Bacon & Brine - Solvang

They don't have indoor seating, and their entire three-item menu is written on a chalkboard. Yup, sounds like my kind of place.

They seem so out of place in Solvang - there's not an ounce of Europe in the SoCal Swine. That pork is braised juicy, and in a single bite you can just see the pig-pickin'-sized grill in some southern backyard. Well some SoCal mama got her fingers into it and added some tomato sauce to keep that pig sweet and light. Then she rocked it out with pickled jalapeño and cherry tomato salsa. Add some avocado, and the combination is unusual and unbeatable.

The Kraut Pig seems more German-inspired - a Kaiser must have whispered softly to a Dane to make this just-as-soft mustard-braised shoulder, dressed with aioli and Kraut. The Kraut is sweeter than it is sour, and even the expectedly-harsh mustard finished smooth and sweet.

This one is heavy and it hangs out long after the Jasmine Iced Tea washes it down.

What you see is what you get at Bacon & Brine, and their honesty adds up to a pretty powerful combination of pickles and pig, and fortunately, no pickled pig. Next time I'm in Solvang, I'll be begging for bacon and burning for brine.