If you’ve made it down to the Point Breeze area of South Philly lately, most likely you’ve either seen, smelled or heard about Chad Durkin’s dual concept eatery, Porcos and Small Oven Bake Shop.
The new “porchetteria” and pastry haven overtook another South Philly classic, Kermit’s Bake Shoppe (opened in 2013) in December, and over the course of just six months the new hotspot has been making waves not only in the southern part of Philly, but all around the city itself. The venue has added to the already blossoming idea of Point Breeze becoming the City of Brotherly Love’s newest bustling area (the idea was launched with the likes of Chick’s and the recently opened second location of Dock Street Brewery), but now with a new interim expansion, more of the masses will be able to get hooked onto to the unique flavorings of the eatery, which are all quintessential Philly.
Philadelphians will be able to chow down on some of the classic pastry creations and sandwich staples from both Porcos and Small Oven on Passyunk Avenue at the popular watering hole, Garage, offering those who haven’t had a chance to make it to 22nd and Washington yet an opportunity to sink their teeth into some unique culinary offerings offered at the dual venue. Porcos and Small Oven recently overtook the on-site food cart on an ongoing basis at Garage, and Durkin plans to offer some of the most popular menu items while setting up shop at 12th and Passyunk.
Porcos/Small Oven has been a passion project of Durkin’s from its inception. Durkin got his start at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College and later went on to work for Susanna Foo and then the Cake Boss himself, Buddy Valastro, which ignited his pastry pursuits. But the culinary connoisseur also wanted to find a way to serve Philadelphians traditional Italian-style whole roasted pork sandwiches exactly like those he grew up on while visiting Ariccia, a province of Rome. If that was his mission, he has certainly achieved that and then some.
Porcos offerings range from porchetta sandwiches (which can be enhanced even more with delectable add-ons such as crispy prosciutto strips and a truffle goat cheese spread), ciabatta bread pizzas (weekends only) and other zesty handhelds (think flank steak sandwiches with herb mushroom stuffing and a pork and meatball sub with house gravy), with a few vegan options being served up as well. Small Oven, on the other hand, has gone down a sweeter route. Durkin creates beautiful, bite-sized pastries daily with indulgent offerings including eclairs, cream puffs, mousse cakes, tarts, galettes and cookie sandwiches.
If you do get the chance to roll up to the cart operating outside of Garage Passyunk, you have a few different options. The savory side of the menu will include Porcos’ OG Porchetta sandwich (served on house-made ciabatta with herbed porchetta, pork crackling and jus), Porcos’ Meaty-Balls sandwich (featuring house-made pork and beef meatballs with house gravy, shaved parmesan and housemade mozzarella), the Garage Sloppy Joe sandwich (served on house-made ciabatta with a porchetta and beef blend topped with American cheese), Porcos’ Vegan Meaty-Ball Sandwich (made with house-made Beyond meat lentil meatballs, house gravy and shaved vegan cheese) and a “TBD” super-special specialty sandwich.
If your sweet tooth is craving something a bit more dessert-like however, you can still find a variety of sweet options at the cart for the time being.
According to the release, to start, Porcos will be safely serving #InDaCart at Garage Passyunk Thursday through Sunday from 3 to 9 p.m. with the expectation to expand the hours as the summer goes on and restrictions (hopefully) begin to lift. He’s also planning to take over the cart at Garage’s Fishtown location later this summer.
To find out more information on Porcos and Small Oven Pastry Shop, visit smallovenpastryshop.com
