The Sandspur

Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Located only a few blocks from Rollins on Orange Avenue, The Ravenous Pig restaurant is a growing trend in Orlando and Winter Park mixed dining. A mixture of fine dining, with an at-home feel, The Ravenous Pig is a unique new addition to Orlando's offering of dining experiences.

Orlando natives James and Julie Petrakis trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York before opening their dream restaurant in the American Gastropub style. The restaurant and bar follows the London originated "gastropub," which is a pub that provides food with such quality that people attend merely for the quality of the cuisine, rather than the alcohol.

In line with the gastropub predecessors of Pig's Ear in London and The Spotted Pig in New York, Manager Lee Kaleel explains the restaurant was aptly named The Ravenous Pig to carry on the tradition of gastropubs and to take a stab at a more fun way to present good quality food.

On the first Saturday of every month, The Ravenous Pig hosts "Saturday Suckling Pig Roasts," where $18 buys you admission to the roasting action, a plate of pork, sides and a pint of microbrew or soda.

At the heart of the Ravenous Pig's mission is the ability to "not take itself so seriously" and provide an informal atmosphere with excellent food.

The Ravenous Pig offers an amazing selection of microbrewed beers drawn from a custom designed tap, an extensive wine list and full bar. The food selection ranges from pub fare to raw bar off erings, original salads, pastas, fresh seafood and bistro classics - all of which are freshly made and change daily. The dessert menu offers enticing twists on classic desserts that appeal to any sweet tooth.

Guests may choose to sit inside in the Pig's fine dining room, in traditional tables, or booths or sectionals on the right hand side of the restaurant. They may also choose to sit in the more casual but still upscale bar section on the left, where booths and high tables abound near the beautiful wood oak bar.

Saddle up to the bar where popular bartender "Crazy Larry" will pour you a drink and tell you a spin, or perhaps talk music with you for a few hours. Plush bar stools provide unusually comfortable seating and purse hooks conveniently located under the bar overhang provide a much needed installation for ladies' purses. The outside patio is a perfect spot on a sunny day or a clear night to enjoy a meal as well.

The Ravenous Pig is a beautifully designed restaurant, boasting modern and classically designed wood furnishings, black wrought iron accents, interesting artwork lining the walls and fresh lighting. Family pictures hung from the ceiling of the bar room provide a comforting feeling of "being looked over." The restaurant has a warm, intimate atmosphere and is an ideal spot to gather with friends for a drink at the bar, or a get-together dinner in the quiet recesses of the back dining room.

On a few occasions I have had a chance to sidle up to the bar and share a drink, a few laughs and some delicious pub fare, such as The Pig's truffle fries. On other occasions I have shared a late night meal in the main dining hall, and enjoyed The Pig's famous Gruyere biscuits - which I indulge in even though I have a strong penchant for being picky about my cheeses. The Ravenous Pig is a break from the ordinary and perhaps over-billed atmosphere of Park Ave, offering a delightful selection of food, alcohol, fine dining and fun for any evening out.

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