From the moment that happy_stomach and germuska wandered in during the soft opening and reported back on the porky nuts, this restaurant generated some real excitement on LTH. I count it as my favorite new restaurant that has been open while they day, and if you read through the posts here, a number of other posters state that it is one of (if not the) best recent openings as jesteinf notes below.
First, I love the antipasti. My first visit was a perfect spring moment in May when the antipasti menu featured favas, asparagus, spring peas and all other manner of verdant seasonality. Additionally, these ingredients were treated with care, paired well with other flavors, and dressed in a light and refreshing acidity that served as a complement to the heartier dishes on the menu. The spring peas were pared with perfectly cooked rock shrimp and the asparagus salad was shaved and served with peccorino and toasted walnuts, a salad so delicious and simple I immediately started making it at home. I can honestly say that these dishes helped awake my the bright and light parts of my palate from wintry hibernation. This meal got me as as excited for the coming season as the melting snow and intermittently warming days.
Nearly everything they are putting out in their smear section is fantastic. Everything is helped by the olive oil basted, salted, and plancha-seared bread that goes beneath it. But once you start slathering on whipped feta and vegetable du jour, it is really a joy to savor bread treated and married so well.
There are, of course, richer dishes that I still remember. The first time I had the nekbone gravy, it was so good we had to immediately order another one. The chicken thigh with smashed potato dish is a winner. I fondly remember a seared scallop with spiedini and chickpea special in the fall.
I have not had a dessert there that rises to the level of the savory foods, but that is a trifling quibble.
Now to address points raised above. I have eaten alone at the bar early on a weeknight and found the service to be perfectly pleasant. I also have have found the bartenders to be enthusiastic and helpful. In the midst of a weekend crush, I ordered a wine by the glass at random while we waited for our table. Despite being busy, the bartender explained a few peculiarities about the wine and offered me a 1/3 pour or so to try it first. These are the types of service touches I'll remember. Do they have difficulty managing the crowds at high volume times? Sure, it's not a big place, but I have not experienced front of house gaffes that people describe above..
Lastly, let's take on it's location. Personally, I don't want to grade on a curve for location. Some hesitate to laud suburban spots that are good for the area, but do not stand up to comparison with stronger places elsewhere. It is nice that the Purple Pig is just off of Michigan Avenue and helps to serve as a reasonable dining destination there, I would choose some dishes at PP were it located in Uptown, Greektown, Chinatown (or any of the towns). I think it stands alone as a great restaurant. Period.
I continue to struggle with exactly how to define a GNR. Here are the three that I'm feeling at this moment. Has it generated excitement on LTH? Would I go out of my way for the food? Would I recommend it to out of towners? Well, Purple Pig is probably the restaurant I recommend to most to out of town visitors. I think it fills all these criteria handily. I wholeheartedly second the nomination.