The Purple Pig

I've been dancing around this Purple Pig post for awhile now. Just thinking about the meal makes me tired. Aside from the Alinea fluke, I hadn't done any epic gourmet meals since I dragged my parents to Avec and Publican. Actually, maybe I should just end this train of thought because clearly I'm a lucky bastard.

Okay, deep breath. First up: Shaved Brussel Sprouts with Pecorino Noce & Parmigiano Reggiano. Yes, it as good as they say.

Salt-roasted Beets with Whipped Goat Cheese & Pistachio Vinaigrette. The whipped goat cheese is also smeared into the inside of the ramekin so the beets have a good shot at picking up some of the goat cheese.

Pork Fried Almonds with Rosemary & Garlic. This I got to try at home. So easy! So indulgent! Oh wait, I'm trying to eat healthier. Crap. Crap. I tell you, I seriously need to rent two teenage boys, so they can help me deal with the fallout from my cooking bursts.

Lardo Crostini. One of the things I miss most from the one month I lived in the center of Florence was the ability to walk two blocks to the local corner store and buy pre-sliced lardo and balls of mozzarella (only a euro each!). Oh lardo, how I love thee.

P.S. Confession. After having tried the whipped lardo at Del Posto, dealing with the sliced lardo is significantly more technically complicated.

Calabro Ricotta with Pork Neck Bone Gravy. I had high hopes for this once, but it actually turned out to be less satisfying and exciting than some of our other dishes. The pork neck gravy in the tomato base was good, but it almost seemed like rustic home cooking in comparison to the decadence flavors in the other dishes.

Okay that's it. I officially loved fried pig's ear salad. This Pig’s Ear with Crispy Kale, Marinated Cherry Peppers & Fried Egg was crazy crazy good.

And when you crack open the yolk and let it run over the crispy ears, creating a rich dressing. Lord, I've met some people who don't like runny egg yolks. It's a dying shame I tell you.

Sardines with Lemon Vinaigrette. Did you know the last U.S. sardine cannery just closed down? I suppose I'm plenty to blame as well. I only order the suckers at restaurants, though I'm nearly always happy when I do. The fennel and caper salad is a great complement to the oily fish.

Mussels with Treviso, Serrano Chiles, Winter Citrus & Gaeta Olives. A surprise hit. The mussels were shucked, lightly breaded and fried and then tossed with some citrus and olives that served as great bright foils to the briny pockets.

We planned in a salad to help clear our palates. Mixed Greens with Feta, Watermelon Radishes & Red Wine Mint Vinaigrette.

Octopus with acini di pepe & Swiss Chard. Tender, smokey, meaty. All one wants from grilled octopus.

Charred Scallions with Romesco Sauce. These had me dreaming of ramp season. If you are in the vicinity of any grilled ramps, do yourself a favor and order them. Make that two orders.

Wagyu Sirloin Tip with Bone Marrow Vinaigrette. I was leaning towards not ordering this dish when we were plotting our attack plan, and boy am I glad that I lost that battle. Wagyu. One remembers why it is revered.

Sicilian Iris (Ricotta & Chocolate Chip filled Fried Brioche). Yes. A light fully fried donut ball filled with goodness. I could only handle about one bite of this, it was so rich. Luckily, my dining companions had more fortitude.

Purple Pig, 500 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL