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Black Hogg- 04.29.12

hogg0.jpg Latest culinary adventure from our Tasteologie editor, Jackson Stakeman.

It was stories of their magical popcorn bacon that drew us to Black Hogg. Bacon’s sirens call is powerful, but Black Hogg is more than just this one deep fried delight. This cozy restaurant is located in Silver Lake on Sunset Boulevard near where Silver Lake Blvd sneaks underneath it. The name also includes a subtle slight of hand. Despite the porcine leanings of a place famous for its bacon, a hogg is actually a sort of teenaged sheep. Black Hogg is a black sheep… it’s also an obscurely named, comfort food serving, Silver Lake hotspot that more than lives up to its hype. It surpasses it. Check out some of our delicious adventure on the next page…

The interior is simple and designed by Brendan Ravenhill who recently redesigned Osteria La Buca. Chef/Owner Eric Park’s menu echoes the interior’s focus on high quality simplicity.

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Get the Popcorn Bacon!

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I was pleased to discover the popcorn bacon is something along the lines of popcorn shrimp. The inside feels more like ham or Canadian bacon… meatier more than fatty. Regardless of how you feel about Northern fake bacon in this application it’s for the best. There is more than enough fat in the crunchy exterior and it matches perfectly with the salty interior. The maple crema is a great addition and subtle… enough to evoke memories of breakfast without making you feel like you are eating it.

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As remarkable as popcorn bacon is, I was actually more taken with its fried ball sibling, fried olives. The chef shares my lactose affliction so the honeyed goat cheese was a welcome addition. The olives have a great natural sweetness that the cheese dip really pulls out as you carefully chew around the pit in the center.

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They also offer a duo of raw oysters. Stony Brook and Naked Cowboy.. one sweeter, the other more briny. They are both served with a spicy pickle juice which is good enough to drink straight (which I did).

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We also tried their pork belly tacos. The apple slaw makes a classic pork and apple combination which helps this dish be both familiar and new. It has an internal logic to it… a blend based more on flavors than geographical similarities in modern immigration patterns. It also started an interesting taco trend for the rest of our meal…

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Bone marrow is like pure meat butter… gelatinous and amazing. Serving it with tortillas, which are actually better than some of taco truck offerings around the city, let’s you make your own bone marrow taco. This little trick helps you do the mental gymnastics to get around slurping out the insides of Daisy’s shin.

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Loganiza, a close cousin of chorizo that differs depending on where you are in the Spanish speaking world, forms the backbone of their hash. This is also served with tortillas and makes another fantastic taco, especially when topped with a little bit of runny yolk.

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The Belgian inspired Fat Tire is an interesting choice for the beer batter, but they definitely have their fryer temperature dialed in perfectly. The crust is crackly and the fish is fresh-out-of-a-blast-furnace hot. The thick cut ruffled chips have some tooth to them in the middle. In England Black Hogg’s fish and chips would be fish and crisps and are served with a tangy tartare sauce rather than malt vinegar. I couldn’t resist using a leftover tortilla to turn it into fish taco for our taco collection.

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After all the tacos there is really only one logical place to go for dessert…

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Churros! Theirs are dusted with a chai spiced sugar and served with a small dish of warm walnut oil ganache.

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For now Black Hogg is without a liquor license so be sure to grab a bottle or two from one of the several nearby liquor stores. If you are looking for a wine pairing for your deep fried bacon we went with something white and fruity to cut through some of the fat.

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Black Hogg is a great beginning to a night out on the town to enjoy some of Silver Lake’s unique charms… and there’s some fun street art around to see as you wait for a table…

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3 Notes

I…am…in…love.

Wonderful, porky, love.

----- Justin 02.05.12 17:30

This. looks. amazing. A Yelper’s Dream.

----- Francis 01.05.12 18:30

Wow. I’m going to go for the bacon popcorn! And the bone marrow. Looks so yum.

----- Viv 30.04.12 18:01


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