The Purple Pig: Worth the Wait

First off today - a special mention of all those who were affected by the World Trade Center attack as we mark the 11th anniversary of that incredibly sad & difficult day today.  All those who were lost, who are carrying on without their loved ones, and all those who have played an active role in rebuilding the City of New York and this country hold a special place in our hearts today and forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Purple Pig had been at the top of my restaurant list since its debut a little over two years ago.  That's right, it took two years for the stars to align for myself and The Pig...two years and nearly a two-hour wait, accompanied by two glasses of delicious red wine...and it was totally worth it.

The Purple Pig sits along the infamously touristy Magnificent Mile, but don't be deceived by its local - this place is anything but gimmicky.  It's a serious & authentic take on not just pork, but Mediterranean small plates, beer and they've got a wine list for days.  Bon Appétit discovered The Pig's potential not long after they opened in 2010, naming it one of The 10 Best New Restaurants in America.

Not taking reservations can lead to some hefty wait times, but don't let that deter you from going - they have an open terrace connected to their outdoor patio where customers can mingle & sip while waiting for a table.  The girls & I happily ordered wine from the awesomely friendly waitress outside and spent the time catching up with each others' lives.  You see, that's the thing about waiting - you can allow it to be a negative thing, or you can make the most of it by reconnecting with some of your all-time favorite people in this life, which is exactly what we did.

Once inside we were led to a communal high-top table close to the bar.  Needless to say it's a tight squeeze throughout the interior, but I suppose it plays into The Pig's charm.  The wine kept flowing as we anxiously looked over the menu, deciding on our feast.  The first thing we agreed on: we were all starving.  Bring on the food!  It was small plates galore and our server was very helpful as we navigated through our choices - we ended up ordering only one of each dish & it was the perfect amount for all four of us to have more than one taste of each.  If you have more than four in your party & something sounds extra yummy, I'd suggest getting two orders.

The dishes started to arrive at our table about ten minutes after we placed our order, despite a packed house.  Before we knew it we were snacking on salt-roasted beets with whipped goat cheese, drizzled with pistachios & pistachio vinaigrette, chorizo stuffed olives, pig's ear (give it a chance) with kale, pickled peppers & a friend egg, octopus with green beans & fingerling potatoes and a tomato & burrata salad with fresh shaved parmesan.  If you've never tried burrata it should be immediately moved to the top of your to-do list.  The outside is a shell of mozzarella, while the inside is a combination of mozzarella and cream, aka melt-in-your-mouth amazingness.

The petit basque cheese with membrillo was basically friend squares of cheese - while they were still good, they definitely weren't the stars of the meal.  The flavors of the pig's ear dish are good but I highly recommend getting each component on your fork when tasting it - the thing strips of pig ear are a bit too salty & friend on their own.

The two larger plates we got were the milk braised pork shoulder with mashed potatoes (incredible), and the turkey leg with lentils & endive.  If you've ever been tailgating at an Iowa Hawkeyes game you probably know about the "BIG ASS TURKEY LEGS!" sold by the enthusiastic man on Melrose.  The Pig's turkey leg was almost an exact replica, presented in a more formal way and just as tasty.

We somehow managed to order dessert after devouring every last piece of every dish we ordered.  The good thing about a small-plates spot is that you can share and taste without over doing it or wasting food.  After all that savory we needed a bit of sweet to split - a mini berry cobbler-esque dish with fresh whipped cream and a pistachio drizzle...the perfect taste to end the evening.