The Fig Pig
Even before visitors step into the Fig Pig, they can sense the inherent loveliness.
Under the canopy of the sprawling ancient trees Old Town is famous for, Fig Pig’s home — which used to be Bryan’s 797 — is warm and inviting.
Inside, diners are greeted by rich jewel tones, gorgeous woodwork and the feeling of dining inside the home of a wealthy recluse who understands the value of having a bar in the foyer.
“It’s like eating in ‘Clue,’” my dining partner whispered on our first visit. “Watch out for wrenches or candle sticks.”
Friendly wait staff bring grapes to the table in lieu of bread, a subtle nod to the new eatery’s commitment to creating options for those with gluten sensitivies — not because of gluten-free’s trendiness, but because half of the restaurant’s chef team suffers from celiac disease.
At the helm of this picturesque restaurant: Jake Mazzu and Nathan Luna, two Southeast Texas natives who are no strangers to serving great food. The duo first met at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.
In 2010, they opened the Burger Guys in Houston to rave reviews and soon added a second location. It didn’t take long for these gourmet burgers to appear on best burger lists in several major media outlets, but “I made the mistake of growing too fast,” Mazzu said, and the eateries closed in 2013.
After shuttering the Space City eateries, Mazzu set his sights on his hometown and opened the Burger Guys food truck, where he and Luna served incredibly juicy Akaushi beef burgers with delightful accoutrements like pâté and hand-cut fries finished in duck fat.
It was delicious and fun but, for Mazzu and Luna, not meant to be. After the Burger Guys truck went dark a few months later, we thought we’d seen the last of this duo.
Until Bryan Lee, owner of the now-closed Bistro LeMonde and Bryan’s 797, suggested that Mazzu and Luna take over the intimate space that used to be Bryan’s.
With a gorgeous old-school wooden bar and not one but two climate-controlled wine cellars, it would’ve been a shame for this space to stay empty long.
The Fig Pig opened in October with a chef-driven menu filled with farm-to-table ingredients sourced from Donna’s Farm in Fannett and Garnet’s Farm in Spurger.
Mazzu is no stranger to fresh produce — he ran his family’s business, Jake Mazzu Produce, for seven of its 40 years.
“Everything on this menu is influenced by what we love to eat,” Mazzu said.
Which may explain the somewhat spastic nature of this menu, which features everything from seafood gumbo to beet pasta, Burger Guys sliders and a squid ink noodle bowl.
The Fig Pig is open for lunch or dinner, but currently serves a smaller lunch menu that will expand in the coming weeks, Mazzu said.
At the core of this menu: Rustic meat dishes and fresh pastas made in-house every day, which Mazzu said is a necessity thanks to our moist climate.
Braised leg of lamb, Akaushi meatloaf, red and yellow beet pasta with root vegetables, juicy bone marrow on shrimp toast — this is the kind of menu that’s filled with dishes that just beg to be shared on date night.
Mazzu and Luna take classic regional comfort dishes like chicken-fried steak and give them a high-end twist. Their $20 take on CFS, made with braised, pressed and tempura-fried short rib, is a fan favorite.
The duo is engaged in a delicate balance between inventive and relatable.
“If you throw out a ribeye or a chicken-fried steak or a gumbo, we can have fun with it while still selling the dish,” Luna said.
While they await a beer and wine license, the eatery is BYOB. Other plans for the future include a menu that will be dictated largely by what clientele ask for. A new Sunday brunch-meets-supper service focuses on hearty, simple comfort food.
But as this eatery evolves, Mazzu and Luna say they’re hoping to take more risks — including a little molecular gastronomy, a personal passion for Mazzu that has yet to make an appearance on local menus.
We’ll be first in line to witness the evolution of the Fig Pig, a scenic eatery with inventive, locally sourced meals that exists in a walkable neighborhood.
Suffice it to say, that’s not something served up in Beaumont very often.
The Fig Pig
Where: 757 N. Fifth St., Beaumont
Info: (409) 347-7353; “The Fig Pig” on Facebook
Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-close Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-close Sunday
Open for: Lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch/supper
Drink situation: Currently BYOB
Patio: No
Price range, lunch: Arugula and beet salad, $12; BLT sliders, $15; Akaushi meatloaf, $16; yard bird and ratatouille, $22
Price range, dinner: Thin Mint milkshake, $5; Saffron noodle soup, $12; Red and yellow beet pasta, $18; Braised leg of lamb, $20; pan-seared ribeye, $24
beth@thecat5.com
@BeaumontBeth on Facebook & Twitter
