Great food
Expect a long wait no matter what they say. Luckily we snagged a few bar seats.
Fried Brussel sprouts - Anything fried is delicious. A little salty though.
Pigs ear and kale - Topped with a sunny side up egg. You break up the yolk and use it as a dressing. Kale and pigs ear are so crispy then you mix it with the runny egg, yum. Again a little salty though.
Milk braised pork shoulder with mashed potatoes - really tender meat, really flavorful, and a good portion.
Pork ossobusco (sp?) - Huge portion, again, really really tender meat. Fell right off the bone. Had a red sauce, mashed potatoes, and topped with some greens. The combination is just amazing. Melts in your mouth.
Was so full but I'd like to try a few other items next time I come in.
I have been many many times to the Purple Pig. It is one of my favorite restaurants and the food is incredible. However, I had a really bad experience with my waitress last time I went.
I have to follow a pretty strict diet because of some intolerance. It is not fun, trust me. No eggs, no dairy, no gluten. It makes going out pretty harsh, but usually waiters are extremely nice and always find ways to accommodate it. I have been to PP in the past, and they were great about it.
So when I came back, I remembered some things sounded fine but were not. As I asked the waitress to indicate what I could eat, she told me I could not eat smears because they were served with bread - well you don't have to eat the bread - and that for the rest it was pretty obvious. Which I knew was not the case. I asked if I could eat something that did seem. Her reply, was Yes, I'm pretty sure it's fine, it should not have any dairy in it. But I can go in the kitchen and ask. And I'm like, yesss please go ask, (we are talking about my health, I'm sorry about the extra work) and of course there was cheese inside. Every time I had to ask if this or that was fine. Made the experience pretty unpleasant. Went out a couple more times during the weekend and each time the waitress was extremely helpful.
The Purple Pig is one of the premier foodie places to visit in downtown Chicago and I'm glad I finally decided to try it. We went for lunch on a Saturday and there was a two hour wait. Don't worry because you can first put your name down and they will call you about 15 minutes prior to when your table will be ready. In the meantime, do some shopping or get some popcorn for a small snack!
Our dishes:
We started off with the milk braised pork shoulder with mashed potatoes - Definitely my favorite dish of the meal. The meat was incredibly tender and soft and it really melts in your mouth. You can really see how the milk flavors the meat as well. The mashed potatoes on the bottom were amazing too. I just wish there was more!
Fried cheese - not sure which cheese it was but I wasn't too impressed by this dish maybe because I'm not much of a cheese fan to begin with or maybe the cheese didn't melt as much as I would've liked. The dish came with a jam like dip but the whole salty/sweet thing didn't mesh well for me. Tip: As with all fried things, it tastes best fresh out. After 15 minutes you lose the taste.
Roasted bone marrow w/ Herbs - My second favorite dish - but close to first! I had never tried bone marrow before simply because the idea didn't seem too astounding to me but I was convinced by my friend to give it a try. WOW. SO GOOD. Smear some bone marrow onto the bread, top it with a good chunk of cilantro salad, and sprinkle a bit of salt on top. It's like heaven in your mouth. Absolutely mind blowing. Typically I prefer not to eat cilantro in huge chunks because the flavor is just too overwhelming but the salad is prepared in such a way that the taste of cilantro is cut down drastically. I have no idea how they made it but give it a try even if you're not a fan of cilantro. You'll be impressed by how it tastes especially with the bread, marrow, and salt.
Foie gras w/ Membrillo smear - Also my first time trying foie gras. I liked it smeared onto the bread with the jam over it. It's a very sweet and tangy taste. Probably wouldn't order this dish again though because something about it didn't sit quite right with my palate. My friends really enjoyed it though!
For three people, bill came out to about $55 pre-tax and tip for lunch. Even though the dishes weren't particularly large, I felt full afterwards. Definitely would come again!
We had to wait 3 hours before getting a call for an available table. Ridiculous. No food is worth waiting that long. After checking in at 6:45pm on a Saturday we were given a wait time of 1 hr 45min for a table for two. We were expecting this and went to a nearby bar for a drink to wait. After that time there was nothing and we were told another 30-40 min but to check again in 20 min. After, that, another 30-40 min and we gave up.
This restaurant is pretentious enough to enjoy making people wait for their average food. Their front person was rude and unforgiving. They need to start taking reservations - this is no way to ensure good customer service and I will not attempt to go there again.
This place is designed to wow your taste buds, but not necessarily fill you up. Â The flavors on each plate are spectacular and very delicious, but the portions are small and each plate is a bit pricey. Â It's that kind of place where there is at least one thing on every plate that you've never heard of. Â If that's the kind of place you like, you'll love Purple Pig.
Recommend the Butternut Squash (we almost ordered 2 of them). Â The quail was well put together with the sauces and stuffing.
We had a little bit of a hard time finding the place; it's to the left of the Bank of America ATMs, along the side of the building (Black canvas warming room entrance)
A bit high class and hipster for my tastes. Â I don't really have any major complaints, but I wasn't in love with the place. Â It was ok to try once, but I won't be coming back. Â I like good food, but this was a little over-the top. Â I felt like I couldn't fully enjoy each plate because the portions were so small and we shared each item.
Crap, I lost my draft to my Yelp review. Â I'll make it short and simple. Â Came here with 3 other people, ordered about 11 dishes and loved almost every dish. Â Wait can be ridiculous, as Omar L. says in his review. Â We lined up outside before lunch to avoid a problem. Â If you love pork, make a visit and FEAST.
Review Source:Seriously, this is my favorite restaurant in Chicago! Everything is so delicious and the atmosphere is phenomenon! There is nothing like it! The wine list is excellent but I personally love their version of the manhattan, one is simply not enough! The owner Jimmy is very friendly and so, so humble. He is always in the kitchen making sure everything is running smoothly and that everyone is happy.
I've tried almost everything on the menu, and I love each one of the item but my favorites are the kale caesar salad, chicken kebab, bone marrow spread, and gosh so many other dishes! Can't even begin to name them all!
This is definitely the place to check out! I cannot wait to go back!
Good food at a reasonable price equals long wait. Â Now, take that plus prime location and tiny space equals very very long wait. Â We waited over a hour for 2 seats. Â However, the wait was worth it at the end. Â The food was very good.
We ordered:
Prosciutto di Parma - good
Fried Brussel sprouts - so so good
Ricotta and Pork Neck Gravy - delicious, very flavorful, my hubby's favorite of the meal
Squash and Ricotta - this was my favorite of all dishes
Razor Clams - very good
Pork Shoulder - very tendor
I am head over heels in love with this place. I was in Chicago for 4 days and visited the Purple Pig 3 times. I was able to try many things on the menu and the cheese and meat board/selections are AMAZING! JTL and pork neck were phenomenal! I am so excited to go back!
I have recommended this place to any friends traveling to Chicago and they have all loved it as well. A must try or must return type of place!
Delicious doesn't even begin to cover it!
Not only did we not get to eat, we edited 2.5 hours for our table, came back to find out it would be another 45 minutes. One hour later they called us for a table...forget it, there is not a restaurant ever that I been to that can treat customers so poorly! As much as I have traveled and have been fortunate to experience wonderful dining, this was a joke! Not an I am sorry, offer for a drink, nothing! Just a snotty little hostess that gave us the eye roll....so disappointing!
Review Source:This has to be one of the places your try when you're in Chicago! I've been here a few times now and always love it, but I usually drink a bit too much wine when I'm here and forget what I've ordered but here are some of the things on the menu you MUST try:
Roasted Bone Marrow smear - one of their most popular dishes I think.
Milk Braised Pork Shoulder - meat just falls of the bone.
Octopus - some in your group might be scared, but it's delicious
Everything I've hard here has been either good, or very interesting at least. The one downside is the wait - they don't do reservations so on weekends sometimes the wait is something crazy like 2.5 hours. Try to go right when dinner starts.
This place is amazing. It is hands down my favorite restaurant in Chicago. Great food, excellent service and surprisingly good prices. In fact when I took my father there, who was visiting from Michigan, he did a double take and told me we had to pay and get out fast before they realized they'd given us the wrong  bill. The joke was on him because it was definitely our bill.
i love the atmosphere and the drinks, there are a couple dishes that are a little salty for my taste but other than that I can't say enough good things. I tell people all the time that they need to eat here or they are missing out.
Three favorite things on the menu:
Turkey Leg Confit
Pork Liver Pate
Sicillian Iris
Also do yourself a favor and drink the Estrella Damm Inedit with dinner. It will blow your mind to pieces in space!
The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because they don't take reservations and the wait was an hour and 45 minutes. But let me tell you.... the wait is totally worth it. What an AMAZING MEAL!!! The meal itself gets 5 stars!
The dishes are VERY rustic, its sort of like peasant food with a gourmet twist.
All of the dishes are tiny, including the entrees. Although most people would normally complain about small portions, we kind of like it, we were full when we left but we weren't so stuffed it was uncomfortable.My husband and I ordered several dishes and split everything.
When you get there they take your name and cell # and hand you a pager. They page you about 15 minutes before your table is ready so that it gives you enough time to walk back to the restaurants from the shops on Michigan Ave. We were paged about one and a half hours later. It took us about 15 minutes to walk back and then we waited about another 15-20 minutes before our table was ready. It was a long wait but the staff was actually really fantastic about getting us drinks while we were waiting.
When we finally made it to our table our waiter quickly brought us drinks and went through the menu. He was fantastic! Described all the dishes in great detail, in fact, my mouth watered when he was describing dishes.
We settled on the eggplant and parmesan balls with marinara for an appetizer. It was delicious!!
We shared a heirloom carrot salad. WOW!! I know it seems silly that one of my favorite dishes from this trip was a salad but OMG! this was salad perfection. The dressing was perfectly sweet, perfectly sour and perfectly savory all at once. I was a little bummed that I was sharing this salad because I wanted more!
We also ordered the Octopus with green beans and fingerling potatoes. This was the most perfectly cooked octopus that I have ever had. The flavors were just fantastic.
The next dish was a milk braised pork shoulder served over potato puree and the most delicious gravy I have ever tasted poured on top, garnished with fresh parsley.
This is all we ordered, aside from drinks and we were perfectly content and really didnt have room for dessert.
I am a little disappointed that we didn't order the marrow bones. I just didnt think that would be something we would enjoy, but i saw several of them come out of the kitchen and they looked fantastic! Another dish that I saw at the table next to us was the shaved brussel sprouts, they looked really good.
I think this place is a MUST if you are in chicago. Dont let the "different" style of food steer you away from this place. I promise you the food is fantastic, even my picky husband who hates seafood or "strange" foods, loved this place. He even enjoyed the octopus!
Fantastic place!
Surprisingly good! My friends and I tried the bone marrow spread on bread, beef, and chicken with taziki sauce. I expected the portions to be small, but they were filling. My favorite was the beef. It's tender and good enough it doesn't stick to the interproximal areas of my teeth. This place is always busy and packed too! We came at 1:30pm on a Monday. This is definitely passed lunch time and we were surprised the wait was till 30 mins to get a seat. It's a great tapas place and I would come back here!
Review Source:I had tried to go here Memorial Day weekend of 2011. We had a large group of 10, and it would have been an 3 hour wait. So I came back in December of 2012 with just me and my boyfriend, with only an hour wait. We had a drink at the Hancock Tower until our table was ready.
I wasn't a fan of the long communal tables, with high bar seats. I had trouble on where to put my purse and sitting on my long coat, that kept touching the floor.
Food wise, most things were pretty good. Here is a breakdown of what we ordered:
- Milk braised pork shoulder: The description said it came with mashed potatoes, but I felt like the potatoes were too smushy at the bottom of the dish. The meat itself was very tender and moist, but a bit too salty.
- Bone marrow: My first time eating bone marrow, so I had to psych myself out and not think about it. It was a nice meat jelly/butter, and the extra salt I sprinkled on it helped bring out the flavor. I couldn't eat too much of it, because it got too rich.
- JLT sandwich: I was excited to try this dish, but I think I didn't eat it fast enough, because the fat in the jowl started to solidify and I couldn't finish it. Still pretty tasty.
- Assortment of cheese and meats: My bf is all about cheese and he loved the 2 that we tried (can't remember which ones). I also ordered some prociutto di parma, and it made me reminisce about my trip to Italy.
I'd wanted to give this place a 5, but the minor details listed above (solidified jowl fat, over-salted shoulder, awkward seating) warrant it a 4.
Before making the trip to Chicago I researched this place as well as many others. Time and time again I kept coming back to The Purple Pig and decided to check the place out while we were on The Mile doing some shopping. All I can say is that it's worth the trip.
We were seated quickly (even with the place being a little busy). It's definitely not a tourist trap ( thank god ) and they're wine selection is great! The service was awesome repeat AWESOME! The two ladies were very helpful , fast , answered questions and sincere. That's really all you can ask for when going out if you want my opinion. The food came out at a reasonable time and everything was made to order.
There is only two cons that I can think of, and that would be table size and space. Other than that this place is one that  you'll need to check out. It's definitely a place to take your significant other or  clients for a drink after a day of meetings.
We will definitely be back again. Thanks guys!
For the adventurous eater. This had been on my list for a long time, and I attempted to go there twice before finally being able to get in on my third try with an old coworker who was in town for the week. People LOVE this restaurant, so we were very excited to check it out. Unfortunately, we were completely underwhelmed by everything we ordered (which were the most popular items on the menu - salt-roasted beets w/whipped goat cheese; milk braised pork shoulder; and pig's ear w/crispy kale, pickled cherry peppers and fried egg). Every dish we tried was ridiculously salty to the point where you couldn't taste much else. Maybe they were having an off night? Either way, very disappointing.
Review Source:Valentines Day, and after a long day at the Art Institute trying to understand much of the modern art, we decide to go back to something more comfortable and natural... delicious well made food.
We walked in without a reservation around 2 PM and was seated immediately at a communal table. Â Service was fast, friendly, and had great suggestions for us being first timers here. Â Here's the meal:
Beets and Goat Cheese: Â Salt roasted beets that were so sweet, you could practically sell this stuff to a sugar addicted kid on Halloween night. Â Combined with a whipped goat cheese (making it extremely fluffy and airy) along with diced pistachios, this was our my favorite dish of the night.
Roasted Bone Marrow: Â Six slices of toasted bread, and two huge bones slices in half with oozing marrow to spread over the bread. Â Succulent, heavy, rich, and delicious... personally, the perfect amount to eat is 1-1.5 pieces, so ideally shared on a double date, but a couple could easily finish this off based on flavor alone as well. Â We did. Â
Pig's Ear: Â So thinly sliced and then coated and crisped perfectly, this is practically cheating in my opinion.. having grown up eating real pig's ears that have been braised for hours, there was no chew or bite to the ear cartilage. Â This was basically like eating calamari (albeit VERY good). Â The crisped kale added great texture, and the egg on top brings the dish together nicely. Â Delicious dish, even if you really don't get to taste the pig ears for their true nature.
Milk braised pork shoulder: Â Per the waitress, a three day process. Â Super tender, great flavor. Â Had I not have had great pork shoulder before that was comparable, this would've blown my mind. Â Delicious dish, but others on the menu were more eye opening and inspiring to me for new techniques to learn.
We decided to try a couple desserts as well, since we're not likely to come here often... but left somewhat disappointed from a price to ingenuity ratio. Â Here's the info:
Nutella Panini - Just what you'd imagine. Â Melted nutella with marshmallow creme and bananas. Â If you've ever made nutella or PB banana sandwiches at home on the frying pan, this is comparable. Â Very tasty, but not awe-inspiring.
Peppermint soft serve - I'm not a soft serve fan, so I'm not even sure why we got this... I think we were just so caught up in how amazing savory courses were, we ended up losing our mind on the dessert portion. Â Softserve flavored with peppermint, with crushed peppermints throughout. Â Clean, refreshing, but again not awe-inspiring.
To be fair, my wife and I definitely have experimented a lot in the dessert realm, and we always like to check out restaurants for things that we cannot produce at home or haven't tried before.
Verdict: Â Seriously, a phenomenal place to eat... the dishes are well thought out, well put together, and delicious in every bite. Â Even though we tried the "favorites" by recommendation of the waitress, we look forward to coming back to try some of the rest of the very EXPANSIVE menu.
Where to even begin? Â This place is better each and every time I make it there. Â As I write this I can't wait to go back!
I'm not a fan of waiting but this is one spot that I'll sit next to the heat lamp patiently waiting for my name to be called. Â There are no reservations here so be prepared to wait unless you show up during the week at 10pm. Â Whether you wait or not, its totally worth it! Â I honestly can't mention one item I am not a fan of and the menu changes depending on what's in season so there are reasons to keep going back and eating it up!
If there are scallops on the menu, please order these! So scrumptious and amazing. Â Feta with cucumbers and bread grilled with butter? Â YES PLEASE! Â Fried brusselsprouts? Â DOUBLE YES! Â Also have to applaud the awesome wine selection. Â That's it, I'm going to stop writing just so I can go back!!!!!
If you get lucky, you can snag seats at the bar which are first come first serve. Â Also, there is no valet so keep this in mind.
pig pig pig pig pig
On the guys food trip, this was the final stop for me. Â We previously tried coming here the night before but it was 2hour wait. Â 2 HOUR! Â So we came first thing in the morning when it opened on Sunday and got a table quickly. Â We were seated in the tented (yet heated) area in the larger communal table. Â It is more fun talking to random people next to you btw.
Food, was amazing. Â Pictures itself don't do it justice, but I love eating all things that will probably give me a heart attack. Â We almost ordered everything on the menu (seriously).
Parking: We parked on the street somewhere (meter) so either have someone running back and forth or go find a garage to park at so you can enjoy your pig.
Service: Very friendly (even if they aren't your waiter/waitress), gave lots of suggestions for food and drinks especially for first timers.
This place is definitely worth the 1 hr 45 minute wait. They have amazing service. TIP: If you are in the general area and you are not hungry yet come here and put your name down. They take your number so in 2 hours when you are hungry they will give you a ring.
Wish we knew that. We came back after 90 minutes when they gave us a call. We were given a corner table for three. It was by their door (not revolving). Too cold so we asked to switch to another three person table and they were very accommodating.
Prosciutto Escarole Bread Balls - Got this because of all the yelp reviews. Frankly, I thought it was alright. Nothing special. You can hardly taste the prosciutto.
Butternut Squash, Pumpkin Seeds, Brown Butter & Salata - Pretty good and I rarely eat squash. Definitely something you want to share. It is too sweet to eat all by yourself.
We also ordered two types of cured meats. They come with bread and it was surprisingly filling. I think out of the two we loved the one with the truffle oil.
The service was absolutely amazing even though it doesn't look like a fine dining you get fine dining service. Every time one of us would get up to use the bathroom someone will come over and fold our napkins. Even though it was busy we didn't have a problem getting serviced.
There were two bathrooms in the back. Multi-sex. If you are unlucky there could be a long wait.
This place is amazing. I was in Chicago with a friend and we lucked out on hotels by getting one across the street from the Purple Pig. We dined there for lunch and tried as many things as we could possibly stuff into ourselves. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. As we struggled with picking a wine, the waitress patiently explained the different wines they had and allowed us to taste whatever we wanted before making a decision.
The following dishes are AMAZING and must be eaten immediately (provided you can find seats - go when they open or suffer a 2-3 hour wait for a table):
Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Pecorino Noce & Parmigiano Reggiano
Deviled Egg with Arugula & Capers
Pork Neck Bone Gravy with Ricotta
Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes
You really cannot go wrong with anything on the menu, but the above will leave you dreaming of when you can visit the Purple Pig for more delectable delights!
The food here is so good that I could not stop cursing....yes that F#CK%N GOOD!!!
Didn't come here with high expectations...and they far exceeded my expectations!!!!
Came here for dinner on a Sunday night and it was PACKED!!! Wait was about an hour...so decided to wait it out and maybe grab a drink.
Lucked out on a couple leaving at the bar and grabbed a seat at the bar.
Bartender/waiter was Dominic....hella cool guy and was very helpful on our food choices and wine choices!!!
Food:
- BONE MARROW: Love that fatty-buttery goodness..smeared on toast and sprinkle that sea salt to seal the deal!
- Â Grilled Octopus + green beans: skeptical at first but recommended from Dominic...and tried it. So glad we ordered it, mighty delicious and packed a lot of flavor. We even topped it on top of our Bone Marrow + toast ...haha
- Pork Blade Steak: Another skeptical plate...but we took another recommendation from Dominic and 2 for 2..this blade steak was so effn good!!! Tender, perfect fattiness and savored in flavor!!!!
All of these plates are highly recommended and if you can, sit at the bar...you can see the chefs prepare the food and I think it makes the experience much more fun!
We also paired our meal with Spanish Wine (Bobal)....went perfect with our meal!
Thanks Purple Pig and Dominic for our unforgettable experience! Bucket list - Check!
Highly recommended! You'll make your friends jealous....haha!
This has been on my "to do" list since it opened, and my husband finally treated me to a Valentine's lunch here (well, the day after!). Â We arrived right as they were opening and got a great two person table. Â The restaurant quickly filled up to capacity. Â Our server was busy but helpful when asked. Â The other staff was very attentive and kept our table cleared when dishes were finished and kept our water glasses full.
I was in lunch heaven: Â bone marrow, pigs ear, milk pork shoulder with mashed potatoes, and wagyu sirloin tip. Â Everything was amazing! Â The bone marrow was my favorite, as it was such a stunning indulgence. Â I loved the little pieces of toast that were served with it. Â The wagyu sirloin was amazing with potatoes, onions, and olives was an amazing and addictive combination. Â The mild braised pork shoulder was so tender and delicious, my husband's favorite. Â Can't wait to enjoy it again soon.
We finished off with a donut for dessert, which is not on the menu. Â Lovely finale to a great meal!
This is a fun place, and I cannot wait to go back!!!
Believe in the hype. Â I live blocks from here and balked at waiting in line for the past 3 years. Â People know about the food here.....what people also need to know is that even though there is a LOOOONG wait, it's fine! Â They take down your cell number and call you when your table is ready. Â I put my name down at 5:45pm, chilled at my condo for 2 hours and walked back for one of the most ridiculous dinners I've had in a long time. Â
It was like dim sum: Â we got 2 orders of Pig's ear with Crispy Kale, 2 orders of milk braised pork shoulder, 1 JLT, bone marrow, salt-roasted beets, and some other dishes. Â
Definitely get the Pig's ear.  Trust.  The braised pork shoulder just melts in your mouth.  You can read about the other dishes in the other reviews....my advice if you're visiting from out of town:  Put your name down around 4 or 5pm  and just go shopping on Michigan Ave.  The place is tiny so it'll be tough to just wait there for 2 hours.  (or just message me and we'll do soju shots at my place while you guys wait)
I've been wanting to try this place for a while, but there's always a wait. Â We went at 3:00 on a Sunday and got a great table outside right away. Â We didn't want a full meal, so we split 4 things. Â The beet salad, mortadella smear, and meatball slider were fantastic. Â We also had the prosciutto balls, which were good, but not like the other things we got. Â
I'll def go back.
This was my second visit, which was just as good as the first. Â Sat at the bar last time (recommend it), this time was "out there" with the people and while I enjoyed our table for two (since it was my wife's first visit) the bar seating is more interesting as it allows you to see the chefs at work and eyeball their creations. Â It could be the difference between ordering something you otherwise would not (the Pigs ear for instance) and not. Â Seeing it is much more appetizing than reading and trying to imagine what it's all about.
This is a place to explore your inner foodie and graze. Â That's why the waits are so long, but that is also why it is so worth checking out if you are one of the few who hasn't already. Â My biggest regret is I haven't gone with larger groups of people because sampling a little of a lot and pairing it all with the interesting libation offerings (wine list has very reasonably priced offerings) would be the ideal. Â
Was pleased to see some couples with kids, but this visit was lunch, not sure it would be a good place for kids at night, given the waits, cramped space and reality that a child's tolerance for lengthy dining is different than an adults.
Really 2.5 stars.
It's tough to write an unbiased review of Purple Pig because of the ridiculous wait to get in. Â I'll submit that the food here really is fantastic. Â Everything was fresh and delicious. Â However, as many other Yelpers say, the wait to sit down here is unconscionable.
We waited THREE HOURS AND FORTY FIVE MINUTES to sit down after we gave the hostess our names. Â I don't think we were the only ones who waited a while to sit, as none of the other patrons seated in our area looked happy. Â They looked tired, frustrated, and quite frankly, seemed as though they just wanted to get dinner over with and leave. Â I can't say I felt much differently.
Like I said, the food here is excellent, but the wait is unbearable. Â Management should really do something to remedy this issue (ever hear of reservations!?) Â I probably won't be back.
I had been wanting to try this place for a while, and finally made it for lunch one day. A lot of the food was really salty, which is why I'm going to dock a star, almost two stars.
The jowl was the saltiest thing I've ever tried. It was a little bit of overkill. The pork shoulder with mashed potatoes on the other hand was really good, I would highly recommend it, especially to those that do not like to experiment too much with food.
I also love that this place sells half bottles of wine. We got a half of the cava which was excellent.
The other things we tried were the fried deviled eggs, which were excellent. And a cheese platter which was also good. If anything, ask your server to recommend something and they will lead you in the right direction.
5 star food and wine, restaurants like this set the bar for the others.
I tried to limit the number of plates I ordered, as our little group racked up a pretty big bill for food and wine, but each dish was as delicious as the last and left us all ranting and raving about how good everything was!
Attentive service, fine dining atmosphere and an amazing wine selection with knowledgeable a sommalier make this restaurant complete! Enjoy!
We came here because it's the place to go when in Chicago but I probably wouldn't come back. Overall my experience was good but the food didn't live up to my expectations.
The wait itself is pretty long and the restaurant fairly small, but there's plenty to do around the area and they take your number and give a call when your table's ready, which is nice.
WARNING: they charge for water. they give you the option to choose from 3 different types - sparkling, distilled and tap. The last two confused me, wtf is the difference. I guess tap is the poor man water. we asked for distilled thinking it was just regular water - NOPE, it's 6 dollars a bottle.
We ordered the bone marrow because everyone and their mother's told us to order that. It was okay, maybe i'm not a fan of fat smear but i didn't find it too spectacular. We also ordered the JTL which i thought was my favorite dish. I split it with some friends and thank god, because the pork flavor was really over powering. what was nice was that our server gave us a complementary dish because i think they made an extra one. after we paid and left i felt really greasy and fat.
Overall, i recommend dining here once to say you did, but never again.
After several attempts, I was finally able to get into PP without a 2 hr wait! Yay! Loved the airy brightness of the interior...I thought it was just gonna be another darkly-lit bar where proper food pics are impossible. It was still hopping at 9pm on a Monday, no wonder I could never get in during peak dinner time.
Friend and I shared pig ears, milk braised pork shoulder, roasted beets and bone marrow. Really loved the for tender pork shoulder and sweet beets with tangy goat cheese dressing. The pig ears were nice and crispy, but had none of that textural contrast between cartilage and collagen that I've always associated with pig ears. Everything was aggressively flavored, so I think I'd have enjoyed the dishes more with alcoholic drinks (which mute the palate). The only misstep for me was the bone marrow: it was unbelievably greasy. The oil covered bread it came with did not help. Next time I'll steer clear of the marrow and try other things on the menu...if I can get in closer to normal dining hours. Please expand!
Good beer? Check! Good food? Check! Just... don't eat here if you're vegetarian. My friend and I ended up here due to our friend and fellow Yelper, Mary C. She had recommended this place, so we ended up there.
What did we order?
1) CHORIZO STUFFED OLIVES: These were good, but not amazing - mainly because I couldn't really taste the chorizo in it.
2) PORK NECK BONE GRAVY WITH RICOTTA: Absolutely yummy! However, not a must-have.
3) MILK BRAISED PORK SHOULDER WITH MASHED POTATO: Due to the raves on Yelp on this, we had to get it. Absolutely tender, and very soft. Highly recommend! Thanks, yelpers!
4) TURKEY LEG CONFIT: Okay - so we thought this place was "tapas?" This thing isn't. It's HUGE. Like, it's bigger-than-my-calf, huge. Okay, not that big, but prepare to eat lots of it.
5) AFFOGATO (with pumpkin soft served ice cream): I have this thing where if I see "affogato" on the menu, I MUST have. It was rather with pumpkin or mint soft-serve ice cream. My friend wanted the pumpkin, and boyyyyyyy was it YUMMY. HIGHLY recommend.
All in all, we had great service, great food, great beer... Oh! And did I mention? They play a LOT of Canadian music here (it was great hearing Arcade Fire playing over and over again in the background).
Tucked away from MiAve, this place is a gem. Interesting small plates, creative ingredients combined in ways you would not have thought up yourself. Very rich ingredients compliment the wine and beer selection available.
Nicely decorated interior and creative menu placement makes this place a unique establishment too.
Admittedly, everything we ordered tasted very good, but the general tone of the restaurant came across as unbelievably pretentious instead of lighthearted and fun, as "cheese, swine, and wine" might suggest. I don't think that menus should need glossaries, but 90% of the items on their menu required one or two wikipedia searches to figure out all of the ingredients. That being said, the milk-braised pork shoulder and the roasted cauliflower were both exceptional, and the kitchen staff is clearly very talented.
Unfortunately, however, truly great restaurants require more than just great food. The most absurd detail here was the WC sign on the bathroom doors. I am all for fine dining, but there is no need for coldness or attitude.
Has this Purple Pig met that other Girl and the Goat roaming around Chicago? They seriously should combine forces and form one super restaurant because they are both amazing!
The Purple Pig is a snug little restaurant with a clean interior and lots of sitting room. Even so, you probably need to make reservations in advance for this place because it's that popular!
Some of my favorites:
-BEETS WITH WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE! A bowl full of beet cubes with an amazing, whipped goat cheese topping. The combination of the two is mouth-watering! I wouldn't recommend this if you weren't a fan of beets (what's wrong with you?) because it literally was as I am describing it.
-Fried pig's ear w/ kale. It's topped with a sunny-side-up egg, so it's definitely a great photo opp if you're one of those people who love taking pictures of food. I'm not a fan of pig's ear but I did like this. Honestly, it kind of tasted like really crispy fries... but what's wrong with that :)
-Pork shoulder. The pork is really soft and pulls apart with your fork. Seasoned well and laying on a bed of yummy mashed potatoes, this dish was worth trying (esp. since there were so many Yelp pictures on it!)
After eating here, you'll definitely become a piggie yourself :) and you know what I say about that?... oink oink!
YUM! I've been here about 5 times now, and I'm not sure why I haven't written a review yet. I stumbled across this place randomly (which is rare... usually Yelp everything before I visit), and I was lucky to be seated almost immediately.
I've tried a variety of things on the menu, including:
-Bone marrow smear: you guys, don't kill me, but I don't get the hype of this dish. The bone marrow with the bread tastes like overly oily bread... I feel like its more of the excitement of eating something new that makes it fun to eat, but to each his own (let the hating begin)
-pork neck bone smear: yum! It kind of tastes like marinara sauce on steroids... It looks tomato-y and tastes kinda like spaghetti sauce, but its SO good!
-artichoke salad: good, but probably would spend the $8 elsewhere (portion is pretty tiny)
-milk braised pork shoulder: fall-off-the-bone and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! It is a little salty, but worth it!
-wagyu beef: Good, but wouldn't get it again (maybe it's because I ordered this dish when I was already past the point of bursting...)
-clams with sausage (definitely not what it's called... but that's the gist of it): delicious!
GET HERE EARLY! the last time i came here, ended up waiting for 3 hours... and this is not unusual. While I was waiting, people came in at around 9 pm asking for the wait time, and it was still 3 hours (the expressions on their faces were priceless).
Also, whenever a dish comes with extra broth (e.g. the clams), I always ask for extra bread to mop up the sauce. Granted, the food is really heavy/salty, so you will probably drink gallons of water afterward, but so worth it!
I'll always be back.
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