Gastropubs

One of the most popular restaurant trends of the last few years has been the Gastropub.  The name Gastropub stems from the concept of the classic pub mixed with gastronomy, the art or science of quality food.  Over the last two months I have eaten at a few so-called gastropubs and I must say I love them.  The two best that I have eaten at recently are The Publican and The Purple Pig.  What is great about these establishments is that you leave the restaurant feeling like you ate the food the chef had always wanted to cook, at the restaurant he had always wanted to open.  Both of these establishments are owned by chefs made famous well before they opened their respective gastropubs, but you get the sense that these places have a renewed energy that shines through in food.

 The Publican is owned by Paul Kahan (of Blackbird and Avec), and their specialities are pork, oysters and beer.  The beer list is extensive and has a selection from around the world in all different styles.  The waitstaff is very knowledgeable about the list and offered great recommendations.  The beers paired nicely with a selection of oysters and spicy house made pork rinds to start the meal.  The pork rinds were really cool, it had a nice pork flavor and a very nice crunch.  The composed dishes are designed as small plates intended to be shared.  This is further enhanced by the communal dining aspect of restaurant.  Instead of having your own table, you are seated at a large table next to other diners.  It took a minute or two in order to get used to this concept, but at the end it definitely adds to the experience.  I sampled the suckling pig, veal sweetbreads, and the blood sausage and all were interesting and challenging to the palate.  This was not the food you get just anywhere.  The suckling pig was quite good and extremely tender.  The blood sausage (yes, it is what it sounds like) blew me away, it was one of the best things I have eaten in along time.  It had such a deep flavor, very enjoyable.  On my next visit, I would like to sample some more of their seafood options and the cured ham that they offer, but will definitely be going back for seconds on the blood sausage.

http://www.thepublicanrestaurant.com/    highly suggest flipping through the pictures of the food...

The Purple Pig was not all that different than The Publican conceptually.  It too is owned by some famous chefs/owners; Tony Montuano of Spiaggia and a James Beard award winner, Scott Harris who owns Mia Francesca, a fantastic Italian restaurant in Wrigleyville, and Jimmy Bannos and his son, Jimmy Bannos, Jr. who own Heaven on Seven, an extremely popular Cajun restaurant.  So the pedigree of this place was impressive to say the least.  The Purple Pig's slogan is Cheese, Swine & Wine, and the menu certainly supports that motto.  Like The Publican, communal dining was offered and we were sat at a large table with 3 or 4 other parties.  It was neat that towards the end of our meal the couple across from us was asking about dishes as they wanted to order them based on eyeballing our dinner.  The wine list was great, no American wines listed and the selections stretched across Europe.  Many of the wines were offered by the glass/quartino/half bottle and full bottle, which I really enjoyed because it allowed us to sample different wines from different regions.

The food stole the show though, we started with olive oil poached tuna and fava beans and shaved brussel sprouts with Parmesan and pecorino cheese.  The brussel sprouts were exceptional, the nuttiness of the cheeses shined through and accompanied the tuna nicely.  We followed that up with some crispy fried pig ear with fried kale, cherry peppers and a fried egg on top.  This was really cool, when you got a bite with all the components, it worked well.  Plus, you get to tell people you ate Pig's ear and enjoyed it.  Our next round of small plates were milk braised pork shoulder and a serrano ham, oyster mushroom and fried egg on top of a grilled piece of bread.  The serrano ham was good, the fried egg made the dish once again, but the pork shoulder was some serious eating.  It was the most succulent piece of pork I have ever tasted, it felt like butter in your mouth.  The flavor was great and it was served on creamy mashed potatoes with a nice gravy on top.  It was what you have always wanted a pot roast to taste like.  So good!  Dessert was a nutella, marshmallow and banana panini, which was fun and delicious, if not a bit overkill. 

http://www.thepurplepigchicago.com/    check out the recipe for the pork shoulder, will be trying it...

So am I on board with the Gastropub concept?  Yes, 100%.  The communal dining, European influenced small plates and focus on quality beer/wine lists is the complete package to me.  So I encourage you to try one the next time you get the opportunity, its the type of place to try something new and interesting and wash it down with a great beer or glass of wine.  Let me now if you have had any similar experiences.