This cafe and sandwich shop is raved about by those that know of it. I may have passed by over 200 times and never knew it was there.
At a recent party a friend of a friend was raving about their sandwiches and how the Food Network had included the Bourgeois Pig on one of their recent specials. I don’t watch much TV but my wife has the Food Network on in the background for a good two hours per day so I am surprised she hadn’t said anything about it.
Did it live up to the hype? Not quite. True, the menu is very interesting and it is good to see a privately owned sandwich shop work so hard to protect their niche against the corporate guys. For me, I have come to one dominating conclusion about sandwich joints: The Bread Has To Be Great! If the bread isn’t great, everything else will seamingly fall short. I state this because I had half of an Italian Panini and half of the Muffaletta, both of which are served on their Focaccia, and the bread just wasn’t that good. I have purchased Focaccia and made Focaccia and thiers was just too rubbery. The toppings on the sandwich were great, but the bread just brought the rating down a bit.
I do believe that so many people can’t be wrong, so I look forward to my next visit and plan on trying one of their sandwiches served on Sourdough Bread. I also hope to be able to try their salads, as they look very interesting. The Bourgeois Pig is also known for their coffee and hot teas which I will have to try.
One Plea if the folks from Bourgeois Pig ever read this: Carry some good Chips. Why on earth would a Sandwich Shop which focusses on being eclectic with a touch of gourmet carry Lays and Cheetos when there are so many good chip choices out there? Puzzled!
Like this area? This is the heart of Lincoln Park, just blocks from some of the most expensive Houses and Condos in Chicago. The bar scene is hopping, and the restaurant scene is improving with a few famous flagships near by. With an increasing number of upscale casual dining establishments opening quarterly, this area will surely come around again as a dining destination. (For a long time there were too many bars and pizza joints, oh the eighties and nineties!) Within walking distance to the Bourgeois Pig (.5 miles in any direction) there is a wide range of living options.
Median 2 bed 2 bath condo w/ parking – $498k (83 listings) (low $275k, high $730k)
Median 1 bed 1 bath w/out parking – $275k (55 listings) (low $190k, high $475k)
Median Single Family House – $2.1M (67 listings) (low $375k coach house, high $6.5M)
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Just went for what I thought would be a nice little lunch….little did I know that it would take 30 minutes for a sandwich and a cup of soup, which turned out the be the wrong kind. Way too expensive, Planet Sub is right next door and much more reliable. Forget about the fact that Rachel Ray thought it was good, she sucks anyway. If you are in the mood to wait for a cold sandwich (ordered hot) and spend enough for a dinner for two, then go…if not Mcdonald’s is across the street. SOOOO DISAPPOINTED!
Impala says : I absolutely agree with this !