Restaurant Review: Black Pig Bistro

 

Bridgeland has always held a special place in my heart. When I young I attended the local Langevin Elementary school when I lived nearby. Now when I drive or walk by it still brings back great memories. It hard to imagine what the old Bridgeland community used to look like now with all the new development since they tore down the old General Hospital, but everything looks amazing and I’m so glad they revitalized that area. Especially with all the new great stores and restaurants opening in the area, it’s really turned in to a quaint little part of town. Plus with the new addition of The Black Pig Bistro, it was just what the area called for.

Atmosphere: Bright dining area with windows providing natural light

to the room contrasting the dark eye catching décor. An intimate space well suited for romantic dinners or small group get-togethers.

Price Range: Mid $10s - $20+

Food & Wine: It’s not often you see Iberico ham on the menu and therefore whenever we do, we indulge. The Fermin Jamon Iberico is a Spanish delicacy, it’s a top grade cured ham made from black pigs that are served with an acorn diet. At the bistro they serve the ham with traditional tomato olive oil rubbed baguette slices which allow the taste of the salty ham shine through. The best part of the iberico ham in my opinion is the fatty slices, which melts like butter on the tongue and best eaten by itself.

 

Another item that’s our usual choice is the Chicken Liver Parfait when it’s on the menu. There’s just something special about the whipped creaminess of the parfait especially when spread over some crispy crostinis. It’s also the perfect pairing for wine and makes for a great sharing platter. The Salt Cod Tortellini definitely caught my attention. We could never get enough of bacalao (salt cod) while we were in Spain and Portugal, another specialty of the region and not very prevalent in North America. The tortellini had a nice chewy pasta layer encompassing the briny cod mixture inside. Served with a piquillo pepper puree and crispy kale chips, it made for a visually striking dish.

For the mains we started with the Beef Cheek Risotto, made with mascarpone giving it a nice buttery texture and saffron which provided the beautiful golden hue. This is the perfect plate for sharing because of its generous portion size. Plus, then you can also sample the other mains such as the Pork & Beans. It’s a combination of edamame, broad and white beans with fennel and mint served with roasted porchetta. I really enjoyed the different textural contrasts of the various beans used in this dish combining it with the au jus and smokiness of the porchetta the overall plate was well composed. The Alberta Rib Eye Steak was prepared with latin flavours utilizing chimichurri on the dish to bring forward the meaty flavours of the rib eye. Accompanied by crunchy broccolini spears, it’s perfect for those who are carb conscious. The rib eye itself is tender and cooked perfectly to order.

 

There were quite a few different dessert selections that caught our eye but we decided on the Flourless Chocolate Cake and the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. They were a nice contrast to each other, the chocolate cake being dark and decadent with peanut butter fig ice cream and a velvety smooth chocolate pudding. Out of the two I would have to choose the panna cotta due to the citrusy passion fruit. Along with the coconut brioche, pistachios and toasted coconut, it was truly amazing. The flavours were so bright and perfectly balanced, not overly sweet yet still enough flavour so you can taste the passion fruit in each bite plus the panna cotta was so smooth. The perfect ending to a great meal!

My Picks: Jamon Iberico, Pork and Beans, Passion Fruit Panna Cotta

Overall: A bistro was exactly what Bridgeland needed especially one with Spanish flare. I was extremely excited to hear about the new restaurant and it’s definitely lived up to its hype. I’m looking forward to what’s next at the bistro and can’t wait to come back.

Black Pig Bistro
825 1st Ave NE
Calgary, AB
(403)460-0350
Website: blackpigbistro.ca