Interesting place: The Golden Pig.

Just south of Ukiah and yes, the name is correctly spelled and…..yes, the town’s claim to fame was hops. But, no longer…production was halted in the 1950s apparently by downy mildew.

The town has less than 1000 people and consist of a few bars, restaurants, tasting rooms and places to buy tourist stuff.

The restaurant was recommended by friends and it did not disappoint. Despite the size of the town, this was some of the best food we had while visiting the area.

Started with a shrub….excellent on a hot day. Followed this with pulled pork….in California?….it was some of the best Q I’ve had outside the South. The topping of coleslaw was perfect and sweet…to my liking. I had to try the side of cornbread and it was very good. I’ve discussed sweet vs unsweet cornbread and that I like the unsweet form. In my mind, if it’s sweet, it’s cornmeal cake which just doesn’t seem right. While this was slightly sweet, the texture and mouthfeel were excellent. Well done.

There is a small outdoor area out back which is a nice spot on a good weather day. The main building was built in the late 1800s which also adds to its charm.

Service was very good.

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