Porchetta is the pork dish of the gods. Italians have perfected the crispy fatty skin with the succulent meat that hides underneath, waiting for you to take a bite. The juices spill and explode in your mouth with a variety of salty umami flavours that puts you in an instant (but rewarding) food coma afterwards.
The new porchetta hot spot is Porco in NDG. It’s a cute casual spot with family-style tables, perfect for getting together with loved ones and meeting new people. And they really encourage the family-style motif, with a bookshelf filled with children’s books and a menu both adults and kids will absolutely adore.
The menu has a variety of deliciously tasty plates. First off, the porchetta. Porco does a great job with theirs. It’s not too greasy and the meat and tender and succulent. We love the bits of crispy skin that have the perfect salty crunch. Have it sliced or in a sandwich with crotonese cheese and a spicy spread for an extra kick. Order it. Trust us, this meat is addictive.
If you’re not in the mood for porchetta (you must be mad), their other offerings are also delicious. For something a little healthier, their mixed green salad with parmigiano and croutons. It’s the perfect palate cleanser with a citrusy kick to prepare you for the meal to come.
We absolutely love their pork Milanese. You’ve never tried pork like this! The meat is breaded in bagel crumbs mixed with parmigiano and herbs, and a generous amount of pecorino sage sauce is poured on top. This dish is really something else. It’s reminiscent of going to Nonna’s house for dinner or lunch!
And the perfect accompaniment to the pork Milanese? Pasta of course! Porco has pasta specials every week, and we got to try the decadent basil cavatelli. The pasta is homemade and you can tell with every bite. The cavatelli is served with the perfect tomato sauce and a huge dollop of ricotta on top to make it creamy and addictive. Ricotta should be served on every pasta dish, in our humble opinion.
For dessert, you have to try their bomboloni. These delicious balls of fried dough are a little extra at Porco, as they are served with pork sugar on top! What is pork sugar? Well, it’s porchetta fat that has crystallized into something resembling sugar. Porco then mixes it with sugar to give these bomboloni the salty sweet flavour you will love.
Grab your friends and head on over to Porco, where their top priorities are to serve the community and to feed your stomachs.
5674 Monkland, Montreal, Quebec
(514) 379-1156
Photos by Dahlia Merlo (@dahllii).
