the purple pig

the purple pig

500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

tel: 312) 464-1744

what was consumed: salt-roasted beets with whipped goat cheese and pistachio butter, pork shoulder with mashed potatoes and puffed farro

chicago is definitely a city for those who like to eat. it's as though there are delicious places to eat on every corner; more specifically, there are famous places to eat around every corner.

as we rushed to make our schedule chicago architecture tour, we passed the purple pig. why did that name sound so familiar? oh yeah. famous. and highly recommended. so, after the tour, we retraced our steps and nabbed seats at the bar, ready to enjoy some delicious dishes. and even though were were on the late side for lunch, there was still a long line of people waiting to be seated. as a result, the mood in the purple pig was lively, busy, and the place smelled delicious.

we opted to share some veggies and some pork (we were still on the "more pork please"-run after a year in pakistan. hahaha). 

while sitting at the bar, we also got a glimpse of some of the other dishes being prepared. the burrata canoli and housemade meatballs in particular caught my attention. can't wait to go back to the purple pig!

online: https://thepurplepigchicago.com/

lou malnati's

lou malnati's

439 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654

tel: 312) 828-9800

what was consumed: chicago style pizza, spinach salad.

a student of mine once gifted me lou malnati's pizza and friend w has been ordering giordano's for super bowl since the mid 2000s. all of this is to say that i am not totally new to the chicago pizza scene; that said, being able to enjoy this deliciousness, fresh, was a treat that everyone should indulge in.

we arrived in chicago late for our weekend in the windy city (my plans to see a taping of npr's "wait wait don't tell me" were CRUSHED as a result of a delayed flight and plane re-routing due to weather). i was a little worried (and would be very hangry) that there wouldn't be an eatery open so late. but fear not! a lovely gentleman at the hotel we stayed at told us that we couldn't come to chicago without eating at one of their institutions: lou malnati's (and, lucky for us, their kitchen closes well past midnight).

upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised to see that we weren't the only late diners. the large bar, set up in a pretty typical bar/pizzeria style with high tables/stools and booths, was about half filled with folks already enjoying their lou malnati's. i wanted in! 

our server took our order soon after we were seated. she told us that our pizza could take up to 35 minutes (fine by us!) and asked whether we wanted the salad first or with the pizza (first please. we were starving!). lucky for us, the salad (and drooling over others' meals) kept us preoccupied until it was our turn to enjoy delicious delicious lou malnati's pizza.

deep dish chicago pizza is characterized, in addition to the "deep dish" high butter crust (that was even more delicious with the left over ranch from the salad. YUM), by the inverse layering: tomato/sauce on to, toppings in the middle, cheese on the bottom nearest the crust. lou malnati's does a great job with that too as the cheese is plentiful and oozes as you enjoy each delicious bite. and while i wish i had more room for another slice, i only made out with two slices under my belt. YUM.

so, when in chicago, be sure to get yourself to lou malnati's ASAP (or one of their other famious pizzeria's. sorry w, we opted for lou malnati's this time around. we'll have to hit up giordano's for what i hope is a guaranteed re-visit to chicago!). you and your taste buds will be glad you did!

online: https://www.loumalnatis.com/