Mmm mmm Monday: The Purple Pig

Our first meal at The Purple Pig included every part of the pig one could feasibly imagine eating - and maybe a few you couldn't. We indulged in pig's ears, roasted bone marrow, pork loin and pig's tail. Nearly every bite was magnificent and definitely worth every minute we had to wait to get a table in the intimate restaurant on Chicago's Magnificent Mile.

Afterward, we faced the typical Chicago dilemma. Do we go back to a restaurant we know we loved or try one of the 500 bajillion other restaurants on our "must try" list?



Last week we decided The Purple Pig was too good to NOT go back.


We stopped in for lunch and this time we opted for some lighter fare...


Well, not EVERYTHING was light.


Just like our first visit, each dish was surprisingly tasty. From the salt cured greek yogurt with rhubarb marmalade and pistachios to the shaved asparagus and arugula salad with crispy bread crumbs we had a magnificent meal.

In the middle of a fork tender bite of pork shoulder, I may have blurted out, "This is my favorite place to eat in Chicago." I understand now that I might have been under a spell conjured by that magical, magical pig. But I think another trip to The Purple Pig (500 N Michigan Ave, Near North Side) in the near future is necessary to confirm or deny the truth of the statement.

Have you ever eaten a crazy part of a pig? If so, what was it?