To try and decide each week where and what to eat around Truckee-Tahoe can be a challenge — there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next. 

I’m a big fan of menu items that have been there since the beginning. Typically there’s a reason for it, and it’s usually because it’s as delicious now as the day it was born. Case in point, this week’s feature: the Pork and Padron. 

Let’s start with the dough — sourdough pizza dough. I’m immediately in on anything and everything sourdough. No questions asked. Well, maybe where can I take some home for myself, but that’s for a different day. 

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The dough comes from a recipe supplied to Truckee Sourdough Company. The mother (starter) gets fed everyday and it’s the slight tanginess of this dough that sets this apart from others. It also holds up to and enhances all the ingredients insanely well. 

However, the thing that really sets this off is the meat power trio. In the land of cartoon pies, this is the Porky Pig of pizzas. Pork belly, bacon, and guanciale are all featured in a bath of mozzarella and Parmesan. They are joined at the hip with pickled peppers (their house made “padron” peppers), chile flakes, and a drizzle of bacon honey. Yes, bacon honey. And in case you needed to hear it again: bacon honey. 

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The pork flavor is up front and center — it doesn’t hold back (yes, this is absolutely a good thing). Then, you have a slight heat that follows from the chile flake and pickled peppers, ultimately finishing slightly sweet from the honey. All of that is punctuated with the creamy and nutty cheese duo. 

It’s a roller coaster for your flavor sensors, so you might as well just throw your arms up and enjoy the ride. 

Old Town Tap is located at 10164 Donner Pass Rd. in Truckee. For menus and general information visit them online at oldtowntaptruckee.com or give them a call at 530-563-5233.