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Prohibition-themed restaurant to take on Oxford in late October

Prohibition-themed restaurant Pickle and Pig is set to replace MIA at the end of October.
Prohibition-themed restaurant Pickle and Pig is set to replace MIA at the end of October.

Pickle and Pig, a prohibition themed restaurant, is coming to Oxford. 

The owner, David Hornak , said he hopes that when the restaurant opens on Oct. 28, it will transport guests back in time with its 1920s theme and Prohibition-style food and drinks. 

Hornak is also the owner of The Elms Hotel and Gaslight Brewhouse. 

Pickle and Pig is connected to The Elms but has an entrance between the hotel and Buffalo Wild Wings, replacing the restaurant and bar MIA.

Pickle and Pig’s menu features items like duck fat frites, made-to-order charcuterie boards, a plethora of styled burgers, fine cut steaks and bourbon-based cocktails.

Hornak said each menu item is unique in its own way and will be made in house. These menu items, as well as others, will provide  the upper-scale dining experience that Oxford is missing. 

Maria Weese, an associate professor of information systems & analytics at Miami University, believes Pickle and Pig will be a spot for the whole community to enjoy. 

“I know that when parents come to visit, they are often looking to take their students out to a nicer restaurant,” Weese said. “It certainly seems that this restaurant will fill a void in the restaurant selection in town right now.”

Hornak said Pickle and Pig’s name originated from the homemade pickles that will be a table starter and the “blind pig” aspect of the Prohibition, which is what speakeasies were secretly known as. 

Senior marketing major Meghan Doheny thinks the entire community in and around Oxford will appreciate a new themed restaurant. 

“It may even attract more residents due to it not being a ‘stereotypical’ college bar or restaurant,” Doheny said. “Since [Pickle and Pig] is marketing itself as a unique dining and drinking experience, all people of Oxford will be intrigued to check it out.” 

There is plenty of room to accommodate customers. Hornak explained the setup in a Clue-like style, with different rooms following themes like “the study” and “the lounge,” similar to the board game. 

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Hornak said he hopes Pickle and Pig will be “a great place to have fun and enjoy good food [for students].” 

Pickle and Pig will be open late on the weekends with hopes that the crowd will stay far into the night. With a full bar, the restaurant offers different concoctions of drinks, and some may even change colors. Because bourbon cocktails were popular during Prohibition, customers can expect to see upwards of 50 different options to choose from. 

Hornak wants to build a reputation here in Oxford and put his new restaurant on the map. He said his goal for the restaurant’s reputation is to have great food.

However, Pickle and Pig seems to have a few secrets up its sleeve: Ordering a blind pig might just get you somewhere special. 

@chloekling22

klingcc@miamioh.edu