Oink Oink Oink!

I have to say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE a good lunch date!  It's one of my favorite things about being a "city girl."  Haven't seen a friend in a while?  You sound so posh saying, "Let's do lunch on Friday." :)

A friend suggested a lunch date this week at The Purple Pig.  This relatively new restaurant is about a block away from my work, but this was my first experience.  It's advertised online as " Voted 1 of 10 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit Magazine 2010."

I'm going to take the time now to apologize for the crappy cellphone pics.

(Michigan Ave entrance)

It's spring here in Chicago, so many of the restaurants are starting to open up their outdoor seating.  But don't be fooled.  Spring in Chicago means 30-40 degree weather.  I'm not down for eating in the cold.  Even though they outfitted the patio with heaters, I choose to sit inside.

The decor is very crisp, clean, and intimate.  A great place to sit for lunch.  I arrived before my friend, so I decided to sip on a mimosa while I waited.  Mmmm, mimosa.

After she arrived, we decided to take a look at the menu.  It was a bit overwhelming, but in the best of ways!  Everything sounded so delicious.  I am a MEAT EATER.  With a name like Purple Pig, you can imagine how much pork was available.

They have an extensive and impressive wine list!  My friend and I decided on a Spanish wine.

Rioja Cortijo was a delicious choice.  It was very easy to drink.  It smells like berries, and has a full-bodied, fruity taste.  We filled out glasses twice.

(those are big wine glasses!)

Anywho, as I said before, there were so many things to choose from.  Our server informed us that many people choose a few small items, like tapas, and make a meal from that.  If that's doesn't work for you, there are many meals on the menu that have large portions.  

I decided to go with the Pork Blade Steak with 'Nduja Honey.

In my opinion the side salad was the star of this dish.  I'm not knocking the pork blade at all! I love a good salad.  The dressing was light, but it coated all of the greens.  And the cheese really complimented the pork.  I enjoyed the pork steak.  My only issue was that it was a little too salty for my taste.  But if I remember correctly "salty" was in the food description.  

My companion went for the "tapas" route. 

 She LOVES cheese, so she ordered Camembert Fermier, which came with a little dish of jam.  She also ordered a Mixed Greens Salad with Feta, Watermelon Radishes,  and Red Wine Vinaigrette.  Last but not least were the Pork Fried Almonds with Garlic and Rosemary.  

I pretty much kept to my own plate, so I didn't taste much of her food.  But I COULD NOT stay away from the Pork Fried Almonds.  They are everything good about pork, fried food, and almonds all in one dish.  I highly recommend them!

I wish for Soul Food...

I woke upone day with a taste for Soul Food.  Sometimes it happens.  I guess it's cause I miss my mom, who lives in Maryland.

Anywho, I didn't want to travel far, so I settled on Wishbone, which is classified as "southern food" which was close enough.

I really wanted fried chicken, but apparently you can only get fried chicken on Wednesdays...wierd...especially for a southern place.  So I settled on the talapia.  I have to say, it was pretty tasty!  For a side, I ordered greens, and mac and cheese.

The mac and cheese was AMAZING!  Baked to perfection, with just the right amount of cheese.  Greatness!

Now, my friend ordered shrimp and grits, which I've never heard of (he's from South Carolina.  They do crazy things with food there!)  It was SO GOOOOOD!  I'm sure I gained about 20 pounds that day!