Pig in a Fur Coat is one of my favorite restaurants in Madison. It's a charming little space with communal seating in the middle and a few tables against the walls. I've never had difficulty finding a seat but I usually dine here either early or late in the evenings.
The menu is divided into three parts: snacks, small plates and large plates. On my first visit, the waiter was quick to share with me two things: that they really love food at Pig in a Fur Coat and that the large plates were at what they really excelled. He may have been taking pity on me as I was dining by myself and didn't have anyone with whom to share small plates.
From the large plate selection, I am quite enamored with the porchetta. This hunk of porcine deliciousness has been my go-to favorite. On my last visit, it was with great difficulty that I forced myself to branch out to another menu item. Even before I got to the restaurant I had told myself, "Self, stop being so damn predictable and try something new!"
There were a couple of additions to the large plate selections that looked intriguing: the Hamachi collar and the lamb heart. I grilled the waitress on the preparation of the two dishes. She was very indulgent and descriptive with me. Eventually the lamb heart won out. It's lamb heart after all and how often do I get to try lamb heart.
The dish consisted of shredded lamb formed into cubes, potatoes, summer squash, and heart of palm topped with slices of lamb heart and covered with Arugula. My waitress had told me that the lamb heart tastes like lamb but to me it tasted just like beef heart. What it lacked in lamb flavor was more than made up for by the shredded lamb. The combination of the components worked perfectly. I devoured my meal while listening to oldies like Sherry Baby.
Now that I've found another large plate item that I enjoy as much as the porchetta, it'll be a tossup between the two on future visits. That poor Hamachi collar will probably never get a chance.