Name: When the Pig Came Home Contact: 384 Keele St., whenthepigcamehome.ca, @when_the_pig_came_home Neighbourhood: The Junction Owners and chefs: Kimberly Hannam and Ryan Gatner Seating: Takeout only Accessibility: Not accessible
The food
When the Pig Came Home started life as a farmer’s market stand specializing in peameal sandwiches. Since then, Hannam and Gatner have grown the business into a full-fledged deli that’s become so popular they closed their original Junction store to move to a bigger location down the street. And that’s good news, because more space means more stock—and less of a chance your favourite sandwich is sold out.
The menu draws from Gatner and Hannam’s culinary heritages—Polish/Ukrainian and Caribbean respectively—which is why you’ll find juicy smoked meat alongside jerk chicken and Jamaican beef patties. House-brined porchetta is another specialty here. Meats mostly come in sandwich form, but are also available by the half pound or in a meal with sides and pickles. There are also thoughtful vegetarian options, including a patty stuffed with actual veggies (instead of a meat pretender).
This is a community-oriented business, right down to relationships with suppliers: the pair make a point of cultivating strong ties to local meat purveyors like Perth Pork. Responsibly sourced meat helps yield top-notch sandwiches, and while that’s a good enough draw, there’s palpable warmth here, too: this is a place that remembers its regulars (and sometimes names sandwiches after them).
The drinks
Besides your usual soft drink selection, you’ll find Joe’s lemonade and peach iced tea (Hannam’s favourite—she says it “tastes like a cloud”), sparkling grapefruit Ting, Hitchhiker regular and peach lemonade, and Harvey & Verns ginger beer.
The space
Housed in the historic Campbell Block at Dundas West and Keele, the space is bedecked in original brick and, if you’re into this kind of thing, the uncanny sense of history that comes with a heritage building. There are a few counter spots where you can hover over your meal, but this is generally a takeout-only operation.