Au Pied de Cochon – Just Let Go and Indulge

I was intrigued when I heard that Au Pied de Cochon was one of Anthony Bourdain’s favorite restaurants. Given that the restaurant’s name means “At the Pig’s Foot”, I’m not surprised as Mr. Bourdain is known for his infatuation of all things pork. However, the restaurant is about more than pork; it’s about indulging in all things rich and comforting. The main menu is filled with a meaty assortment of pork, beef, and duck dishes (vegetarians need not enter). Foie gras even has its own section as a “meat” with over 10 menu items…a foie gras lover’s dream!
The restaurant has a lively yet laid-back feel. It is non-descript (no sign outside) but full of warmth as sunlight from the large windows and skylights cast a glow on the honey-colored wood throughout the dining room. The staff also provided excellent service in an easygoing manner. It was good to be in such a comfortable environment as I let go and ate myself senseless…

Foie Gras Poutine – poutine is to Canada as what chili-cheese fries are to the South. Up here, the Canadians top french fries with gravy and cheese curds...and Chef Picard then takes it one step further by adding a velvety slab of foie gras on top of it all. The gravy on this poutine was ABSOLUTELY MINDBLOWING! I don’t know if I can adequately describe it…imagine a gravy that’s thick, buttery, warm, creamy, and oh-so-savory, then multiply that goodness by 1,000. I cant' get over how good it was! Needless to say, I did not leave a single drop of gravy on the plate.
Plogue à Champlain – deliciously addictive! This dish consisted of a buckwheat pancake topped with cheese, potatoes, thick-cut bacon, and foie gras. And on top of that was Quebec maple syrup, chopped apples, and parsley. The contrasting sweet and savory flavors were in perfect harmony. It was like having dinner and dessert wrapped up in an exceptionally decadent bite! [Not surprisingly, I'm salivating as I write about this!]
Seafood Platter – the restaurant had a huge display of fresh/live seafood, so I thought it’d be a good idea to "balance" our heavy courses with a seafood platter...little did I know it'd be a gigantic mound of seafood! It was a heaping assortment of stuffed mussels, conch, razor clams, calamari, cherrystone clams, oysters, and even bowl of periwinkles sauteed in black bean sauce. Prepared with a number of different sauces and marinades, this was much more elaborate than the typical raw seafood platter. It’s now clear why this dish wasn’t served first. I did find all this seafood to be overwhelming though, and would have rather had the option to choose a few seafood items from the menu instead.
Dark Chocolate Pot de Crème – Luckily, I always have an extra stomach for dessert so I didn’t miss out on this luscious chocolatey goodness. It was so scrumptious with the graham cracker crumbles.
The restaurant also served this terrific spearmint green tea by Kusmi. I liked it so much that I found it online and ordered some afterwards. Too bad I can’t have that orgasmic poutine and plogue shipped to me as well. For now, I guess I’ll have to longingly count the days until my next visit to Au Pied de Cochon.

BITE METER: Au Pied de Cochon – 4.4 bites (out of 5)