When I saw “Cheese, Swine, and Wine” I knew I had hit the jackpot. There’s nothing that makes me happier than a restaurant dedicated to the awesomeness of the PIG. Although the main highlight of the menu is pork and all of its delicious parts, there were other many tasty treats to be had.
Shaved Brussel Sprouts with Pecorino Noce and Parmigiano Reggiano
Hands down this was one of the best dishes of the night. Crispy, salty, and delicious. The cheese makes this dish.
Clams with Rosamarina
The clams were well–cooked, well-seasoned, and delicious. However, I could have used less orzo and more clams!
Salt Roasted Beets with Whipped Goat Cheese and Pistachio Vinaigrette
SUPER TASTY! The beets were savory and slightly sweet. Roasting them in salt made them irresistible. Not only were the beets great but also the whipped goat cheese really took it to the next level. I could eat that creamy, tangy, addictive cheese on anything.
Olive Oil Poached Tuna with Greek Lima Beans
I was not a fan of this dish. It was not interesting…slightly salty. I thought the tuna was mushy.
Fried Sardines with Lemon Jam
This was the biggest surprise of the meal. The sardines were crispy and complimented by a shaved raw fennel salad that was sweet, crunchy and perfected dressed with just enough acid to cut the oily, deep-fried fish.
Pig’s Ear with Crispy Kale, Marinated Cherry Peppers & Fried Egg
I give props to the Purple Pig for serving an entire bowl of fried pig’s ear. However, some pieces of the ear were cut a little too thick and it made it difficult to eat. But it was topped with a perfectly cooked sunny side up egg…who can resist that?
Prosciutto Bread Balls
Mediocre. Salty, crispy, but forgettable
Purple Pig Platter
Includes all the charcuterie on the menu. Highlights: Sobrasada, Jamon Serrano, and the Lingua Agrodolce. The sobrasada was salty, fatty, and spreadable. Perfect with toasted bread. Jamon Serrano has always been one of my favorite cured meats…salty, nutty, and full of umami. Lastly, the lingua agrodolce was tender with notes of sweet and sour flavors.
Pork Neck Rillete
Really delicious and a huge portion to boot. Although, I think it could have been slightly more flavorful with some addition of herbs or hard spices.
Eggplant Caponata with Goat Cheese
A favorite of the table and also a good choice to balance all the pork to be had. All the flavors were accentuated in the caponata since it was served at room temperature. Anything that comes with goat cheese is good with me!
Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs
It’s hard to screw up bone marrow. This was beautifully cooked and appropriately presented with toasty bread, salt, and a fresh herb salad. Classic dish. Food porn all the way!
Cheese Plate
Delice de Bourgogne—I had never had this cheese before and I loved it. A triple cream that’s rich, dense, and slightly pungent.
Capriole O’Bannon—one of my favorites that is made by the Indiana based company. Its wrapped in chestnuts leaves and had a slightly smoky and nutty taste. And it’s local!
Valdeon—a new cheese to me. Creamy, slightly sweet blue cheese but less intense to its counterparts.
Manchego Curado—A Berrington Family favorite…always delicious…nutty, salty, perfect.
Bucheron—I am goat cheese fanatic and Bucheron is always one of my favorites for its salty, tangy, but not too intense. flavor
Sepia with Toasted Almonds & Fried Rosemary
Sepia, also known as cuttlefish, is one a delicious, slightly chewy fish. The sepia was cooked perfectly. However, I found the rest of the dish to be oily and underseasoned.
Octopus with Acini di Pepe & Swiss Chard
The octopus was the highlight of dish…tender, smoky, and salty.
Pork Blade Steak with ‘Nduja & Honey
By far the best dish of the evening. The steak was salty, sweet, with a nice amount of fat. The arugula salad was salty and bitter and really completed the sweet pork. An underutilized piece of meat that was the shining star of the meal. Food porn of the Purple Pig.
Pig’s Tails Braised in Balsamic
I commend the Purple Pig for creating this dish. The rich balsamic coating on the braised tail was sweet, rich, and glazy. It was really an excellent, tasty nibble.
Milk Braised Pork Shoulder
One of my family’s favorite dishes but I found it to be weak. The pork was delicious but was masked by the heavy sauce and potato puree. I think if you are going to beautifully braise a pork shoulder you should let it shine. The other components should enhance the pork but not mask it. This dish had much promise but failed to deliver.
Skatewing with Beets & Guanciale
The skate was the strongest seafood dish of the evening, The skate was perfectly cooked with a crispy outside and moist and tender on the inside.
I had a great time at The Purple Pig and would love to dine here again to taste some more of their antipasti and other “non-pork” dishes. I’m happy to see another restaurant embrace the amazing, irresistible, and versatile animal that is The Pig.
