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Sunday, May 25, 2014

More food porn of the pig variety.

There’s this place in Chicago called The Purple Pig.  It’s on Michigan Avenue in the thick of things and it has gained a great reputation for it’s inventive interpretations of everything pork (and other stuff, but mostly pork).  I have been wanting to eat here for a couple of years but have never been able to get in – they don’t take reservations and the wait times are usually measured in hours, with lines out the door and spilling out onto the street.

Just for kicks and grins, I decided to try again today and lo and behold there was one empty stool at the bar just waiting for a single and so I walked right in and grabbed it.

Started with the Bobata, which is a Greek corn bread topped with feta cheese and honey and I swear to you that it was so delicious I nearly burst into tears.  Hot corn bread, which is kind of tart in a way, with the creamy cheese and sweet honey.  Insane flavor combination.

Main course was the JLT – a pork jowl, tomato, frizee, and a fried duck egg on a thick slab of garlicky toast.  Pork jowl is basically like bacon on steroids, all salty fatty goodness that mixed perfectly with the summery lettuce and tomato and the rich egg.  I’m in love.

Dessert was something I can’t remember the name of (it’s not on the online menu) but it as Greek fried dough topped with honey and cinnamon – sort of a Greek version of a beignet.  I was ready to fall over by the time I was done.  Pictures below.  I may go back for dinner to try the pork shoulder with mashed potatoes or the pork trip with crispy pork skin breadcrumbs or the prosciutto platter or the…. I think I’m going to pass out now.

purplepig01 purplepig02 purplepig03