Pig and Publican brings Belgian cuisine to Lewes

Doug and Lisa Frampton are back at it. The duo who introduced the Cape Region to a gastropub in 2009 with Pickled Pig Pub and three years earlier entered the Rehoboth restaurant scene with Pig +Fish, have now opened the Pig and Publican in Lewes. 

Anchoring the east end of the Beacon Motel on the beach side of Savannah Road, the new restaurant steers a little away from the couple’s usual concept. 

“Rather than do the same of what we already did, we figured we’d do a Belgian-style spin,” said Doug, who honed his skills at Iron Hill Brewery in Wilmington before moving to the beach. 

The Belgian influence is found in almost every aspect of the Pig and Publican, starting with the beer program. There will be eight beers on tap, with another 30 or so available in bottle or can, ranging from traditional Belgian brews and Belgian-style craft beers to IPAs and domestics. 

The Belgian spin continues on the menu, where chef Ian Mangin has added his own flair. 

Jumping off the appetizer menu is the bitterballen, lightly breaded meatballs stuffed with cheese curds served with a creamy demi-glace. It’s a dish the Framptons encountered while visiting a Belgian bar in Wisconsin. 

“We told Ian, our chef, about it, and he took what we were describing and did his own thing with it,” Lisa said.

Another tempting starter is the Pig and Publican’s take on beach frites. Resembling a traditional skin-on French fry, the frites are accompanied by a customer’s choice of eight dipping sauces. 

“We’re not traditionally Belgian; everything is a play on Belgian,” Doug said. “We’re trying to take the gastropub and craft beer movement into more of a niche no one has really done around here.” 

There is little to no overlap to the Framptons’ other restaurants. 

The Belgian theme continues into the menu’s sandwiches and entrées. A machine gun sandwich features lamb sausage, while the grand burger is topped with chimay cheese. For dinner, Lisa recommends people try their chicken schnitzel and waffles, and the Belgian hangover pasta. 

Lisa said they kept affordability in mind when pricing the menu. Sandwiches range from $10 to $13, while entrées run from $17 to $25.

“We really did try to keep our entrées somewhat reasonable,” she said. “We just try to make sure that if people are coming out, they won’t have to spend an arm and a leg with us, but they’ll still get great food.”

The restaurant opened Jan. 4, taking over the space previously occupied by Woodings Beach Deli. The Framptons gutted the space and started from scratch, hiring local designer Rebecca Fluharty to help them build a restaurant that complemented their vision. She accomplished that by creating a space that resembles a European pub with tin ceilings, but also highlights Lewes’ beach lifestyle by incorporating nautical pieces and reclaimed wood. About 85 seats are spread throughout traditional dining tables, community tables and the bar. Front patio seating will be added in the spring to accommodate about 25 people.

The Framptons had been looking to open a third restaurant, specifically in Lewes. They were tipped off to the eventual location and fell in love immediately.

“We walked in and saw raw potential right away,” Doug said. 

With a front wall that consists mostly of windows, customers will have a view of the marsh across Savannah Road. 

As for the name, Lisa said they wanted to include pig to continue the tradition. The rest of the name was trickier, she said, as they brainstormed ideas for at least a month before settling on publican. A publican is a European term for someone who owns a pub. It fit, she said, but it also just sounds fun. 

The Pig and Publican is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Beginning this spring or summer, the restaurant is expected to begin serving blunch, their take on brunch, on the weekends. For more information, call 302-313-4487 or go to www.pigandpublican.com.