Hog Heaven features a delicious range of artisan and sustainable pork with educational demos, tastings, book signings, and patio grilling. Producers, chefs, and authors will answer questions with shoppers as they taste salami, bacon, prosciutto, mortadella, ham, the Pasta Shop’s housemade sausages and the goat cheese and bacon ravioli, and even chocolate bacon truffles!

1:00 pm tastings throughout the store until 4:00 pm. The educational demos begin at 1:30.


1:30: Scott Brennan, Café Rouge lead butcher, will demo Bratwurst sausage making and discuss ingredient sourcing and cooking techniques. On the patio Café Rouge will be offering fresh-off-the grill, housemade hot dogs. Café Rouge, just next door to The Pasta Shop, will also be roasting Cuban-style a Llano Seco whole pig for the evening menu.

2:15: Ari Weinzweig will discuss his new book, ZINGERMAN’S GUIDE TO BETTER BACON, and why he believes, bacon is to the United States as olive oil is to Italy

2:30: Pasta Shop Executive Chef Scott Miller will demo stuff pork loin and discuss quality ingredients, handling, and cooking, while on the patio pulled pork sandwiches will be available for purchase.


Special Guest Authors:

Ari Weinzweig, ZINGERMAN’S GUIDE TO BETTER BACON, Stories of Pork Bellies, Hush Puppies, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Bacon Fat Mayonnaise, 1 - 4 pm

Learn why he says, “Bacon is so integral to the culinary history of this country...Bacon is the olive oil of North America.” Ari is the co-founder of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses (Ann Arbor, Michigan) that include the deli, restaurant, bakery, creamery, caterers, and ZingTrain seminars.

Victoria Wise, Sausage: Recipes for Making and Cooking with Homemade Sausage, 1 –3 -pm

A pioneer in bringing charcuterie to the American table, Victoria helped define Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto starting in 1971 as the first chef at Chez Panisse Restaurant and then at Pig-by-the-Tail, her famed charcuterie.

Participating producers will sample their various pork products including:
Black Pig Company
Creminelli Fine Meats
Fra’Mani Handcrafted Salumi
La Quercia Artisan Cured Meats
Socola Chocolatier
Café Rouge
The Pasta Shop