Today my wife got a job offer. We started looking through the lame lists of “let’s try this sometime” restaurants we each have compiled on our phones. Essentially, we needed a better source of ideas for new spots.
I told my wife to go to this blog to which I have recently become enchanted—mmm-yoso!!! Now the idea wasn’t just to look at his restaurant ideas, but to look at all the San Diego based food blogs he recommends in his sidebar.
Quickly going through those, it didn’t take my wife long to find a place she wanted to try for her celebration, Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen.
We made a beeline to Oceanside, taking full advantage of the HOV lane and got there around 5:15, early enough to get in without a reservation. The vibe was slightly pretentious and creepy, and I did have a reservation. I’ve always wanted to answer “Do you have a reservation?” with “Yeah. I have a few reservations, but my wife wants to eat here.”
Overall the service was a bit too high-touch for my liking, and I felt rushed to order. One of my personal peeves is knowing that I am going to spend a lot of money, and feeling like it was “Wham! Bam! Thank you, ma’am.” I was a little worried I wouldn’t have much of an experience.
I was wrong.
We started with the Pork Belly starter, which was like $24. It was on cornbread, but I swear it was a boldly and brilliantly slightly burnt Jiffy pancake. My mom made Jiffy cornbread pancakes and I swear that’s exactly what this pig was sleeping on. However, my mom would never have had the inspiration to intentionally burn it just a little, just right. It was fantastic. My son didn’t want us to order it, but he loved it, as did my wife and I. It was a perfect appetizer.
My son had the tri tip sando with fries. He said it was the one of the best sandwiches he’s ever had. I tried it and understood what he meant. It was good.
My wife got the Bolognese. She thought the sauce was amazing and gave me a taste. It was really great. I ended up eating a fair amount of her dish, and the thick noodles and meaty sauce were wonderful. Someone in the kitchen deserves a raise.
I got “The Steak” which has a slightly complicated meaning. Apparently whatever “The Steak” is changes all the time. I ended up with a 12 ounce ribeye au poivre with the mashed potatoes to please my son. I made my son and wife try the steak and the potatoes. All three of us made the same face upon the first bite. This shit is amazing!
BTW, my vegetables—broccoli and squash—were cooked to perfection. While we were eating, the place filled up and had a delightful unpretentious vibe—the opposite of my initial concerns. A couple with a toddler sat next to us. He even spilled his milk and the staff was delightful in their tender way of allaying the family’s embarrassment.
On a side note, I am trying to instill the practice of gratitude into myself and my family. I asked my son what he is grateful for. He said, “This amazing meal… Oh and that mom got a job offer.” My wife said it was a perfect celebratory meal.
I will get the bad stuff out of the way now… I thought the staff was too high-touch. I don’t like being asked a million times if everything is tasting ok. I really didn’t like them taking away my son’s plate with most of his fries when he got up to go to the bathroom. They didn’t even ask. I was worried he would come back and be mad at us for letting them take his fries. Luckily, he was cool about it. My wife felt jipped on her two drinks. What she really wanted was a big margarita. Her $15 “Pier View Pirate” and her $14.50 “On a Mission” disappointed. We also waited a long time for dessert, the underwhelming beignets. It’s kind of funny how at first they were too fast, and then at the end they were too slow.
Our bill was $181 before tip.
Aside from that, this was an amazing meal. If I ever want to impress someone with good American pub food, Flying Pig will be on the short list.
If you care about how your food tastes. check out their website:
Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen Oceanside, San Diego, California – Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen
They know how to cook!