Cochon Butcher Serves Up the Whole Hog, From Southern Barbecue to Italian Salumi

What started as an attempt to bring Cajun Country inspired plates to New Orleans has grown into thriving sandwich shop, butcher shop, and wine bar Cochon Butcher. The idea to take an old-world, meat-market-esque concept into the fast casual sphere expanded from its owners', Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, traditional, Cajun Southern establishment, Cochon Restaurant. The more casual Butcher breaks down pigs for the main Cochon Restaurant, but don't let that fool you into thinking it lies in the shadow of its elevated dining brother. In seven years, Cochon Butcher has gone on to receive recognition in its own right as a heightened fast-casual spot. Due to its unique structure, running as a butcher shop, a sandwich shop, and a wine bar all in one, it caters to customers of all types. Its atmosphere varies from bustling sandwich and soda shop around lunch, to a delightful bistro-like setting in the evening. Their menu offers traditional sandwiches, like the Barbecue Pork served Carolina style, as well as elevated housemade pastas paying homage to Italian salumi and charcuterie. The Butcher specializes in housemade cured meats, terrines, and sausages available by the pound. In this episode of "Fast Casual Nation," brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we visit Cochon Butcher where Chef de Cuisine Hank Shackelford assembles a menu with Cajun Country and Creole influences. Host Paul Barron stops in to discuss the diverse menu and how it's been received by New Orleans.