Knick’s Tavern and Grill: Pulled Pork Sliders

March 15, 2010

Sliders are all the rage on restaurant menus these days. Not only here in Sarasota, but, pretty much everywhere you turn. And, it’s not limited to the humble hamburger. No, they seem to make sliders out of everything from fish to hot dogs. Some of these “slider” interpretations work and sadly some of them don’t.

Knick’s Tavern and Grill located on Osprey Avenue in the Southside Village neighborhood has one that works! And, that works very well.

It doesn’t seem like it’s really that inventive to take a smaller portion of some filler, stick it on a miniature bun and pack them two or three to a plate. But, as it turns out it’s not the size that matters, but what’s inside that matters.

In Knick’s case it’s their sweet, tangy and tender pulled pork that’s inside. A generous portion of pork, tucked inside a soft, fresh bakery bun. As you can see by the photo, it’s pretty big for small sandwich (it’s not photo magic, they truly are good size).

Lunch is a tricky meal for me. It’s a delicate balance between a 3pm food coma/nap and having just the right amount of food to carry me through the rest of my day. This is where the slider concept works best (at least for me). The two sliders on the Knick’s Slider Platter were just the right amount of food to get the job done in delicious style.

Oh, did I forget to mention the side order of potato salad that accompanies those two pulled pork beauties? As seen above, a nice helping of homemade potato salad. Cool and creamy, it makes the perfect partner for the sandwich.

I’m pretty picky about potato salad having a Mother who has perfected the art. Knick’s isn’t quite my Mom’s, but, it has a lot of the same flavors. A good mayo base, onion and firm potatoes make it a winner for me.

The bottom line: Knick’s Tavern and Grill has the slider down pat. Pulled pork is a fantastic choice and the sandwiches are big enough to help power you through whatever your afternoon has in store for you. Potato salad, thumbs up. Not quite my Mom’s, but, what is. I had this as a lunch special. Call ahead to find out if they’re featuring it on the day you go to Knick’s for lunch.