The Purple Pig

Location: The Purple Pig, 500 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago

What's On The Menu: The menu at The Purple Pig changes regularly and seasonally, but despite the apparent focus on swine, there are always a ton of vegetarian choices available. All of the dishes available are "small plates," intended for sharing with your table (or guarding jealously for yourself).

What I had: I always have the Fried Deviled Egg with Arugula and Caper Berries when I go (and when it is available - they sell out fast!). Aside from that, I have tried any number of dishes...past standouts included the Arancini, Shaved Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan, Charred Ramps with Romesco Sauce, and more varieties of cheese than you could shake a stick at.

The Review: I LOVE the food at The Purple Pig. With all of the fantastic seasonal vegetarian dishes on offer, not to mention the extensive cheese list, I always feel like a kid in a candy store. A candy store that features a whole lot of candy that is made out of pork. But also a lot of candy that is not. How's that for a mind-blowing simile?

The sheer number and variety of vegetarian offerings will make you thankful that they are all small dishes meant for sharing, because you will want to sample every one. I have yet to try a dish at The Purple Pig that wasn't delicious, and several were good enough and unique enough to qualify as revelations. The shaved asparagus, for example, was served raw. I had never actually tried raw asparagus before, but this? Was easily the best asparagus I have ever had. As for the fried deviled eggs...there are not words sufficient to describe the genius of this creation. Crunchy coating on the outside, warm and silky inside, and no worrying if they have been sitting out too long at the picnic. You will have to worry, however, that they will be gone if you do not go early in the day. On my last visit to The Purple Pig, my group went so far as to enquire as soon as we walked in the door if the eggs were still available. Upon being told that there happened to be precisely the same number of eggs left as people in our party, we promptly ordered them and consumed them while standing in a back hallway while we waited for a table to open up.

The uncertainty over wait time (not to mention egg-induced anxiety) is one of the only drawbacks to The Purple Pig. Seating is at long, communal tables, and they do not take reservations, so if you are going at a popular time, be prepared for a long wait. The staff is unfailingly friendly and attentive, but not always particularly speedy. It is also worth mentioning that there is no parking or valet available at The Purple Pig itself - if you go by car, you will need to park at one of the public garages in the area. Once you manage to get seated, though, it is your turn to eagerly work your way from one end of the menu to the other, and ignore the jealous and imploring glances of those unfortunates who are now waiting for their turn at the trough.

The Park Grill

Location: The Park Grill, 11 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago (under The Bean in Millennium Park).

What's On The Menu: The Park Grill has an impressive number of vegetarian options, all designated on the menu with a small leaf icon. On the lunch menu, these include 2 appetizers (Garlic and Tomato Hummus; Mushroom Flatbread), 3 salads (Market House Salad, Apple and Fennel Salad, and Roasted Beet Salad), a soup (Hill Valley Pumpkin), 2 pastas (Mushroom Risotto and Penne Puttanesca), and 3 sandwiches (Grilled Eggplant Wrap, Black Bean Farro Burger, and Falafel). The kid's menu featured both a grilled cheese sandwich and spaghetti with butter or marinara sauce.

What I Had: Hill Valley Pumpkin Soup with Michigan apple chutney and Indiana syrup, and the Black Bean Farro Burger with horseradish cheddar, smoked pepper aioli, onion crisp, and potato bun.

The Review: The Park Grill's website proudly proclaims that they serve the "Best Non-Beef Burger," as chosen by Chicago Magazine in 2009. The "burger" in question is the restaurant's turkey burger. It is most assuredly NOT the Black Bean Farro burger, which was a total mess. The first thing you taste when you bite into it is the smoked pepper aioli, which is overwhelmingly smoky. It tasted like I had bitten into something burnt, and completely overwhelmed all of the other flavors in the sandwich. I couldn't even taste the horseradish in the cheddar until I tried a small bite of the cheese on its own. The second major issue was the bun, which was both overly thick and covered with a more-than-healthy dusting of flour. It was exceedingly dry and, well, dusty. "Dusty" is not a word I like to have spring to mind in connection with anything I am eating. The crispy onions added a pleasant crunch, but the black bean patty itself was mushy and had no discernible flavor. It also did nothing to combat the overall dryness of the sandwich. The fries that came with the sandwich were nicely cooked and well-seasoned.

The pumpkin soup was reasonably well-executed, with a nice, fresh pumpkin flavor. In the "cup" size, the "apple chutney" consisted of two chunks of some sort of stewed apple, and the Indiana syrup was...some kind of sweet, brownish syrup. Presumably from Indiana. A little more information on that front would have been nice.

I did appreciate the fact that there were a large number of vegetarian choices, and that they were clearly designated on the menu...it saves me from having to ask a waiter (who often has no clue) if something that looks like it MIGHT be vegetarian actually has hidden chicken stock or bacon in it. You certainly can't beat the location if you are visiting Millennium Park or The Art Institute. The service was very pleasant and attentive, and I would certainly be willing to give some of the other items on the menu a try, but the black bean burger is definitely not going to be a repeat order.

In Which I Explain Myself

Here's the thing...I have been an ovo-lacto vegetarian since 1993. That means I eat dairy and eggs, but I don't eat meat, poultry or fish. My husband, on the other hand, is an omnivore. Believe it or not, I kind of like him anyway, and I often like to eat meals in his general vicinity. However, a lot of restaurants - even some really nice, well-reviewed restaurants - still seem to put little or no thought into their vegetarian options. Or, in some cases, option. Singular. There is nothing more depressing than walking into a restaurant and watching as my husband struggles to narrow down dozens of tempting and creative choices, while I prepare myself to endure yet another Steamed Vegetable Plate or Pasta Primavera. (OK, technically, there are many things that are more depressing, but for the purposes of this blog, just roll with me for a minute.)

I did not become a vegetarian because I hate food. I LIKE food. A lot. More importantly, I like food that tastes good. I like food that someone has put some care and some thought into. So I am throwing down my pleather gauntlet. I'm going to review the vegetarian options at Chicago restaurants that I visit. I'm not going to focus on "vegetarian restaurants" per se, although a few of those may find their way into the mix. I'm more interested in what the options are at Chicago's "mainstream" restaurants, the ones you may find yourself going to more often than not when you have a mix of vegetarians and omnivores in your group. Let's see who has the right stuff to feed everyone well, and leave no one staring forlornly into yet another plate of overcooked carrot and zucchini slices.