Two Little Pigs Charcuterie & Grind Brunswick is one of the more interesting places to open up on the rapidly evolving Sydney Road this year. Being a local, I’m loving the changes that are occurring in the area and am always keen to try out what’s new.
When Two Little Pigs first opened they were extremely busy, helped along by the heavy promotion by Broadsheet of their hot jam doughcakes with caramelised bacon ice-cream. Yes they sound amazing however I don’t think the owners were expecting such high demand. I’d heard a lot of mixed reviews about the food and service in those early days so thought I’d give things a chance to settle down before visiting myself.
So how were things at Two Little Pigs 6 months after launch? The simple answer? Excellent.
The space is bright, white and simple and the fact that the owners, cousins Jonathan Ioannou and Terrence Farrugia love coffee and pork is evident throughout with Charcuterie clearly on display, including smallgoods hanging from the arched roof towards the back of the cafe. The menu offers a range of savoury and sweet breakfast and lunch options with, as the name and visuals indicate, a focus on meat and charcuterie, all of which is created onsite using great quality, fresh, locally sourced produce.
Cappuccino/Flat White ($3.80)
On the coffee front, a house blend is on offer as well as a couple of single origins. Bewing methods on offer include espresso from the La Marzocco Strada, filter and pour-over. I ordered a flat white and Lauren ordered a cappuccino – both were smooth and even tasting and did the trick nicely.
Watermelon Salad ($16.90)
For something light we went for one of the summer options, the watermelon salad. The pomegranate, Persian feta, jamon, pine nuts & rocket all combined nicely. The Jamon isn’t strictly necessary but neither of us were complaining about it – think of it as a bonus.
Charcuturie Breakfast ($19.90)
There was a lot that was tempting on the menu, but we couldn’t visit Two Little Pigs without indulging in some charcuturie. The charcuturie breakfast contains a nice selection of items – fried free range eggs, Serrano jamon, Spanish blood sausage, duck liver pâté, tomato, polski pickles with multigrain toast. I couldn’t fault any of it, with my highlight being the blood sausage which had a great texture and the perfect blood sausage taste. I’m a big fan of black pudding/blood sausage and far too often people get it wrong but not here.
Hot Jam Doughcakes With Caramalised Bacon Icecream (#13.50)
We were already quite full by this stage but of course this was going to happen. The famous item that caused all of the hype at launch is a good one. The doughcakes are supposed to be a cross between pancakes and doughnuts but I didn’t really get the doughtnut bit – they just seem like really nice, thick but light pancakes. The caramelised bacon ice cream really hit the spot nicely – the bacon taste is evident but not too overpowering. Together, both components work really well. The only criticism that Lauren and I both had was that there’s perhaps too much jam in the doughcakes which make them sweeter than they need to be. Texture and flavour wise however, they’re really good.
As well as the dine in menu options, there are a range of cakes, pastries and charcuterie items to take away.
What was clear from my visit to Two Little Pigs was that any issues that they had at launch have long been ironed out. The food is great, the service is friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is nice and relaxed. A perfect weekend brunch spot and a great addition to the burgeoning Sydney Road cafe scene.
Two Little Pigs Charcuterie & Grind
146 Sydney Road
Brunswick
Victoria 3057
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9939 4042
Email: [email protected]
Website: Facebook
Open
Mon – Sun: 7:00am to 4:00pm
