Swig: Charcuterie & Suds for the Curious, Perrysburg

Tony Bilancini and Jim Hodulik grew up eating homemade traditional Eastern European and Italian foods, from sausages and hot dogs to the condiments that went on them. When the friends were starting their own bar, they decided to make it a restaurant that served handcrafted favorites, like the charcuterie their parents and grandparents made.

“We started throwing all these things together and coming up with our own recipes for sausages,” says Bilancini, a trained chef and Vermilion native. “Our goal was to make fine food accessible, to keep our humble upbringing about us, but still offer top-notch food. It’s elevated comfort food that gets funky.”

Their vision became Swig: Charcuterie & Suds for the Curious, a popular gastropub and mainstay in downtown Perrysburg since 2008.

“Back then, America had no idea what charcuterie was,” Bilancini says. “That’s why we do the ‘curious’ in there.”

From great craft beers and specialty mixed drinks to gourmet hot dogs, sausages and sides, Swig is a place where anyone can enjoy a favorite dish with the drink of their choice inside a cozy restaurant and bar.

“We have a way of putting a whole meal between two pieces of bread,” Bilancini says. “You don’t have to wear a tie to eat it, although you can.”

Nearly every item that comes out of Swig’s kitchen is made from scratch. The restaurant regularly offers weekly specials that have included sausages made from elk, rabbit and even lobster. Customers love the sausages, hot dogs, burgers and sandwiches as well as sides that include pierogies, garlic fries and sweet potato tots. The Cleveland hot dog is one of Swig’s most popular items. The beef hot dog is smothered in all-beef coney sauce then topped with bacon, shredded cheddar and Cleveland’s own Stadium Mustard. Twenty-one taps line the bar. Most are craft beers, but Pabst Blue Ribbon has been on tap since the restaurant opened. Swig prides itself on its openness to all.

“They like our genuineness,” Bilancini says of his customers. “People feel comfortable here. It’s got some soul in it.”  

219 Louisiana Ave., Perrysburg 43551, 419/873-6224, swigrestaurant.com