Restaurant Review: The Ravenous Pig

Bryan and I had heard and read fabulous reviews about The Ravenous Pig so we knew we wanted to try it eventually. It’s a bit pricier than your average dinner out so we waited for a special occasion to make a reservation. My birthday was this month, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Bryan called on Wednesday to make Saturday night reservations and all that was available was 9 pm. (Note to self: Call at least a week in advance for weekend reservations!)

I love the concept of The Ravenous Pig. It’s owned and operated by James and Julie Petrakis, James is the chef and Julie does the desserts. They offer a menu that changes daily based on what’s in season and availability. Our server explained that whenever possible they try to source organic ingredients and support local suppliers.

We arrived about 30 minutes prior to our reservation to enjoy a drink at the bar. We let the hostess know we were there and she said she would find us when our table was ready. The entire restaurant and bar was PACKED, but we managed to find one empty seat at the bar. Once we sat down, we browsed the wine and beer menu. They only carry micro brews so we decided to try out some of the beers. We both started with the Southhampton Double White Ale. A yummy wheat beer that was perfect for my taste. We also enjoyed a bowl (and a half) of some quite delicious caramel corn.

After Bryan finished his first beer, he tried the Erie Railbender. This one tasted like cranberries. Bryan wasn’t the biggest fan but he managed to finish it (no sense in wasting a beer!). Shortly after Bryan ordered his second beer, our table was ready so we closed our bar tab and followed the hostess.

We had begun to browse the menu at the bar as well as check out some of the goods people around us ordered but there are just so many options, we wanted to try EVERYTHING! We decided to start with the Lobster Tacos.

They looked and tasted absolutely delicious. The lobster chunks were pretty big, but we were slightly disappointed they were lightly fried. The avocado cream and cabbage complemented the lobster. We really enjoyed these, however will probably not order again since they were fried.

We also ordered the House Made Gruyere Biscuits. The cheese was quite strong. They were good, but I don’t feel the need to try them again.

I decided to start with the Gatherer Salad.


Yum! Everything about this salad was delicious. I loved the crunchy pistachios and the plentiful chunks of avocados. All the greens tasted incredibly fresh. I can’t wait to try some of their other wonderful salads.

For our main course, I went with a half order of the Spring Carbonara Pasta. I normally would have not selected a dish that typically has a heavy cream sauce like alfredo, however our server informed us that they don’t use cream in their restaurant. To create the sauce, they use egg and lemon juice. This sold me!

I could definitely taste the lemon and the porchetta chunks were huge! There was no shortage of meat in this dish. The half portion was the perfect size paired with the salad. I even ate (some) of the peas, which, if you know me, is a REALLY BIG DEAL!

Bryan easily enjoyed the star dish of the evening. He ordered the Niman Ranch Lamb Leg.

TO DIE FOR. Everything about this dish was AMAZING. The lamb was incredibly tender and flavorful. I would order this again in a heartbeat. Bryan raved multiple times during this course about how this was one of the best meals he’s ever had.

Finally, since it was my birthday celebration, we ended the evening with some Bread Pudding.

This did not disappoint either. The bread pudding was warm and toasty and the malt ice cream was a delicious accompaniment.

From start to finish, this meal was fabulous. We could definitely tell how fresh all the ingredients were and that everything was made with thought and care. I see another evening out to The Ravenous Pig in our near future. Can’t wait!