OINK: A meal at The White Oak Tavern with a surprise at the end

As much fun as Sous Chef and I had at the HoCoBlogs party at White Oak Tavern, we knew we'd have to return on our own in order to have a real meal.

We made the trek to the Enchanted Forest shopping center last night; minus the throng of hungry bloggers, we were impressed by the size of the place - it was roomy and open. Our favorite spot is the bar - a horseshoe of stools specially chosen for their swivelling capabilities, the bartender told us. Apparently backless chairs with a full 360-degree swivel encourage more socializing. One full wall of the bar is made up of reclaimed pallets - the wood is warm and inviting, rustic yet modern.

I had a lot of fun spinning on my stool. Sous Chef was only a little embarrassed, I think.

The food was just...great. We started off with the oyster mushroom fritters - perfect for when you're craving deep-fried crunch. It's served over frisée (I still can't get over how frisée pokes you in the mouth when you eat it - it's like it's making a last-ditch effort to survive) with a spicy sauce and feta cheese.

I ordered the spinach salad as my entrée (I had seen the dessert menu ahead of time), and it was yummy too. A tangy Dijon mustard vinaigrette, caramelized onions, more oyster mushrooms, and a perfectly soft-boiled egg. I recommend getting it with the optional bacon - because when someone offers you bacon, you take it.

Sous Chef ordered the White Oak Burger.

...

...

...I'm sorry, for a minute there I forgot that I was writing a blog post because I was reminiscing about just how damn good that burger was. Grass fed beef. Tangy house sauce. Buttery brioche bun. Sharp white cheddar.

I need to wrap up this post quickly, because the drool is about to short-circuit my Macbook.

While I snuck bites of Sous Chef's burger in between forkfuls of my "I'm going to make a healthy choice!" salad, we chatted with one of the owners who told us of an upcoming event (this is the surprise I teased about in the title of the post) - a pig roast.

As in an entire pig, roasting over a spit, juicy and smoky and as un-vegan-friendly as you can get. In a strip mall along Rt. 40.

God, I love living here.

White Oak takes care to source their ingredients as locally, naturally, sustainably, and seasonally as possible. I'm told the pig they'll have for the roast is most likely coming from Wagon Wheel Ranch in Mt. Airy; much of the pork in their house-made sausage comes from there as well.

The event takes place Sunday, May 25th (that's Memorial Day weekend). Tickets are $25/person, all you can eat. Call the restaurant for details. Or, better yet, GO to the restaurant and get some local, seasonal, deliciously prepared food and talk to them about it while you try not to drool all over your plate.

Oink well.