Restaurant Review of Belly
When I heard there was a new restaurant in Eugene that was serving pork belly, tripe and even had pig’s feet on the menu I had to check it out. I’m obviously down with eating a little swine. Chef/Owner Brendan Mahaney opened on July 4, 2008, but I like to give them a little bit of time to see if they’ll stay open and to work out some kinks. Belly, located in the 5th Street Market area, is fairly small with only about nine tables, perfect. There is minimal décor, a very long chandelier of some sort hanging out in the corner but little else to distract me from the mission at hand. Pork belly.
I’ll get back to the pork belly in just a sec, but I have to mention the appetizers. We started off with the Bacon wrapped manchego cheese stuffed roasted dates and hazelnuts. Yumm! The bacon was perfectly cooked and did not overwhelm the salty creaminess of the cheese as it danced with the sweetness of the dates. What a great start! Next, the Roasted parsnip soup with bleu cheese croute, I’m seeing a theme of sweet and salty and I like it. The soup has a wonderfully rich and smooth texture, perfect for a chilly evening. There are an assortment of other starters from $3 to $9, like Pig’s feet and tripe on toast, and Clams with chorizo. There salads look good too, Beet salad with blood orange and grapefruit and Endive salad with brussel sprouts and bacon. I have to save room, so on to the main course.
Pork belly, to some, is the just cut of meat that bacon is made from. Pork belly to those “in the know” especially chefs is one of the finest things to come out of a pig. Rarely do I see it on menus, which is unfortunate because it is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat. There is a layer of meat, topped with a layer of fat, another layer of meat and topped off with, yes, you guessed it, another layer of fat. The top was perfectly crisp and the meat was ever so tender. Some people enjoy eating the fat, me, not so much, but the fat is crucial for the flavor and the texture. It was served on a bed of lentils, which were nicely cooked, not too soft, with some crispy onions as the garnish. My friends Filet mignon was well seasoned and very tasty but I was a little underwhelmed with the mashed potatoes and the demi glace that was on the meat. They also have a small but impressive selection of wines mostly from France and Italy, I chose a Tempranillo from Spain, delightful. Dinner entrees run from $15-$20, and I am told they change their menu two to three times a week, using a lot of organic and local products.
All in all I’d say Belly gets 3 out of five little piggys.
