Answering the trough’s call
Sure you’ll never eat it all, but should that stop you from giving it the annual Pig Out try?
Spokane’s favorite oink-fest kicks off Thursday morning in Riverfront Park with 45 food booths, three beer and wine gardens and more music than you can shake a teriyaki skewer at. Seven dollars or less will buy you more chow at Pig Out in the Park than you could have imagined in your most calorie-deprived fantasies. You can score a plate of noodles that you could share with at least three friends, a two-fisted sandwich guaranteed to defile your shirt or strawberry shortcake that isn’t “short” by anybody’s standards.
If chocolate-smothered decadence is your style, you’ll be in hog heaven.
“Every year there is the item… This year it’s anything dipped in chocolate,” says organizer Bill Burke. There will be chocolate-covered strawberries, bananas and ice cream bars galore — and for the most guilt bite for bite, chocolate-dipped cheesecake slices.
That also happens to be the specialty of the only food booth that has been around as long as Pig Out, Burke says. “Boehm’s (Chocolate and Flowers) is the only one that has been here every year for 25 years. Azar’s comes close, but only Boehm’s can brag that right.”
Like most years, you’ll find about a third of the vendors are new. Look for the debut of Spokandy, White Box Pies and Fugazzi among others.
Although it may feel like you’ve eaten it all when you’re topping off a piroshky with an elephant ear — you aren’t even close. Pig Out vendors served up some 133,000 dishes, 75,000 soft drinks and 25,000 glasses of beer and wine at last year’s event,
To make the most of your appetite, you’ll have to be choosy. (And wear loose pants.) Here’s our Extreme Guide to Pig Out in the Park and this year’s menu so you can start working on your plan of attack:
Most Chocolate: Boehm’s Chocolate and Flowers will undoubtedly be one of the booths awash in the most chocolate. They’ll be hand-dipping ice cream bars and cheesecake in chocolate and nuts and drenching bananas. But don’t miss Chocoberry’s and Valentino’s who will have an assortment of chocolate-covered treats.
Messiest Eats: Just try not to drip the sauce from the Pinocchio’s Italian Express meatball sandwich or spaghetti and meatballs on your tie. You may want to leave it at the office when you slip out for lunch in the park.
Most Decadent: I may have to report back after the weekend is over, because there are so many possibilities: Mary Lou’s brownie sundaes, strawberry shortcake a la mode at Coool Stuff, dessert banana chimis from Aracellia’s Mexican Restaurant. Pig Out newcomer Spokandy sounds like it may have a contender this year: Truffle sundae anyone?
Spiciest: This is another crowded category. Try the curries from Taste of India or Thai food from the Thai Bamboo Restaurant (You can tailor these with chili oil and red pepper flakes). You can also check out the Southern Pit Barbecue booth for an array of sauces that range from wimpy to nuclear.
Pig Out for the Low-Carb Crowd: Don’t miss the Slow Roasted Prime Rib Sandwich from Hunter’s Steakhouse. Just lose the bottom bun of this open-face sandwich and you’re in business.
Longest Line but Worth the Wait: This has to be the perennial favorite New York style sausage sandwich from Sonnenberg’s Market (aka Eldon’s Original).
Most Unusual Ingredient: It’s alligator again this year. Look for it at one of the two New Orleans Cookery booths.
Best of the Northwest Ingredients: New to Pig Out this year is White Box Pies. They’ll be serving huckleberry pie, and huckleberry and raspberry sour cream pie.
Most Elegant Presentation: It doesn’t take much to impress in the sea of overloaded paper plates, but I’ll be looking forward to the coconut sorbet from Fugazzi. They plan to serve it in coconut shells.
Burke’s Pick: So where does organizer Bill Burke head for his Pig Out indulgence? Pizza Rita. Owner Brian Bickmann and his wife Jane do it right, Burke says. “I just think they’ve got the greatest pizza in the world.”
Pig Out in the Park 2004 Menu:
Coool Stuff: Strawberry shortcake a la mode, strawberry parfait, strawberry milkshakes and frozen novelties.
White Box Pies: Huckleberry pie, apple-blueberry pie, strawberry-rhubarb pie, huckleberry and raspberry sour cream pie.
Kochi Grill Teriyaki: Chicken teriyaki with rice, beef teriyaki with rice, egg rolls.
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream: Ice cream and waffle cones.
GP Nex Food: Combo meals, sausage on a bun, melon dessert.
Spokandy: Truffle sundaes, waffle cones, candy
Valentino’s: Chocolate dipped cheesecake, chocolate dipped bananas, caramel apples, fruit smoothies.
Gary B’s Express: Philly cheese steak sandwiches, elephant ears, fries.
Lylo’s Oriental Grill I: Chicken teriyaki, yakisoba noodles, vegetable stir fried rice.
Lylo’s Oriental Grill II: Pork chops, sausage, fried rice with egg roll, salad
Longhorn Barbecue: Beef sandwich, half rack of ribs, beans, potato salad.
Leonardo’s Bistro: Gourmet wraps, Carribean food.
Chocoberry’s: Elephant Ears and strawberries dipped in chocolate.
Piroshky’s: Russian pastries.
Blackened Salmon: Blackened salmon over Caesar salad and salmon wraps.
Azar’s Express: Gyros, chicken gyros, hummus, baklava.
Marsalee’s Thai Food: Teriyaki skewers, stir fried vegetables, pan fried noodles.
Southern Pit Barbecue: Pulled pork sandwiches, Texas hot links, roasted corn on the cob, barbecue beans, potato salad.
New Orleans Cookery I: Seafood pockets, Louisiana crab cakes, jambalaya.
New Orleans Cookery II: Philly cheese steak, chicken cheese steak, salad.
Mary Lou’s: Homemade ice cream, banana splits, pie, brownie sundaes, root beer floats.
Milk Bottle: Hamburgers, corn dogs, French fries, fruit salad, root beer floats.
Aracelia”s Mexican Restaurant: Ground beef nachos, shredded beef burritos, chicken enchiladas, rice, dessert banana chimis.
Bavarian Restaurant: Bratwurst, stroganoff, goulash, Rueben sandwich, pork sandwich.
York’s/Beam Me Up Espresso: Hot dogs, sausages, Coney Island corn dogs, blackberry shortcakes.
Taste of India: Chicken tikka with rice, chicken curry with rice, chana masala with rice, vegetable samosa.
Eldon’s Original (Sonnenberg’s Market): New York style sausage sandwich, Italian nachos.
Dim Sum Wok: Chow mein, fried rice, almond chicken, sweet and sour chicken, Vietnamese egg roll and teriyaki chicken skewers.
Fiesta Time Foods: Hamburgers, curly fries, breaded tenderloin sandwich, jumbo hand-dipped corndogs.
Boehm’s Chocolate and Flowers: Ice cream bars dipped in chocolate and nuts, cheese cake dipped in chocolate and nuts, frozen banana, and caramel apples.
Pizza Rita: Pizza by the slice and baked potatoes.
European Crepes: Chicken artichoke crepes, veggie veggie crepes, ham and cheese crepes, strawberry peach and cream crepes.
Island Noodles: Wok-fried soba noodles, passion fruit orange guava granitas.
Papa John’s Pizza: Pepperoni, Hawaiian and cheese pizza by the slice and fresh melon cups.
Pinocchio’s Italian Express: Stromboli sandwich, meatball sandwich, spaghetti and meatballs and cherry cake.
Red Hot Grill: Burrito ranchero, meat burrito, tostada grande (taco salad), and chocolate chip cookies.
Thai Bamboo Restaurant: Phad Thai noodles, red chicken curry with rice, chicken stay with peanut sauce and mango slices on rice.
Zip’s Family Drive-Inns: Kids meals, burgers, chicken strips, fries and chocolate dipped bananas.
Light House Barbecue: Barbecue chicken, sausage, beef brisket and side dishes.
Potato Pizzazz: Baked potatoes with assorted toppings.
Spokane Deli: Sandwiches, grilled chicken or pork and salad bar.
Hunter’s Steakhouse: Slow-roasted prime rib sandwich, fire roasted corn on the cob, and fruit sorbet.
Mama Mia’s: Pasta bowl, Italian sandwich, Caesar salad, granita and pretzels.
Fugazzi/Hotel Lusso: Coconut and pineapple sorbet.
Egg Roll Express: Egg rolls, stir-fried beef chicken and vegetables, and fried rice.
Bread Barn: Crab and shrimp sandwich, garlic cheese toast, shortcakes and lemonade.
Mild to Wild: Turkey sandwich, pastrami sandwich, giant dill pickles and frozen dessert.
Dalcado’s Baja Grill: Fish taco, chicken chop salad and chicken taco.