Enjoy Connecticut-Style BBQ At The One-Eyed Pig

Huge renovations are underway at the One-Eyed Pig BBQ, but that doesn’t stop the kitchen from cranking out the signature Whackadoo BBQ and other One-Eyed Pig favorites. Aromas of apple and hickory smoke mixed with hints of bacon and pork continue to scent the air, drawing crowds to the 71 South Main Street establishment.

Since the One-Eyed Pig BBQ’s kitchen opened in February 2010, diners have enjoyed sandwiches and platters filled most often with pork, or ribs flavored with a dry rub then placed inside a smoker for hours. Side dishes of baked macaroni and cheese, baked beans, smashed potato salad, homemade coleslaw, fresh-cut One-Eyed Pig (OEP) fries, sweet potato fries, and more fill the front and back of laminated menus found at each table or private booth.

The idea behind the changes, said Jay Daly, who along with William Piccirillo owns the bar and restaurant, is to create an inclusive atmosphere that welcomes not only bar patrons, but couples, business people, and families, as well. Where formerly the bar and dining areas were separated by a wall, a large open space filled with bar-height tables and chairs now pulls everyone into the action. From any corner of the room, one of five televisions — including two large flat screen televisions — can be viewed.

There truly are one-eyed pigs watching over the comings and goings, too; the three mounted boar heads each having been donated to the owners, and each sporting a black eye patch.

“My partner grew up on a pig farm in South Carolina,” explained Mr Daly, “where he actually had a one-eyed pig at one time. That’s where they name came from. We actually came up with the name before we added the kitchen.”

The monovision porcine props do not take away from the hometown feel, though, balanced by the antique farm implements bordering the ceiling line, an old-time clock swaying above one table, and photographs of locals at the One-Eyed Pig framed and ready to hang on the walls when renovations are completed.

Regulars are familiar with the quality live music that is featured each Thursday and Saturday night at the One-Eyed Pig, and performers will soon have a stage, located in the front corner of the dining area, from which to strut their stuff. And coming soon, acoustic solo or duo, every Friday, from 5 to 8 pm. Plenty of floor space near the stage is set off for those who like to dance.

Beyond the bar, four roomy booths beneath a quaint, corrugated tin roof provide a semiprivate area for diners, and are especially popular with families, said Mr Daly. Still to come are individual televisions at each booth, for viewing any of the NFL or other sports games.

The One-Eyed Pig is pleased to offer the entire NFL ticket, Mr Daly said, meaning that every televised football game, including Thursday nights, can be seen at the bar and restaurant throughout the season. With five televisions showing different games, it is rare that a customer cannot find a game to his or her liking on view, he added.

Also under construction as of November 2011 is an elevated “Pig Pen,” an elevated wraparound booth and table that will give a pig’s eye view of the entire restaurant, perfect for large groups.

Whether there for a date night or with a group, appetizers like chicken wings or pork tornadoes — pulled pork mixed with slaw and a dash of hot sauce, then rolled in a wrap and sliced (dip each piece in bleu cheese dressing, or not) soon fill the table. Customers are digging into the appetizer portion of rack of ribs with fries, and downing the slider combo, mini portions of the signature burger, pulled pork sandwich, and Whackadoo BBQ to kick off the evening, too.

A Johnson & Wales University College of Culinary Arts graduate and chef, Mr Daly has worked in the food business all over the Northeast, and helped to open a restaurant in 1994 in Katmandu, Nepal, where he built the only wood-burning pizza oven in the Katmandu Valley.

Since stepping away from years in the food industry, Mr Daly has focused on introducing Connecticut-style barbecue to Newtown. He and Mr Piccirillo had visited barbecue restaurants and bars throughout the Northeast, sampling and comparing menus and cuisine. As the kitchen’s installation progressed, they determined a taste that would work, he said. It was Mr Daly who was responsible for planning the kitchen and menu.

“We didn’t want to replicate Memphis or Carolina barbecue … we chose our own style.” Since leaving his 17-year career in the food industry, he is taking careful steps to bring a successful menu and dining to the One-Eyed Pig.

The partners are looking to broaden the crowd of regular patrons that stop in, either for a cocktail or lunch or dinner. They take pride in the transformation of the One-Eyed Pig from gloomy bar room to Newtown’s hangout for a fun and casual downtime. Mr Daly walks through the bar and restaurant each morning, making sure the large paper table cloths — a perfect match for the buckets of crayons — are in place and ready for the afternoon and evening guests. Youth groups, each child accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian as required by the café license, find the One-Eyed Pig a friendly spot at which to gather, postgame.

 “We are really promoting the family atmosphere,” said Mr Daly. Local coaches might take up a dining room table, ordering appetizers and dinner to fuel them through a session of planning football plays or baseball strategies for the season. Parents bring their children in on weekends for fries and chicken nuggets. Adult league teams stop by for a pitcher of domestic brew and wings. Football, soccer, and baseball fans crowd the large-screen televisions and bar, with their beer set side-by-side with an order of sweet potato fries and a cheeseburger.

A kid’s menu features mini grilled cheese sandwiches, a quarter-rack of rib, or chicken nuggets, all served with fries, as well as Bond’s Farm Mac & Cheese.

The Whackadoo, a dish of pulled pork barbecue hash that sizzles for several minutes on the grill, has become a staple already, Mr Daly said. “The wings, the hand-pressed burger, and our pulled pork sandwich are our tops in sales, though,” he said.

He also noted the success of the Happy Trough, a hash stacked with OEP fries, slaw, then topped with a crisp fried egg, and touch of hot sauce.

Thinly sliced smoked brisket sandwich with fries, or a full plate of the brisket have met with great response, said Mr Daly.

Zesty sauces, including a vinegar-based mop sauce, Cluckin’ Sauce, which is a balance of sweet, tangy flavors and a hint of heat, and homemade barbecue sauce are placed at each table to complement the fare.

A sampling of weekend and “Daly” specials include; Mondays: 50-cent wings; Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays: $2.50 Pabst Blue Ribbon pints, $7.50 PBR pitchers; Thursdays: $4 Guinness pints; Saturdays and Sundays: $4 roast beef sandwich, 11:30am to 3 pm. New Happy Hour specials: Monday to Friday, 4 to 6 pm: $2 Bud and Bud Light bottles, $2 Bud Light and PBR Pints, and half-price appetizers. All specials are for dine-in customers only.

For those who cannot stay and mingle with the crowd, OEP Party Wings are a popular item to carry away, and are available for takeout only. A small tray of 40 wings is available for $35, or a large, 100 wing tray, for $70.

Pig roasts and catering by One-Eyed Pig are available. For information, call 203-270-0391 or e-mail info@oneeyedpig.com. Check in with the One-Eyed Pig on Facebook.com for a catering menu, band schedule, and upcoming events, or visit the website www.oneeyedpigbbq.com. Contact the Vroom Service Now for takeout delivery service; call 203-270-3663.

Due to the establishment’s license, a parent or guardian must accompany guests under 21 years old.

One-Eyed Pig BBQ, 71 South Main Street is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 am to 1 am, and Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 2 am. The kitchen is open from 11:30 am to 9 pm Sunday through Wednesday, and from 11:30 am to 10 pm on Thursday through Saturday. For more information, call 203-270-0391.