Y&H got an exclusive first taste of Three Little Pigs Charcuterie and Salumi, which opens Tuesday in Petworth. Judging by the platter of smoked meats I tried, which cost $11, area carnivores are in for a treat. Initial impressions: the tasso (Cajun pork) and andouille sausage carried just a hint of fruit wood smoke, and the creamy white fat of the former spoke of the shop’s stated commitment to ethically raised animals. The quick-cured Chinese sausage was delicately sweet, the venison sausage tasted pleasantly funky, and the Polish smoked pork loin proved meltingly tender.

Charcuterie at this high a level is usually done by grizzled masters, not green graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, but that has not stopped recently engaged co-owners Jason Story and Carolina Gomez from forging ahead with their dream of having a small shop. Story trained under Michigan chef Brian Polcyn, co-author with Michael Ruhlman of Charcuterie, the recognized bible of cured meats. Gomez, a D.C. native, was cooking at organic food mecca Restaurant Nora before she even left high school. Together, they are intent on not just introducing their community to new, delicious products, but also living a life far removed from the huff and puff (ahem) of high-end restaurant kitchens.

Meet the owners and take a tour of the shop in the below video.