The first restaurant for Jimmy Bannos Jr and fingers crossed not the last. His partners being his father Jimmy Bannos Sr, Heaven on Seven, and another Chicago food icon Scott Harris, creator of Mia Francesca, I dare say he's already got them in his rearview mirror.
This young chef has been around the industry a long time but his food is smart, mature and very unpretentious. Jimmy's pedigree is solid and after one dinner you can see a great influence from his time in Italy and experience under Chef Mario Batali.
You either get this restaurant or you don't. They don't take reservations, the tables tend to be communal or you eat first come, first serve at the bar and the menu is designed so you try a variety of food. I ate at the bar with a friend and I was delighted to see the wine list is committed to the concept. There is a deep list of choices on Greek, Italian, and Spanish with some French thrown in. There is no crutch American wine - get it! You can go by the glass, quartino, half or bottle with your wine selection. The bottle list is very approachable with a number of bottles below $40 per.
First glance at the menu, I knew my eyes would be bigger than my stomach and had to focus! My friend had already eaten there so we went with some of her recommendations and tried a few new ones. I love that we could order everything and trust the bartender to bring it out accordingly - FLAWLESS!
Antipasti, right out of the gate we had Lardo Crostini - think warm bacon fat on toasted Italian bread, and Fava Beans with Prosciutto and I think ricotta. The place has pig in the name...of course I went with pork products! A great start of hot and cold, rich and luxurious to cold and crisp. I was so eager I forgot to take a picture, sorryL
Second course, Crispy Pigs Ear with Kale, Cherry Peppers and Fried Egg! You had me at fried egg, but the crispy elements balanced well with the creamy of the sunny side up egg. This is called cooking with technique. You can or you can't and these guys can! For anyone worried the ear looks like an ear...it doesn't just order it and enjoy. Best to mix the egg in to marry the flavors.
As Jay-z would say, On to the Next One!, Calabro Ricotta with Pork Neck Bone Gravy. I grew up in an Italian household that cooked with neck bones. I was a lucky boy. The deep, earthiness of the neck bones come through. It's a solid rendition of a classic and the lightness of the ricotta pairs well with the tomato-meat smear. Served with toasted Italian bread you get a lot of texture and flavor in your bite.
Last of the savory and personally my most anticipated - Milk Braised Pork Shoulder and Mashed Potatoes. I have to start by saying, WOW! Tender flavorful and oh how I wish they gave you more. For $9 you are robbing Jimmy, robbing him for these delectable bites of heaven. The food leading up to this were good, this was greatness. Order it and thank me with an email later.
After a deep breath and contented sigh of course you have to try dessert. The talk of the town has been the Olive Oil ice cream; I was hesitant being a picky SOB when it comes to my ice cream. We ordered the ice cream and the Sicilian Iris. The ice cream rocks! You may not consume the whole bowl but the salty, fullness of the olive is balanced really, really well. Again it's about technique, you get it or you don't. Not to be outdone the Sicilian Iris is a fried brioche filled with ricotta and chocolate - imagine an Italian donut or elephant ear. I love chocolate to finish and this was killer.
From start to finish, I was continually impressed. It was a roller coaster ride I will get in line for again and again. For anyone who likes to keep score... my check was two glasses of wine and splitting ALL that food with tip was $60. The big winner is the diner. Food done well and you don't have to deal with a BS $30+ entrée cost to boot.
The Purple Pig
500 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL
Sun-Thurs 11:30am - Midnight
Fri-Sat 11:30am - 2am (kitchen open till 1am)
www.thepurplepigchicago.com
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Tags: cheese, chicago, Heaven on Seven, Italian food chicago, Jimmy Bannos, Jimmy Bannos Jr, Jimmy Bannos Sr, Mag Mile, Mia Francesca, Michigan Ave, pig, Scott Harris, swine, The Purple Pig, wine
