The hustle and bustle of school and work require nourishment fit for an active Huskie. That’s where the Grill in the Huskie Den steps in with a sandwich that’s sure to leave you full and satisfied.
Dubbed “the hogfather,” this limited-time sandwich is made with breaded pork tenderloin topped with fried pickles, onions and sweet honey mustard. Priced at $8.99, it comes with house-made chips at no extra cost. For an additional $2, you can upgrade to a small side to replace the chips if you are looking for something a little extra.
John Boswell, director of NIU retail dining, said the sandwich is one retail dining is proud of and made to impress.
“With these specials the goal is to kind of, you know, wow people. And if you see it takes up half the tray,” Boswell said.
The new item was inspired by Boswell’s childhood outside of Iowa City. Pork tenderloin is a popular menu dish that he wanted to bring to NIU.
Retail dining has a lot of flexibility with planning their own menu, and Boswell said they like to use limited-time offers to see what kind of items do well. While they don’t always have a set end date, Boswell said the Grill typically stops selling special items at the end of the semester. However, if the sales are good, the item can stay longer.
“There’s always a chance if something is wickedly, wildly popular that it will stay part of the main menu,” Boswell said.
Flavor-wise, the hogfather has a lot going for it. The pork tenderloin brings a satisfying crunch right on the first bite that is perfectly paired with the salty taste of the fried pickles and sweet tang of the honey mustard. This nice contrast really hits just right, especially in between classes.
Where the hogfather stumbles a little is in the actual physical mechanics of eating it. Because the pork tenderloin is thin and wide, the sandwich can be awkward to hold and eat — with the tenderloin making it hard for a clean bite, which makes the sandwich slip a bit. Cutting the pork into pieces or starting from the edges definitely helps in making it more manageable.
Another small issue was the breading and fried pickles could get a smidge soggy in the middle if not eaten right away. Still, this doesn’t take away from the other flavors.
The best way to elevate the hogfather experience is to pair it with a side of mac n’ cheese and the garlic parmesan wing sauce — the creamy, cheesy and savory notes really help to bring out those deeper pork flavors and compliments the sandwich’s flavor profile perfectly.
Still, I’d recommend ordering it at least once, especially because if you cut the sandwich up and add it to the mac, it can easily stretch into two meals and feel like a good deal for the price. Overall, I’d give the Hogfather a 7/10.
For one week only, ending on Friday, a Caribbean chicken sandwich will be available for international education week. The sandwich is available for $9.99 and is a crispy chicken sandwich, served with BBQ sauce, jerk chicken sauce, grilled pineapple, onion, tomato, lettuce and mayo.
It also comes with a side of plantains. If you’d like the plantains as a standalone side, they are $1.99. The sandwich was designed by Alma Perrote, a junior music education student, and Rashunda Dorset-Headley, a graduate music education student.
Boswell also mentioned the Grill is currently planning the spring menu and details will be shared toward the start of the spring semester, with the first limited time offer most likely coming after the first few weeks of classes.
