Since March, I’ve published approximately 40 reviews on takeout food from a variety of restaurants, and most of what I’ve sampled has made for good at-home eating.
But with the takeout I recently got from Ravenous Pig, I felt like I was having true “restaurant food” at home. What I mean is that even in takeout containers, the dishes from Ravenous Pig still had the sort of specialness that you’d expect if you were dining at the restaurant itself.
Take the grilled octopus panzanella, for example. It featured ample tentacles, firm but soft to the chew, with green olives, cubes of beets, red and yellow tomatoes, crispy croutons, and a pulpy skordalia, all topped with a flash-fried basil leaf.
The roasted Frog Song okra was just as lovely. Multihued, cooked to a delightful al dente, drizzled with a sauce of roasted tomatoes and topped with shaved sheetlets of parmesan.
Another snack, mushroom and gruyere beignets, were more simply presented only ploofs of tarragon aioli. Delicious bite-sized nuggets.
For my entree, I chose the rabbit cannelloni, the shredded meat inside blistered pasta cylinders, topped with roasted corn salsa, frisée and Australian winter truffles. It was as delightful to look at as it was to eat.
Ravenous Pig has an easy-to-use online ordering form that allows you to designate a specific pickup time, pay in advance, including the tip, and specify curbside pickup (by adding a note at checkout). You can also order cocktails, wine and beer to go. It also features nightly specials for two.
Lots of places are doing good takeout food, but if you want to be reminded of what it was like to dine out, try the takeout cuisine from Ravenous Pig.
Ravenous Pig is at 565 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park. It is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. The phone number is 407-628-2333.
