Hello everyone!
Up early this morning because today is going to be one of those days where I'm running from one thing to another with little time in between. It's all good but I know I'll be glad when it's 9pm and I can kick back and finally relax.
I went to a new-ish restaurant last night: Porkchop http://porkchopchicago.com, just down a bit from the corner of Randolph and Sangamon. As you would expect from its name, Porkchop is essentially a comfort food joint with a heavy emphasis on pig. In fact, it reminds me a bit of some of the BBQ establishments I've sampled when I've been in Atlanta. The decor is dark and pseudo-trendy, though I found it just slightly creepy: large heavy wooden tables (fine) arranged at a nice distance from one another (good for conversation). But then, one of my dining companions (my brother-in-law) pointed out the hanging display of rusty saws and other devices more appropriate for a torture chamber than a restaurant, not to mention the rather random (and thoroughly off-putting) presence of taxidermy on a couple walls. I joked that the restaurant was more a front for some bizarre sadist's pleasure cellar than anything to do with pork.
The menu was about what you'd expect from a dining establishment called Porkchop: BBQ ribs, fried ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, porkchops, lots of bacon, etc. In other words, don't go to Porkchop if you don't eat or like pork or are a vegetarian and certainly don't go there expecting to find anything remotely healthy on the menu. There is a cobb salad but I'd be almost embarrassed to ask them to hold the bacon bits. I was hungry so I ordered the chicken sandwich sliders as a starter and the porkchop as the main. The sliders were good--3 came in an order--though in and of themselves they were a meal: basically, grilled BBQ chicken on a bun with provolone cheese and a slice of tomato. The porkchop itself was pretty good, though I think I do a better one, and it came with a side of smashed red potatoes that were really very good though heavy on the mustard. My sister had a half-order of the BBQ ribs and her husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich. Both said their entrees were very good, though my sister complained that her fries were cold. They had also ordered the Elotes starter--corn on a skewer slathered in some kind of chipotle sauce--which our server forgot to put in with the kitchen so it arrived just after the main courses and only because we'd reminded her.
The restaurant--at least on paper--boasts a fairly decent beer and whisky selection, though I had to settle for an IPA after being told my first two choices were no longer being served despite their presence on the menu. Our server then proceeded to tell us at confusing length that their beer and whisky menu was in a state of flux and what was on the menu wasn't necessarily what they had in stock. Whatever.
Which brings me to the service. I'd read online from previous patrons of the restaurant that while the food was decent, the service left something to be desired. Criticisms ran from rude to just plain inattentive. Our server--whose name I don't recall--wasn't rude. In fact, she was really quite friendly and, with the exception of the forgotten Elotes, she was fairly attentive.
I realize this doesn't sound like much of a ringing endorsement for the place, but I did kind of like it. I'm in no hurry to run back there any time soon, but I'd go again. The prices were relatively cheap--considering the neighborhood--and, despite the decor, a not entirely unpleasant place to grab a drink, though be prepared to be told that what's on the menu isn't what's in stock, and for you wine drinkers, there isn't a bottle or even a glass in sight. The bar, at least aesthetically, is cool though we didn't spend any time there. The clientele? Thirtysomething hipsters and pretty people dressed trendily in black, none of whom look like they'd eaten comfort food--let alone pork--in their lives, though I did notice as we were leaving a couple rough-looking trucker-types in tee-shirts drinking beer by the door. Go figure. The food? Again, not bad...it is what it is. If you find yourself craving pork, Porkchop is a decent bet.
Ciao.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: "What's your favorite BBQ joint?"
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