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I HOPE THEY DON'T START OPERATING THIS WAY AT CRACKER BARREL

Mealhada, Portugal: This Little Piggy Is a Tasty Lure

SUCKLING pig is to Mealhada, a town in central Portugal, what cassoulet is to Toulouse: a culinary specialty that it calls its own. Since the 18th century, the moist, smoky, crispy allure of the dish, known locally as leitão assado, has been a magnet for locals and tourists.

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At Pedro dos Leitões, a sprawling, brightly lighted restaurant with 400 seats at tables covered with crisp white cloths, the focus of the menu is the delectably moist-fleshed, crisp-skinned suckling pig served on the bone, chopped into hunks and piled on a platter with slices of orange. The typical accompaniments are freshly fried potato chips and a simply dressed lettuce salad.

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Unlike most of the places that serve leitão assado, Pedro dos Leitões is a vertically integrated operation.

In the back, hidden from the view of all but the most curious diners, are the piglets, awaiting their fate, which is monitored by a licensed veterinarian. You do not want to visit the nervous little pigs before dinner.

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