San Antonians bored with the same dinner routine will have two new pop-ups to try in October. The owners of Buddy's Big Trouble and Chi Chi Birds Hot Chicken are making a detour from their regular offerings with brand-new concepts, respectively launching at Wild Barley Kitchen & Brewery and Idle Beer Hall and Brewery.
First on the calendar is Porc Slap, from Buddy's Big Trouble chef and owner Javi Gutierrez. The concept will debut on October 5 as part of Buddy's second anniversary celebration at Idle, 414 Brooklyn Ave.
"After much thought and contemplation, we're givin' up the mobile pasta dreams for some dope sticky, fatty porky funky sandwiches and other Italian fare," wrote the owners via Instagram. "Paired with our friends growing cool veggies and others doing dope bread and focaccia. Here begins the process of bringing what we want to eat straight to you and yours!"
The menu includes three sandwiches, all built with charcoal-fired rosemary and fennel porchetta. Guests can top the pork roast with stracciatella cheese, pistachio pesto, and concassé (peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped tomatoes), truffle-studded cheese and a mushroom caponata, or smoked provolone and salsa verde. Texas wagyu pit beef and grilled harissa chicken sandwiches from Buddy's will also be available.
Porc Slap's porchetta sandwiches are filled with charcoal-fired pork.Photo courtesy of Porc Slap
Later in the month, Pony Boys will make its first appearance at Wild Barley Kitchen & Brewery on October 21 as part of the restaurant's Tuesday pop-up series. Although Lott is the proprietor, Pony Boys is part of Friends of Flavor, the ever-growing chef's collective that includes Slam Daddy Baddies, Crispy Bao Gang, Savor Mama, Poolside Ceviche, and Mama Mick's Meals.
For the concept, Chi Chi Birds chef and owner Caleb Lott will focus on tacos dorados, traditional tacos stuffed with various proteins and fried. Although flautas and taquitos sometimes go by the name, Pony Boys' tortillas are folded in half instead of rolled into a flute.
Although Lott is keeping the menu mum for now, he did promise on Instagram that "yellow corn tortillas [will] get stuffed and sealed with your choice of filling and fried until 'GBD' — golden brown and delicious." At Wild Barley, they'll be paired with a limited-edition tepache lager.
The Porc Slap pop-up will kick off at noon on October 5, and Pony Boys will start serving at 5 pm on October 21. Neither of the pop-ups has revealed where they will pop up next. San Antonio foodies can follow Pony Boys and Porc Slap on Instagram for updates.
Bánh mì is the centerpiece of the menu.Photo by Katie James.