Stephen Rex Brown Cook Nicola De Mori behind some of the meats at Porchetta.Hog. Porchetta may no longer be hogging the spotlight where herbed roast pork sandwiches are concerned. First there was the $16 porchetta sandwich at Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, and now a new contender by the name of “Porchetta.Hog” has entered the swineosphere.
The takeout spot opened earlier this month at 309 East Fifth Street, just a few blocks away from Porchetta, and it too is serving $10 porchetta sandwiches, as well as $8 hamburgers and a handful of other dishes (the full menu is below).
Nicola De Mori, a son of one of the co-owners of the new eatery, said that all the food is made in-house and that next month Porchetta.Hog would open a bakery in the table-free space, as well. Until June 8 a buy-one-get-one-free deal is in effect. The eatery’s other co-owner is Giusto Priola, who also owns Caccio e Vino, Ballaro and Cacio e Pepe.
Stephen Rex Brown Porchetta.Hog at 309 East Fifth Street.Matt Lindemulder, a co-owner of Porchetta (on East Seventh Street) was aware of the new challenger. “They serve theirs cold, we serve ours hot and fresh. In terms of quality there is no competition — that doesn’t concern us. But in terms of the name, there is some concern,” said Mr. Lindemulder, who added that customers have asked if Porchetta is associated with the new business.
Indeed, a discussion about the similar monickers has already popped up on Chowhound, with one poster opining that the name Porchetta.Hog “really shows a lack of foresight on the part of whoever owns this new place – or, perhaps, shadiness in trying to glom onto another place’s popularity.” Another counters, “Porchetta is Italian for whole roasted pig. There is no reason they can’t use that name, with the word Hog after it.”
