Swig and Swine, Charleston, South Carolina

After a delightful lunch at Melvin’s with Robert Moss, I headed to Swig and Swine and was presently joined by Robert. Swig and Swine is much more popular than its parking lot can handle, but there’s a large shopping center with plenty of parking less than 100 yards away. It’s on always crowded US 17, and their sign is a beacon for the hungry traveler.

The restaurant is a low, wide building with the cooking at the far right. There’s plenty of seating inside, and more seating outdoors in the covered porch. There also is a full bar, and drinks take up half of the menu led by an impressive list of bourbons and ryes. Apparently owner/pitmaster Anthony DiBernardo agrees with me that, as put by Justice Hugo Black in one of his Supreme Court opinions, “Scotch whiskey would need a tax preference to survive in competition with Kentucky bourbon.”

Inside, it’s filled with charming customers. Oh! That’s Robert Moss and I. Well, he’s charming. I meant to take a photo at Melvin’s, but was distracted by the discussion.

Let’s get down to business. I ordered a pork plate, a half pound of pork with two sides — hash and rice, plus Brunswick stew.

Robert ordered a two-meat plate, pork belly and smoked chicken wings, with macaroni and cheese and hash and rice as his sides.

And how was everything? My pork was delicious, hot, fresh, and rich in the flavors of pork and smoke — worthy of a “wow!” Robert’s pork belly, of which I got a good taste, was, if anything, even better. The chicken wings, which had been smoked and then fried to crisp up the skin, had a lot of flavor as well.

The hash was thinner than the version at Melvin’s, and much of the flavor seemed to come from the spices, which I could not identify individually. Melvin’s version may have had a greater depth of flavor, but I enjoyed this hash, too. The Brunswick stew had a welcome vinegar tang. It was more of a soup than a stew, and I suspect that, like the hash, had not been cooked as long as Melvin’s. Doesn’t the macaroni and cheese look good? It was like church dinner macaroni and cheese. At this stage, however, I had no interest in eating more.

I really enjoyed the meal, especially with my wise and witty dining companion. Clearly, Anthony DiBernardo really knows how to cook pork. Not many cook it better. Definitely put Swig and Swine on your to-eat list.

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