If you expected a place called Swine to have a menu full of pork and not much else, you'd be correct. With the exception of maybe 2-3 dishes, everything on this menu has some kind of pork component to it. I mean, I knew what I was getting into when I had dinner there but there was just something about eating an entire dinner of pork that just really makes you feel kind of gross at the end.
While the waitress suggested that we start with a meat board, we just couldn't find a combination of meats that we were interested in (I'm an adventurous eater but just not into terrines, head cheese or tongue). Instead, Holly and I started off our meal with the grilled cheese which was served with chimay cheese, tomato and bacon ($15). It tasted exactly like how it was described...a good old fashion grilled cheese. The bread was nice and toasted on the outside and there was plenty of bacon to get the meal started. Next we shared the razor clam appetizer ($16). Ok, ok, this dish did NOT have any pork or bacon product in it. It was served with a lobster broth and tons of crunchy bread to soak up the broth. Holly wasn't a huge fan of this dish and I will admit that the clams were a lot fishier tasting than other clams that I've had in the past so I can see how the flavor can be off putting for some people. The razor clams were actually pretty plumb but some them seemed to have some sand in it which also didn't lend well to the overall experience. While I liked it, it was kind of too much to eat the entire dish by myself. As for the lobster broth, it didn't really have a strong lobster flavor to it and I didn't feel the need to use the bread to soak up the broth.
For our entrees, I got the famous bone marrow and brisket burger ($18) and Holly got the hudson valley duck breast ($21). The burger has been written up in a few blogs as being one the best burgers in the city and I kind of have to agree. The bone marrow is baked into the patty which kept it incredibly moist and delicious. It comes with gruyere cheese and caramelized onions smothered on top of it and a side of potato wedges. The cheese was super melted and each bite was heart stopping and heavenly. It was a fantastic burger but definitely not something you should be eating on a regular basis. While I couldn't taste the marrow in it, I could tell that there was something good different to this burger. The burger was so filling that I couldn't even bring myself to eat any of the potato wedges. I tried the duck as well and thought it was very tender and moist as well. It was a little bit fatty but what else would you expect from a place called Swine? The dish was served with chesnuts, brussels sprouts, squash and cranberry demi-glace but I didn't get a bite of any of that stuff. You'd think after all of this we'd take a pass on dessert but no. We had to get the bacon flavored ice cream because neither of us have ever tried bacon flavor ice cream before and were curious. The dish also came with a chocolate covered strip of bacon. Well, first of all, the ice cream most definitely tasted like bacon. The combination of the salt and sweet was nice but it got a bit tiring after a while and I realized that I just like my ice cream to be sweet and not salty. As for the chocolate covered bacon, it was just gross. I rarely say that about food but it was seriously not good and kind of ruined the whole dish for me.
All in all, I enjoyed my experience there but you have to go there knowing that your cholesterol level is going to sky rocket and you might just feel super guilty afterwards. But it's worth checking out at least once if you're looking for an indulgent meal. Total bill includes a bottle of wine: $74/pp with tax and tip.
Photo Credit: Zagat.com
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