Chicago, IL 60611
Occasion: Dinner 07.03.11 Party of 7. One of my favorite meals in Chicago!
Asparagus & Hazelnuts with Arugula & Treviso
I love the buttery, roasted taste of arugula. It's definitely a green that I enjoy eating. It went well with the asparagus chunks as well; which were nice and crunchy. Hazelnuts not only added taste, but also texture to the dish. I liked it! 
Salt-Roasted Beets with
Whipped Goat Cheese & Pistachio Vinaigrette
I've never been a big fan of beets, but I am not against putting it in my mouth. I'd thought I'd give it a try and see how I felt about The Purple Pig's style of it. Unfortunately, it did not change my mind. I don't know why, I'm just still not a fan. There's really no taste to it and the texture reminds me of cooked carrots.
Purple pig platter with cured meats which include:
Catalonian Fuet, Lingua Agrodulce, Coppa, Prosciutto di Parma, Testa
and a selection of three cheeses that I don't remember.
I love love love charcuterie plates. The meats were delicious and we were all very satisfied with the variety of meats.
Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs
I loved the fatty goodness of this thing! Though, it would have been better if the bones were cut differently that could have been easier to scoop the bone marrow. I loved that it came with big pieces of toasted bread because I've had it at places where the bread slices were not as generous, so we'd have to keep on asking for more bread to spread the bone marrow onto. Finger licking good!
Pig’s Ear with Crispy Kale, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Fried Egg
I'm sure it doesn't sound appetizing, but they were good. They were deep fried with what also seemed to have been deep fried kale. When we were waiting to be seated, we saw this dish, not knowing what it was, but knowing that we wanted to order it because of the beautiful fried egg. Some what reminded me of calamari, but not as chewy. Another great dish we ordered.
Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes
AMAZING!! The meat was super tender, mashed potatoes were creamy (though I like it chunky, but still good), and delicious milk gravy. This was one of our favorite dishes here, definitely something I'd recommend.
Mussels with Pancetta, Crème Fraiche & Marjoramy
Who doesn't like mussels? I can always eat mussels. They were delicious here especially with chunks of pancetta, which adds a rich flavor to it. The pancetta actually reminded me of bacon or really salty ham. When I order mussels, I usually think of it as a light appetizer, but with the amazing flavors and the added pancetta, it's not as light of an appetizer as I thought it would be. Another great dish ordered.
Pig’s Tails Braised in Balsamic
Probably my least favorite dish after the beets. Not that it was bad, but compared to everything else that came out delicious, I thought this was mediocre at best. The texture, flavor and presentation just didn't do it for me.
Pork Blade Steak with 'Nduja & Honey
I don't usually like pork chops, though lately, I seem to have been ordering it a lot more. Anyhow, I thought it was freaking delicious. Pork chop with honey glazed is super delicious. I think it must have been my Hawaii trip back in May when I thought they were delicious. The trouble with pork chops is that they can get dry if not cooked right. Oh look at the knife! It has "Purple Pig" engraved on it. I wanted to take one home as a souvenir, but I knew that I probably wouldn't be able to carry my bag as a carry on if I did.
Wagyu Sirloin Tip with Fingerling Potatoes Red Onions,
Olive & Bone Marrow Vinaigrette
I thought it was pretty good, considering the fact that by the time this came to the table, I was already pretty stuffed. What I did appreciate was the fact that the meat was prepared the way we had ordered it "medium rare". I often find that they overcook it, not here tho. It really is medium rare, the way I like it...where the outsides are kind of seared and the meat inside is still pretty raw looking.
Octopus with Green Beans, Fingerling Potatoes & Salsa Verde
Love how you could see the suction cups of the octopus still. It was flavorful, crunchy and chewy. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't the highlight of the night. I was glad that it wasn't deep fried!
Sicilian Iris
As recommended by fellow yelpers. The name of it was also very appealing. I didn't see a reason for us not to order it.
Sicilian Iris
{Ricotta & Chocolate Chip filled Fried Brioche}
It was different and something I've never had before, but nothing that I'd rave about. It was warm, but dry and kind of reminded me of a chinese donut. It wasn't mind blowing.
Bread Pudding with Marsala & Citrus
{Caramel Sauce & Whipped Cream}
It was dense and was prepared in more of a pastry form, which made it seem more of a bread pudding cake. It didn't have the consistency of pudding, but then again...it usually isn't in a pudding form. I thought it was delicious and more satisfying than the silician iris.
No comments:
Post a Comment