Review: Finding the Wow! at Atlanta’s Iberian Pig Restaurant

Over the last few years, my husband and I have traveled to some of the most exciting, culinary destinations in the world. Paris, Florence, Rio de Janeiro, New York and Buenos Aires- just to name a few. We always manage to find great restaurants, but finding a ‘Wow!’ is rare. Even more rare, is finding a ‘Wow!’ experience in our current hometown of Atlanta. Sure, we have a few restaurants that are definitely worth talking about, but before our chance visit to the Iberian Pig, ‘Wow!’s in Atlanta were few and far between. Here’s a quick story about how the restaurant with a funny name has stolen our hearts and become one of our favorite places to dine when we’re not traveling!

One day, a friend of ours gave us a gift certificate to the Iberian Pig We hadn’t heard of this little hot spot before, but we were game to try it out. Giving that this is Atlanta and there was the word ‘pig’ in the name of the restaurant, we assumed that it was just another place serving southern b.b.q. Boy were we wrong! When we walked up to the rustic building in Decatur, which is a quaint town half way between downtown Atlanta and Stone Mountain, we were immediately put at ease. What we assumed was a low-key southern b.b.q. joint, was actually a really hip Spanish-inspired eatery. Feeling a little more excited, we entered to meet a smiling hostess who seated us immediately.

Within minutes of being seated, we were greeted by our waiter who offered to start us with a cocktail from their classic bar menu, the house special being the Iberian Old Fashion or some fresh sangria. Seeing as we were in a Spanish-inspired restaurant, we went with the sangria. Which, we both agreed was absolutely the best sangria in town! As we glanced over the extensive wine list, we noticed that there was a little section for those of us that are not an aficionado of fine wines. This to me, completely describes the spirit of the restaurant and staff. Simple, casual, fun, outgoing, helpful and unpretentiously serving the best-of-the-best in food and wine.

Next up, the menu. The menu is a masterpiece and is the creation of head Chef Chad Crete, who by the way, I found out is from my home town Manchester, NH. As this was our first time to the Iberian Pig, our waiter was more than ready to give us a tour of the menu, complete with his ‘must have’ recommendations. We learned that the ‘funny name’ of the restaurant is actually inspired by the black Iberian pig that is indigenous to the Iberian peninsula in Spain. On the menu, you’ll find cured meats that are made from this rare pig. Specifically, Jamón ibérico de bellota and Jamón ibérico are two of the finest cured meats in the world, and yes, the Iberian Pig is one of the few restaurant in the USA that serves not just one of these, but both!

What I love, is that the menu itself is not overwhelming in size and each dish is completely explained. There are about a dozen-plus tapas to select from and slightly less main plates. Everything on the menu sounds and looks amazing, so choosing isn’t easy. For us, we decided to share a few tapas and then share one main course, which in the end was plenty of food!

Here’s what made my Top 5 list of must-have tapas.

1. Tocino con Manzana – Slow braised Kurobuta pork belly, Granny Smith and  Fiji apple salad with Laird’s Applejack, citrus-honey yogurt, candied walnuts,  apple cider reduction, and Chilean extra virgin olive oil

2. Manchego Mac ‘n’ Cheese – Garganelli pasta, Manchego crème, fresh thyme

3. Braised Veal Shank Ravioli - Handmade ravioli, stuffed with slow braised veal  shank, served with a Rioja-cream sauce, black truffle crème fraiche, white truffle oil,  roasted shitake mushrooms, fresh thymeasparagus, roasted butternut squash, caramelized pearl onions,  roasted  baby beets, micro greens, hazelnut oil

4. Tapas B.W.D. - Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Manchego cheese and walnuts, romesco dipping sauce

5. Eggplant Fries – Crispy eggplant fries with a spicy red pepper aioli

Salivating yet? Now on to the main plates.

1. Cabrito Carbonara – Slow roasted goat with chittara pasta tossed in a carbonara sauce with Benton’s bacon, fresh cream and a poached egg

2. T.I.P. Chicken - Crispy Ashley Farms chicken breast dressed with paprika, Macedonian dates, Serrano ham, and Mahon cheese. Served with goat cheese croquetas and Jamón Ibérico tortoloni

3. Spanish Lamb Ribs – Slow roasted with fennel, shallots, and lamb  sausage. Served with roasted saffron cauliflower, brussel sprouts, Benton’s  bacon, housemade barbeque sauce, and Pedro Ximenez wine reduction

4. Vieiras Con Cremas – Maine diver scallops, caramelized parsnips, tempura long stem artichokes, arugula, champagne vinaigrette, roasted infused tomatoes, grilled corn crema sauce

5. Quinoa y Verduras – Red quinoa with sage, celery-root puree, asparagus, roasted butternut squash, caramelized pearl onions,  roasted baby beets, micro greens, hazelnut oil

I know that I’m talking a lot about the food. And yes, it’s definitely worth talking all day about because it’s amazing. Yet, it’s not the reason that we keep going back. Although they are owned and operated by the Castellucci Hospitality Group, it’s the on-site partners Federico Castellucci and Chad Crete that inspire their staff to consistently provide topnotch, yet slightly laid-back service, leaving their patrons to want for nothing. As always, perfection comes from the top. Passion is infused into the core of the restaurant, and it shows through the food, the staff and how, even in times where dining out is a luxury, this little hot spot with a funny name is always packed! This is why, without a doubt, how this restaurant stole our hearts and made us say Wow!

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