Food: Noble Pig A Recent Addition To North Austin

Remember that old nursery rhyme about the little piggy that went to market? Newsflash: it's a pretty big risk to go to market if you're a piggy, because you might just wind up between two slices of bread.

Case-in-point: a new sandwich shop in north Austin called Noble Pig. As its name implies, Noble Pig serves a whole lot of pork. But the shop's focus is broader and, if word on the street is any indication, food fare is delicious across the board.

That's likely because two experienced locals run the show: John Bates (formerly of Wink and Asti) and Brandon Mar­tinez (formerly of Whole Foods). Their new place serves breakfast, but lunch is what really shines.

Lunch service at Noble Pig starts at 10:30 am. Sandwich offerings include: smoked duck pastrami with Russian dressing and rye pickles ($8), Italian sausage with roasted tomato, herbs and provolone ($7) and spicy ham, pulled pork, provolone and bacon ($8). There's even something for the vegetarians: pressed cauliflower and three cheeses ($7). Take a gander at the full menu.

What catapults these sandwiches into the the realm of ridiculous-delicious is that everything is done from scratch: both all the charcuterie and all the sides (slaw, pickles). Even the bread is baked fresh.

If you're interested in checking out the place, early January might be a good bet. On the evening of January 8th, Noble Pig will offer a four-course local market menu at $55 per person. The line-up includes:

• Warm winter vegetable salad with a bagna caoda dressing, white truffle oil and hazelnuts
• Duck tortellini with shaved duck pastrami and a parmesan-egg sauce
• Pork and Beans
• Corned pork belly, roasted loin and crispy trotters with white beans, edamame and Russian kale
• Rustic apple tart with crème friache-apple granita and spiced caramel

Note that this dinner event is BYOB. You can make reservations by e-mailing noblepigaustin [at] gmail.com, or giving the Noble Pig a call.

The Noble Pig is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch. Hours are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday. It is located at 11815 620 N, Suite 4. Phone is (512) 382-6248.