Now Open: The Little Lion in Old City

Some Southern cooking at the Little Lion | Pimento Cheese with Country Pit Ham

The Little Lion is now open at 3rd and Chestnut Streets. The former Haru has been extensively renovated and is now serving up chef Sean Ciccarone’s Southern comfort food. The “pour house” will offer 16 taps, 14 for beer, and one each for cider, cold press coffee and housemade sangria.

The menu has shifted towards more Southern fare from when the Little Lion was originally announced. Look for the oh-so-right-this-moment pimento cheese to make an appearance with country pit ham. There are also smoked wings, New Orleans-style chargrilled oysters and stone ground grits on the appetizer section of the menu. Highlights from the entrees include: a smoked bone-in pork chop; wild rabbit and sausage and blackened Mississippi catfish.

Initially the Little Lion will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Weekend Brunch will be added in February. Happy hour will roll out later in January.

Little Lion Dinner Menu

Small Plates

Soup
Change regularly

Fried Green Tomato
Griddle Grit Cake, Smoked Bacon & Tomato Jam, Pimento Cheese, Buttermilk Vinaigrette

Sweet Potato Fries
Sorghum Molasses, Powdered Sugar

BBQ Chicken Thigh Sliders
Sour Slaw, Bread & Butter Pickles, Potato Rolls

Farmer’s Cheese
Peach Preserves, Clover Honey, Fresh Herbs, Olive Oil, Grilled Country Bread

Smoked Chicken Wings
Brined, Smoked, Dry Rubbed, & Grilled, Buttermilk Ranch Vinaigrette, Cucumber Ribbons

Pimento Cheese
Country Pit Ham, Pickled Green Tomato, Grilled Country Bread

Mac -N- Cheese
Torchio Pasta, (5) Cheese Blend, Stewed Tomatoes, Buttered Bread Crumbs, Fresh Herbs

Stone Ground Grits
Sharp Cheddar, Vinegar Braised Mustard Greens, Southern Comfort Chicken Glace, Black Currants

Charcuterie Board
Daily Selection of Meats, Grain Mustard, Caperberries, Daily Pickle Selection, Baguette

Cheese Board
Daily Selection of Local & Imported Cheeses, Peach Preserves, Honey Crisp Apple, Clover Honey

Ruffage

Little Lion House Salad
Seasonal Greens, Shaved Carrot, Radish, Slivered Cucumber, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Buttermilk Ranch Vinaigrette

Roasted Heritage Carrot Salad
Roasted Heirloom Carrots, Frisee, Shaved Fennel, Goat Cheese Croquettes, Sorghum Molasses Vinaigrette

Kale Caesar Salad
Baby Kale, Grana Padana, Cornbread Croutons, Anchovies, Lemon & Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

The Wedge Salad
Iceberg Lettuce, Stilton, Smoked Bacon, Charred Onion, Roasted Tomatoes, Buttermilk Vinaigrette

King Street Apple & Pear Salad
Honey Crisp Apples, Anjou Pears, Butter Lettuce, Belgian Endive, Toasted Pecans, Candied Bacon, Stilton, Figs, Maple-Cranberry Vinaigrette

Air Land and Sea

Fried Oysters
Cornmeal Crust, Honey Hot Sauce

New Orleans Chargrilled Oysters
Hard Shell Gulf Oysters, Garlic, Lemon, Shallot, Fresh Herbs, Parmesan, Bread Crumbs

The BBQ Lion Platter
Low & Slow Chopped Pork, Baby Back Ribs, ¼ BBQ Chicken, Hand Cut Fries, House Sour Slaw, Country White Bread

Buttermilk Fried Chicken
½ a Bird, Savory Poppers Hot Cake (Jalapenos, Cheddar, Sour Cream), Clover Honey

The Lion Burger
Pat Lafrieda 8oz.Burger Blend, Aged White Cheddar, Smoked Bacon, Pickled Red Onion, Pimento Cheese, Butter Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato, Gherkin, Baker Street Onion Poppy Seeded Brioche Bun

Plates

Sarsaparilla Beef Short Ribs
Boneless Beef Short Ribs, Stilton Stone Ground Grits, Sarsaparilla Braising Jus, Vinegar Braised Mustard Greens, Tobacco Onions

Blackened Mississippi Catfish
Broken Rice Grits, Seasonal Succotash, Crawfish Cream Sauce

Wild Rabbit & Sausage
Roulade of Wild Rabbit, Andouille Stuffing, Ham Hock, Black Eyed Pea Hoppin’ John, Carolina Gold Rice, Bourbon Demi Glace

Carolina Shrimp & Grits
Stone Ground Sharp Cheddar Grits, Coastal Carolina Shrimp, Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Corn, Tasso Ham Gravy

Smoked Bone-In Pork Chop
Smoke 14oz. Frenched Pork Chop, Dry Rubbed and Grilled, Sweet Potato Puree, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Anjou Pear & Currant Chutney

Chargrilled 12oz. New York Strip Loin
Creamed Kale, Pickled Onion Rings, Steak Sauce

The Little Lion Lunch Menu

Small Plates

Soup

Fried Green Tomato
Griddle Grit Cake, Smoked Bacon & Tomato Jam, Pimento Cheese, Buttermilk Vinaigrette

Sweet Potato Fries
Sorghum Molasses, Powdered Sugar

BBQ Chicken Thigh Sliders
Sour Slaw, Bread & Butter Pickles, Potato Rolls

Farmer’s Cheese
Peach Preserves, Olive Oil, Grilled Country Bread, Clover Honey

Smoked Chicken Wings
Brined, Smoked, & Grilled, Dry Rub, Buttermilk Ranch Vinaigrette, Cucumber Ribbons

Pimento Cheese
Country Pit Ham, Pickled Green Tomato, Grilled Country Bread

Charcuterie Board
Daily Selection of Meats, Grain Mustard, Caperberries, Daily Pickle Selection, Baguette

Cheese Board
Daily Selection of Local & Imported Cheeses, Peach Preserves, Honey Crisp Apple, Clover Honey, Baguette

Ruffage

Little Lion House Salad
Seasonal Greens, Shaved Carrot, Radish, Slivered Cucumber, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Buttermilk Ranch Vinaigrette

Roasted Heritage Carrot Salad
Roasted Heirloom Carrots, Frisee, Shaved Fennel, Goat Cheese Croquettes, Sorghum Molasses Vinaigrette

Kale Caesar Salad
Baby Kale, Grana Padana, Cornbread Croutons, Lemon & Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

The Wedge Salad
Iceberg Lettuce, Stilton, House Smoked Bacon, Charred Onion, Roasted Tomatoes, Stilton Buttermilk Vinaigrette

King Street Apple & Pear Salad
Honey Crisp Apples, Anjou Pears, Butter Lettuce, Belgian Endive, Toasted Pecans, Candied Bacon, Stilton, Figs, Maple-Cranberry Vinaigrette

AIR, LAND & SEA

Fried Oysters
Cornmeal Crust, Honey Hot Sauce

New Orleans Chargrilled Oysters
Hard Shell Gulf Oysters, Garlic, Lemon, Shallot, Fresh Herbs, Parmesan, Bread Crumbs

The BBQ Lion Platter
Low & Slow Chopped Pork, Baby Back Ribs, ¼ BBQ Chicken, Hand Cut Fries, House Sour Slaw, Country White Bread

Buttermilk Fried Chicken
½ a Bird, Savory Hot Cake with Cream Cheese, Jalapenos and Cheddar, Local Honey

Between the Bread

Smoked Turkey Sloppy Joe
House Smoked Free Range Turkey, Sweet & Spicy Tomato Sauce, Chilis, Bread & Butter Pickles, Grilled Onions, Sesame Seeded Brioche Bun

PBLT
Thick Cut Pork Belly, Heirloom Tomato  & Bacon Jam, Iceberg & Butter Lettuce, Mayonnaise, Country White Toast

Fried Chicken
Country Fried Chicken Tenderloins, Pimento Cheese, Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato, Buttermilk Ranch Vinaigrette

Blackened Catfish Po’Boy
Sweet Pickle Remoulade, Butter Lettuce, Pickled Green Tomatoes, Shaved Onion, Baguette

Country Pit Ham Club
Country Pit Ham, Smoked Bacon, Vidalia Onion Loraine Spread, Butter Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato, Multi-Grain Bread

The Lion Burger
Pat Lafrieda 8oz. Burger Blend, Aged White Cheddar, Smoked Bacon, Pickled Red Onion, Pimento Cheese, Butter Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato, Gherkin, Baker Street Onion Poppy Seeded Brioche Bun

Fried Green Tomato Grilled Cheese
Flash Fried Green Tomatoes, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Pimento Cheese, Balsamic, Country White Bread

Little Lion Cocktail List

BLOOD ORANGE PALOMA 10
silver tequila, blood orange shrub, lime

LIONS TEA 11
bourbon, african nectar tea,brown sugar syrup,eggwhite

RASPBERRY SANGRIA 8
red wine,raspberry shrub,apricot brandy

LEMON FIZZ 9
vodka, lemon shrub, mint, champagne

APPLE CRISP 9
ryewhiskey,appleshrub,applecider, cinnamon

BLUEROSE 9
gin, blueberry shrub, lemon, rosemary

GINGER SNAP 9
ginger liqueur, lemon shrub, ginger beer

PEDDLER BUZZ 9
irish whiskey, cold brew coffee, milk, vanilla syrup

The Little Lion in Photos

The Little Lion [Foobooz]