Double-Battered Fried Chicken & Waffles At ‘Pig & A Jelly Jar’
Oct 21, 2019, 10:29 AM | Updated: 11:00 am
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Southern-inspired food is hard to find in Salt Lake City. Although nestled in three locations throughout the Wasatch Front lies a handful of cafes that go by the name of Pig & A Jelly Jar.
The locally-owned chain currently has three locations in Ogden, Salt Lake, and Holladay. I was invited to join them at their Holladay Park location, and boy, was I glad to take them up on the offer.
Their smiling, happy and energetic waiters made for a pleasant and enjoyable dining experience. The staff at Pig & A Jelly Jar have an understanding of what it takes to create a healthy, cheerful environment that will have your jaw sore from smiling by the time you leave.
“Southern-inspired. Brunch driven. From scratch. Every day.”
Their menu is diverse, giving customers a wide range of options to pick and choose from, but all items have a flare, a Southern flare.
One of the many reasons to visit Pig & A Jelly Jar (if you haven’t already) is their fresh food, no matter what you order. They pride themselves on delivering organic, farm to table, mouthwatering magic.
Tom’s Tips: Get the most out of your visit
I ate four courses and left feeling very satisfied. Normally, when you eat that much food, you’re likely to leave feeling heavy, slow and uncomfortable. However, that is not the case at Pig & A Jelly Jar. They are specialists when it comes to satisfying their customers without overfeeding them.
Begin with a Counter Bite
Trust me, get an appetizer – what they call the “counter bites.” I tried their fried green tomatoes.
Corn battered, fresh green tomatoes are dipped into a pot of sizzling sunflower oil, then sprinkled with salt and pepper, and served with their homemade siracha aioli.
The crunchy outside, encrusting a warm, juicy inside was this tomato lover’s dream. Let me tell you, it was a mouth-watering pleasure.
Photo: Josh Tilton
Go for the Sammies
Who doesn’t love a sammie, am I right? Or what I call a “sanga.” That’s a sandwich, for you non-Aussies. For me, it was all about the spare rib.
Local boneless country spare rib, green leaf lettuce, fried green tomatoes (again, because you’ll want more), pimento cheese served on toasted rye with a tomato creole dipping sauce.
Firstly, pimento cheese is rarely found anywhere but in the South. It was fascinating, because I’ve never had it before. It is a soft, rich, creamy cheese that consists of mayonnaise and pimentos (red pepper). The combination equates to a beautiful texture that lingers on the back of your tongue.
Secondly, creole is another word for a Southern style of cooking that originated in Louisiana. This dipping sauce is a rich, tomato-based sauce (there’s the tomato again) that tastes similar to a homemade marinara sauce you would normally find at a high end Italian restaurant.
You’ve gotta try their Chicken and Waffles
These, by the way, are not normal chicken and waffles.
Double battered chicken breast that crunches the second your fork dives into it, carefully placed on top of a soft and savory waffle. Then they do the unimaginable, lightly sprinkling this tender masterpiece with powdered sugar.
Topping it all off, a fried egg is gently placed on top of the chicken. If you’re smart, you’ll also ask them to throw in one of their homemade sausage patties.
Photo: Josh Tilton
This all may sound like a lot, and it is, but for the hungrier folk that are in need of a meal, you will have a hard time finding a more satisfying dish along the Wasatch Front.
End sweet with the Beignets
“Come on, Tom,” you’re probably thinking. “How could I eat another bite after this feast?”
Trust me. Don’t leave without ordering their twist on beignets. These are French, but also very popular in the the southern United States. At Pig & A Jelly Jar, however, they’re different than what you would find anywhere else.
They make their cinnamon dough in house, then fry it and douse it in powdered sugar. Gently add their blueberry lavender jam, which you can purchase by the jar both online and in-store, and you will find what I like to call, happiness.
Photo: Josh Tilton
Seriously, though.
It is a cinnamon doughnut smothered in powdered sugar with fresh, blueberry jam to accompany it. How. Can. You. Go. Wrong?!
Other Options I Would Recommend
They thrive on their brunch. It is what they are known for, but they offer much, much more.
Their Pig Burger, for example, consists of 1/3 lb Angus ground beef, bacon onion jam, bleu cheese, green leaf and wrapped in a split-top bun that will make your mouth water just looking at it. Hand-cut fries pair perfectly, and add an extra crunch to what is already a delicious item on their menu.
Josh didn’t hear the crunch, but trust me, it was there, and it was delicious.
If you’re looking at a more “earthy” item to choose from, look no further than their curry chicken salad. It’s a mix of fresh greens, cucumber, diced red peppers, pickled green beans served with a tangy curried dijon dressing.
More Information
For more information on their locations and menu’s visit pigandajellyjar.com.
I promise. If you are anything like myself and enjoy good, fresh, organic food, you will thoroughly enjoy the experience at Pig & A Jelly Jar.
If what you have read throughout this article is not enough to make your day better, then always remember that:
