It’s always good to visit new places, and I’ve been on a pretty good run with them, recently. With the lovely Hernandez & Co, and Roamin’ Nose having been visited last week, and the rather good Wee Boulangerie, Brew Lab, and Pep & Fodder having served us very nicely in the recent past, I was feeling full of ebullient optimism, as I headed towards Tollcross, to try The Purple Pig.
Exterior
Of course, that was in no small part because I was lunching with Danielle, whom I’ve been helping out with Savoury not Sweet, which recently held its first event, at Cranachan & Crowdie.
The interior is bright, simple, and unexpectedly warm, with well-placed radiators providing the kind of warmth that would delight those who appreciate such cosiness, of which MJ is one. Of course, there is plenty of purple, both outside and in, as befits the place’s name.
Soup
Service was friendly, with menus quickly produced. The lunchtime selection is quite focused, with soups and quiches on the board, and a small selection of sandwich and salad items, with an international theme. Try a New York bagel, a “Greek lunch” or a traditional ploughman’s. Items are very reasonably priced, and I was quite happy with the sound of what was on offer.
To follow my inevitable soup, I went the Greek route. Danielle opted for quiche, choosing the sausage and onion variety, from a choice of two.
Quiche
The soup was a well-prepared butternut squash and ginger. However, the real star was the excellent brown bread accompaniment, which was both very tasty and a great tool for mopping up.
The main courses weren’t quite so successful. Danielle’s quiche was light on seasoning, and a little more care with the pastry wouldn’t have gone amiss. It was a very generous portion for the price, though.
Greek lunch
My Greek lunch was somewhat of a curate’s egg. The tzatziki was good, the salad nice and fresh, but the falafel was average, and the pitta was decidedly sad. Warm, fresh pitta, and the dish would have been a winner, but as it was it came up a bit short.
I found the Purple Pig quite charming, but it needs to improve the quality of their offerings to be a winning proposition. That’s eminently achievable, as they are just at the start of their journey. I like the simplicity of their menu, but such simplicity does raise the bar in terms of the accuracy required in preparing their dishes. I’d be interested to see what it’s in like in the evenings, when it becomes more of a bistro-style place, with free corkage BYOB, so will keep an interested eye out for reports on how that side of things is going.
Scores
Blythe scores The Purple Pig
3/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
3/5 for service
3.5/5 for setting
giving an overall 13/20
Today’s questers were: Danielle, Blythe
We ate: butternut squash and ginger soup; sausage and caramelized onion quiche; “Greek lunch” (falafel, feta and olive salad, tzatziki)
We drank: Fentiman’s lemon, water
We wore: warm coats
Total bill: c.£15
