In the gastropub world, a porky nod in the title tends to elicit feelings of excitement: The Ravenous Pig in Orlando, The Purple Pig in Chicago, Noble Pig Sandwiches in Austin, you get the picture. Hollywood just received it's newest porcine-inspired gastropub: The Tipsy Boar.
The new spot, which opened a week ago, is the creation of owner Fulvio Sardelli, of Sardelli Italian Steakhouse, Vino, Fuvlio's 1900, and more. Clean Plate Charlie caught up with Sardelli to find out more about his newest and most casual spot.
See also:
- Sardelli Italian Steakhouse in Hollywood: Awesome, But It'll Cost You
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- Kill the Gastropub: Burgers and Beers Will Do
The goal of the Tipsy Boar is to serve as the neighborhood bar. According to Sardelli, "I'm just looking for a place I can go nibble on something, have a beer, watch the game, and have another beer."
Since opening last week, the spot has been focusing on ironing out the kinks: sorting out the menu, training staff, seeing what people like and order. They have only been open during nights, but are hoping to start serving lunch on Monday. The goal is to open seven days a week -- including Sunday brunch -- from 11:30 to 2 a.m.
As the name suggests, it is a pig-centric menu. "We wanted to be in the pig area, so I went hunting and shot a boar," he says while proudly showing off a picture. "We are doing a lot with pork and pork belly." The menu is full of items one would expect to see at a gastropub: pork belly caesar ($10), sausage burger ($12), deviled eggs ($4), lobster macaroni and cheese ($18), pork chop ($19). Many of the dishes, including the pizzas, are made in the restaurant's wood-burning oven.
In keeping with the gastropub vibe, the restaurant has a huge draft and bottled beer selection, as well as a considerable selection of bourbons and whiskeys. For eight bucks, the restaurant offers beer flights, which can include samples of most (some of the more expensive options are not included) of the beers on tap. Currently, they are working on a list of beer cocktails.
"We wanted to do something different for the area," says Sardelli, "We opened this space with the intention of eventually using the outside area for events and as a bar. It's hard to only do high price points. It excludes a lot of people. This is much more approachable."
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