After spending most of her professional life working for local restaurants, Ivy Burdick has branched out and opened a place of her own. The popular waitress, bartender and manager is now the proud owner of Porter & Pig Hilton Head, a new gastropub located in The Village at Wexford.
"I think that we stand out because we're doing something that nobody else on the island is doing," Burdick said.
She and her staff are pairing great beer, craft cocktails and wine by the glass with charcuterie, cheeses and shared plates.
With so much competition on the island, even good bars and restaurants close on a regular basis. To ensure her establishment doesn't suffer the same fate, Burdick has assembled what could be described as a local food and beverage dream team. The entire staff is made of career chefs, bartenders and servers.
"Hospitality is all we know," Burdick said. "The mission of Porter & Pig is to create a warm atmosphere where you enjoy spending your time."
The can and bottled beer selection is vast and includes craft, domestic and imported beers. The draft beer menu is constantly changing based on the season. At least six beer styles (stouts, lagers, ales, porters, etc.) will be on tap at all times.
For the cocktails, experienced mixologists helped Burdick create a custom designed menu featuring quality liquors, superior mixers and fresh garnishes. A custom selection of wines by the glass is also available. The house label is Healdsburg Ranches.
The charcuterie and cheese is served with house-made beer mustard and the chef's selection of pickled vegetables, olives, crackers, sliced baguette, blackberry compote, nuts, fresh fruit and dried fruit. Sandwich lovers will be drawn to the griddle menu, with four crispy-on-the-outside, melty-on-the-inside offerings, including the Cuban Press (garlicky braised pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and house mustard).
The shared plates (chorizo-stuffed dates, prosciutto asparagus wraps and blackberry jalapeño pork) are perfect for sampling and enjoying with company.
Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 843-816-1863 or go to www.porter-pig.com.
• Hilton Head Island's Skull Creek Boathouse was the eighth most reviewed restaurant on TripAdvisor in 2014. TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website, said the restaurant received 2,837 reviews last year. Most of those reviews were positive, with the overall rating 4 1/2 stars. Hilton Head Island came in at 31st on the list of TripAdvisor's favorite destinations.
• Popeye's Louisiana Chicken is coming to Hilton Head Island. The popular fast food chain will begin construction in March at 15 Park Lane, the former site of Pasta Garden restaurant. Popeye’s is headquartered in Georgia and has 2,000 locations worldwide. In other chicken-related news, Zaxby's hopes to set up an island location near Yacht Cove.
