The Purple Pig

Came on a weekday night and took a seat at the bar. Place was pretty packed so if you have a large group, you will want to make a reservation. Located on the Mag Mile just before the bridge.

Food I got:
Salt-roasted Beets with whipped goat cheese and pistachio - OMG one of the best things I've ever had. Plated beautifully and such dynamic depth of flavor. Beets were cooked to perfection and the saltiness of the pistachios, creaminess of the goat cheese ties so well with the sweet beets. I could lick the plate clean. Amazing, highly recommend.

Milk-braised Berkshire Shoulder: came with mashed potatoes and lentils. Again plated beautifully. Was given a steak knife but no knives needed as the meat easily pulled away. A lot of good flavors in the pork shoulder, not overly salty. But I did think it was slightly overcooked. No complaints about the mashed potatoes and lentils. Great flavors. Good portion size. Combined with the beets, I was full. One of the cheaper meat options on the menu, so would recommend.

Pros:
-quick, attentive service
-food was amazing even for the price
-waiter has great recommendations for my price point
-food came out very quickly and nice and hot
-large wine selection

Cons:
-pork was just slightly dry (but I'm pulling at straws here)

If you are in Chicago, you have got to come here. It's the best upscale restaurant with amazing dishes for the money.

Second time here and love all the dishes chosen for the night!

My friend had the pork shoulder Milk Braised Berkshire Pork Shoulder (I'm lactose intolerant, so I couldn't have any) and she said it is super juicy and tender. She thought it will be a heavy dish since it is made with milk, but it is not at all.It is flavorful and creamy.

We both think the mushrooms 3 way is the best dish of the night. The mushroom puree and truffle on top went well with the mushrooms on the bottom. The pickled onions is a bit sour which went well either way the mushrooms, making the dish not heavy at all.

Second time having the turkey leg and still loving it! The meat is super tender! Love the sour and vinegary taste!

Also, a second try with the roasted carrots. Still loving it.

The smoked tongue is also a start of the night. Even though I only had one piece of the tongue, the smoky meat is flavorful but not salty at all! My friend managed to finish the rest on her way ( so you know how good it is). Definitely worth the try if you not afraid to eat animal organs.

Definitely will go back to try more of their dishes and resist myself from ordering the same food, so I can try more!

Overall a very nice night but ended on a bummer.
Food was delicious (highly recommend the octopus, broccolini, pistachio tart), the ambiance was lovely, service was friendly but not otherwise notable. However, I'd made note of a special occasion for one of the members in my party at booking, which the host confirmed with me upon seating us, but then nothing was done in honor of it, which left me feeling a little let down.

I decided to come here on a Tuesday night after many people recommended this place for dinner. I made a mistake by not making a reservation earlier and it was packed by 6pm. I had to wait like an hour and half for a table for walk in but it was worth the wait!! Every dish I ordered was great and did not disappoint.

Updated review: fun atmosphere. Great service. Some dishes were hits and others were misses. The beets and octopus were great. The tuna tartare was hard to eat and covered in truffle oil.

What an amazing experience! My daughter and I sat at the bar within earshot of the busy kitchen. I loved hearing "I need hands" and seeing the beautiful plated food. Our server was courteous and helpful. We had hummus and the wine pairing that was suggested. Yum! If you have not experienced dining here yet, what are you waiting for? Great vibe. I will be back.

Came here on a Wednesday for late lunch as a party of two. The service was fast, we were seated promptly. It was rustic and homey in the restaurant. There was plenty of bar, seating bar table, sitting and booth seating. However, it was very full when we came. Our server gave us fantastic recommendations and did a great job explaining how the tapas fusion worked. We ordered the Whipped Ricotta, Pork and Chicken Pappardelle, and the Lamb Tagliatelle. All three dishes were absolutely fantastic. The star of the show was the whipped ricotta. It had dates, pistachios, mint, honey, pepper, pears, and homemade bread. It was the perfect combination of sweet and savory. It was almost like having an appetizer as dessert both pasta dishes we ordered were very flavorful yet very different. I love this restaurant. I would definitely recommend to those in the area or those just passing by.

Really great food all around. Large portions that are shareable! Definitely make a reservation as it was very crowded when we went with large groups. Looking forward to dining there again!

Purple Pig should be on everyone's bucket list of restaurants to try at least once whether you're an Illinois resident or you're just a visitor. At the time, I dined outside so I didn't see how the inside of the restaurant looked. Nevertheless, I had amazing views of Chicago while eating. We ordered crispy pig's ear, roasted bone marrow, and turkey leg confit. We had another dish but that one is no longer on the menu. Service was above par, we were well taken care of. Prices were very fair. Portion size was just right. They weren't tiny portions.

-Crispy pig's ear 5/5 - I don't usually like the taste of kale but they made it really crispy almost like a snack bite. That fried egg mixes well with the rest of the dish.
-roasted bone marrow 5/5 - that combination of the sea salt, bone marrow, and toasted bread makes it a savory meal.
-turkey leg confit 5/5 - cabbage was fresh. Turkey leg was moist and a little bit of chew. Make sure you get enough sauce on the meat when taking bites.

I consider myself to be a foodie but had never been to the purple pig before this past Sat. I think I got turned off by the fact that they didn't take reservations at first (which I think is no longer the case). But a friend and I tried to go to another nearby restaurant that quoted us a 1.5 to 2 hour wait so we ended up at the purple pig.

We were seated right away. I don't remember our server's name but he was very helpful. My friend was considering the fried mozzarella appetizer but was thrown off by the apple sauce. The server told us that it was "amazing," and he was right. I think it's hard to go too wrong with fried cheese but this dish was so well balanced.

We also ordered the meatballs with polenta and again, the dish was amazing. It just kept getting better and better as I ate it and tasted different components.

For our mains, we had chicken thigh kebabs and pork belly. The chicken thighs were fantastic but the pork belly was just okay to me. There was nothing wrong with it but the other dishes were so excellent that it didn't stand out. Still, it was a delicious meal overall.