The Purple Pig: A Review
April Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 01:00PM 
What do you expect? You’re at the Purple Pig!
This is what our server said to my group on my first visit to the Cheese, Wine, and Swine emporium. She was referring to the fact that the place is always crowded and loud, though apparently some people submitting reviews on a site that rhymes with “welp” did not get that memo.
I don’t mind the crowding, though. On a recent Thursday evening, when faced with an hour wait, they gladly took our phone numbers so we could wander Michigan Avenue and have drinks elsewhere before they had room for us. When we were seated, a mere 30 minutes later, they sat my friend and I across from each other at a large communal table, right between a single diner to our left and two hip, retired, Loop-living couples on our right. At the head of the table, our single-dining companion, a marketing director in town from Toronto, told us she felt like she had just been seated with someone’s big fat Greek family. And while none of us knew each other before our first bite, by our last we were passing plates and sharing laughs over plenty of wine.
But more than that, the Purple Pig is about the food. Yes, the wine is spectacular and the communal dining arrangement lends its own sort of flair to your evening, but with every dish that came to our table, I asked myself why I don’t come here weekly. Or nightly, for that matter. Between roasted bone marrow and house-cured lengua (pig’s tongue), they have the more exotic offerings down, but don’t pass up the home-style comfort foods either. A braised pork shoulder served atop mashed potatoes was voted (by me) best dish of the night. And a potato salad with braised artichokes was perfect in its simplicity, but not simple in flavor.
So here are the nitty gritty details: The Purple Pig is open nightly - until midnight on weeknights and until 2am on weekends. It's always packed, so plan for a wait. Their patio is open, covered, and heated for now, but when summer comes, the tent comes down and exposes one of the best outdoor options in the city. Food is served small-plates style and is meant to be shared. And don't forget, seating is communal. See you there.
The Purple Pig
500 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
312-464-1-PIG (744)
Reader Comments (1)
Wow...this place looks great!