toast on English muffin halves wore poached eggs on top with what seemed to be some smoked paprika, a good presentation of avocado toast, an instant classic on both coasts. The eggs were properly poached, none of this steamer-basket stuff.
On the other hand, the pulled pork eggs Benedict missed the mark. One might asume that pulled pork was barbecued, but not in this case, just cooked til tender and semi-shredded in a sweet-ish sauce. Putting it on a waffle is okay. But the hollandaise sauce over the egg, pork and waffle was seemingly totally unseasoned. The result was bland and the most unexciting dish of all the ones I'd tasted.
From the dessert list at dinner, a bread pudding made from doughnuts. (No dessert menu at brunch, by the way, but several sweet options like pancakes and French toast creme brulee.) A crunchy chewy top, a tender, moist interior, slightly yeasty from the doughnuts, a fine balance of flavors and textures. Let's hope it stays on the menu.
Delightful service, relaxed but attentive to the mood of the table, and very knowledgeable. Put up with the noise and you'll probably eat very well indeed.
Copper Pig
314-499-7166
Lunch & Dinner Mon.-Sat., Brunch Sun.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Good
Smoking: No
Entrees: $13-$20