Recently Jake and I were up in the northern part of San Diego and got a recommendation to check out Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen.
The Flying Pig has two locations – one in Oceanside and one in Vista. We went to the one in Vista which is right near Danny’s Donuts (which you should visit for amazing blueberry donuts). The interior at the Flying Pig is pretty fun and eclectic!
I liked these old theater seats in the waiting area as well as the old jukebox and typewriter.
The sun had started coming out and we chose to sit out on the patio. This was in their little garden area!
They had a few of the fireplaces going that afternoon and we sat in front of one for a little heat. It was a tad windy out so the extra heat kept us warm.
Surprisingly enough, this old James Taylor record had been turned into a drink menu.
I liked that they kept the record in tact. You could even feel the old record was still inside the jacket.
Beers.
The Flying Pig’s lunch menu.
Jake wanted to order these Pesto Fries [$9] right off the bat. Their bright red orange hue kind of threw me for a loop since usually when I think of pesto I think of green, but this pesto is made with piquillo peppers, hence the reddish tone. It’s also got bacon, chives, parmesan, and a sunny side up egg (which Jake ate and mixed into a small portion of the fries for himself). The menu says it also comes with blue cheese, but I don’t see (nor remember) any blue cheese in this dish. The fries stayed crispy for quite awhile, much to my surprise. When I took my first bite I thought I didn’t like the fries since I wasn’t sure what was going on with that pesto. But after a few more bites, the flavor started to grow on me and I ended up liking them quite a bit! It was kind of a sweet and savory flavor. No heat. Just spicy in a “ooo, lots of flavor!” kind of way. It’s definitely a plate meant for sharing as it’s quite a bit of food. We brought the leftovers home for T to eat.
Jake and I also shared the Pork Panini [$11] sandwich which has smoked, roasted, sliced paprika & thyme pork loin, truffle aioli, bibb lettuce, and sharp cheddar cheese on toasted sourdough. This sandwich had a mighty crunch to it which I loved! The pork loin was tender, delicious, and full of a wonderful flavor from the paprika and thyme. The mix of melted cheese and truffle aioli made this sandwich a winner.
We already had ordered enough food but I couldn’t resist one more thing on the menu… the Mac n’ Cheese. There are two to choose from at the Flying Pig and we went with the Ragu Mac n’ Cheese [$11] which had duroc pork ragu along with a cheddar bechamel and provolone cheese.
Jake wasn’t really into the pork ragu but I thought it was a lovely addition to the cheesy mac n’ cheese. I loved the provolone layer on top as well, which gave the mac n cheese a little extra creamy texture on top. It was quite a tasty and very filling side dish. We didn’t finish this one either and T had some good leftovers to munch on when we got home that day.
Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen
230 South Santa Fe
Vista, CA 92084
This has been on my list for a little bit except for the drive… for some reason, 30 minutes is my mental cut-off for driving time. that crunchy panini sounds so good though. I haven’t had a good one in a while…
Apparently I have no driving cut off time since I have no problems going up north for food, haha. Our 5 hour border wait killed my sense of time so I’m more willing to go long distances for things. Maybe you’ll find yourself in Vista one day and will visit!
What a cool, quirky place and a good excuse to go to Danny’s Donuts again. That mac and cheese is on another level! I would eat those pesto fries if it didn’t have blue cheese though.
I seriously didn’t taste any blue cheese in the dish, but I’m sure you could always ask for none to be added. I wanted to go to Danny’s Donuts but we already had desserts and I couldn’t fit another thing into my belly. Next time, saving room for donuts!
Next to Danny’s is another place I want to try out, Pepper Tree Frosty, which you’ve posted on before. A friend of mine loves their shakes and dipped cones.
Pepper Tree Frosty is good! I recommend the desserts more than the savory food there.