I call it beer babble. Mainly because I'm not smart enough to understand it. I overheard it again, this time at the Pig & Fiddle, the three-month-old pub near the corner of 50th and France. Four guys were sitting at the bar, engaged in a passionate discussion. From afar, you might have thought they were talking about "Star Trek" or maybe something to do with the upcoming Hobbit movie. The level of nerdiness was that apparent.They spoke of quads (Quadrupel-style Belgian beers) and IBUs (International Bitterness Units). Like I said: beer babble.
This is good news for the pub's owners, Mark van Wie and Paul Schatz, two guys who know their beer. For almost a decade, the duo's Muddy Pig in St. Paul has reigned as a top Twin Cities destination for adventurous beer-drinking. Now they're hoping this retail district on the border of Minneapolis and Edina -- an area better-known for shopping sprees than Surly fans -- will embrace their second bar, Pig & Fiddle.
So far, so good. After the always-popular Fulton, the top-selling beer at Pig & Fiddle is Tripel Karmeliet, a high-alcohol, bold-flavored Belgian that costs $7 a glass.
"Turns out people will drink beer anywhere," Van Wie joked with me last week.
Let's take a look at what this Pig is offering.
Concept:
The original Muddy Pig is the type of place you walk into and yell, "Hey, give me an Isid'or from Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven," and the bartenders know what you're talking about. Beyond the esoteric suds, the pub is beloved for simply being a neighborhood joint that's gotten better with age (and a little wear and tear).
Its new sister bar is a Pig of a different sort -- she's all dolled up. Located in half of the former Pearson's, the bar features a shiny white granite bar-top, murals in the dining room and a Euro country-style menu courtesy of chef Stephanie Kochlin (formerly a sous chef at Heartland). The food is a step up from the other Pig, with Kochlin culling her menu from all over Europe. It's old-country grub meant to satisfy us hardworking peasants. Think: pierogies, pasties, stews.