Purple Pig, Downtown Chicago

Paltry was the first thing that came to mind when I opened this to-go package of BP from The Purple Pig. The serving was similar to a slice of bread, cut diagonally. Bread pudding is typically made from inexpensive ingredients so portions are larger. The Pig is a small plate place, but that's no excuse, to me. This is one of the top restaurants, according to critics, but there was nothing I wanted to try from the eclectic menu, so I just went with dessert. The flavor was good, though it had a greasy sheen and slightly chewy texture. The praline sauce was delicious but unnecessary. I couldn't figure out what was woven through the BP, other than sneaky raisins, which weren't a distraction. It was all in all good but I wouldn't go seeking it. I'd stop at Grand Luxe for BP or Bandera's on Michigan Avenue for their way-too-expensive banana cream pie first.

Price: 6.00
Raisins: sneaky yellow
Sauce: praline
Ice cream: no, but whipped cream
Visited: April 2011

The Purple Pig
500 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-3777
(312) 464-1744

151 Bourbon Street, Merrionette Park, IL

This is just half of the portion - and believe me it tastes way better than it looks. I look forward to going back on a non-St. Patrick's Day and tasting the food, too. The place is huge and the food looked quite good.

This bread pudding made me wish I had a higher rating. It has intrigue - there's pineapple or apple (I couldn't tell) and pecans! I love a nut in my BP. This was dense with just the right amount of sweetness. I felt like it was made with a different kind of bread - maybe Irish soda? It's definitely worth the calories and a trip back to the suburbs.

Price: $6.95
Raisins: No
Sauce: Whiskey
Ice cream: No
Visited: March 17, 2011


151 Bourbon Street
3359 West 115th Street
Merrionette Park, Illinois 60803
708.388.8881

Poag Mahone's, Chicago, IL

OMG - thank you St. Patrick for whatever you did and thank you people of Ireland and New Orleans for loving to bake bread pudding. I got two different BPs to celebrate March 17, though I'm still eating them days later. This texture is so smooth. It's sliced like French Toast, and I didn't even use the caramel sauce because whatever it was lying in was good enough for me. It was already just a tad too sweet - minor complaint.

Price: $6.95
Raisins: Yellow and black, though not too many
Sauce: Whiskey
Ice cream: No, but whipped cream
Visited: March 17, 2011

Poag Mahone's - it's in a big office building.
333 South Wells
(in the 175 West Jackson Building)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Ph 312-566-9100

Mama Dip's Country Cooking Restaurant, Chapel Hill, NC

This could have been a 3.25 if the waiter had heated it better. I have been looking forward to visiting Mrs. Dip's for years. I haven't gotten there lately when I visited the Triangle. I was delighted when I went because I didn't even know they had bread pudding on the menu, and not only was it a regular, but the chef chose a new variety every day! This day was pineapple. It was a wonderful end to the soul food veggie meal (including pinto beans) and I liked the fresh whipped cream. The bowl was cold, and the pineapple BP was lukewarm, but it was also Mrs. Dips, so the ambiance and the memories from when I was in school in Chapel Hill, back in the, well, a while ago. I even interviewed Mrs. Dip for a class I was in back then so I felt more connected. The new (to me) location was country and clean, like an elegant Cracker Barrel.

There was one place I wanted to go, Papa Mojo's Roadhouse, which also has BP. Maybe next time.

Price: $5 (I think)
Raisins: No
Sauce: No, just a little whipped cream
Ice cream: No
Visited: March 2011

Mama Dips Kitchen (for some reason, desserts aren't listed)
408 W. Rosemary Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 942-5837
info@mamadips.com

Grapevine Mediterranean Gourmet Cafe, LaGrange, IL

I didn't take a photo of this bread pudding. It was so unassuming, just a corner piece in a plastic container. The staff offered to sprinkle it with powdered sugar but I declined. It wasn't pretty or interesting, just was. I waited a day to eat it. But when I did, I was so wonderfully surprised. I heated it and it was a little too loose but the top crusted and the eggy custard was nice. It had just enough cinnamon to make a difference and was truly a no-muss dessert.

Price: $3.50
Raisins: No
Sauce: No
Ice cream: No
Visited: March 2011

The Grapevine
9 West Hillgrove Avenue
La Grange, IL 60525
708-482-4774

Wishbone, Chicago

This is just HALF of the order of Wishbone BP. Wishbone is a local chain serving something called "southern reconstruction cuisine." I'm not sure what that is but the food is dependable and a little different than what you'd find at home. The BP is smooth, cinnamon-laced, and not very sweet. The caramel sauce is a necessary enhancement. I'd call the BP dependable, too. It's not amazing, but it's very good and will hit the spot.

Price: $5 (I think. The menu online is so cumbersome to see, I didn't check again)
Raisins: No
Sauce: Yes, caramel
Ice cream: No
Visited: January 2011

Wishbone Restaurant
1001 W. Washington Blvd.
3300 N. Lincoln Ave. - I went here and the staff was delightful, even for take-out
6611 W. Roosevelt Rd. (Berwyn)

Indigo Grill, San Diego, Recipe

This should make 2 pans, though I don't know what size pans you'd use.

1/2 gallon cream
1/2 gallon milk
1 cinnamon stick, ground
peel of one orange
1 vanilla bean
2 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs
9 yolks
2 loaves brioche, cubed

Soak the following in whiskey or bourbon overnight:
8-9 apples, peeled, cored and sauteed
1 1/2 c dried cranberries
3/4 c dates
3/4 c figs

Caramel sauce (no recipe given)
Apricot puree (no recipe given)
Lemon curd (no recipe given)
Blueberry or raspberry sauce (no recipe given)

Bring milk and cream to a boil. Steep the next 3 ingredients for more than 10 minutes and strain. Ribbon the sugar, eggs, and yolks together and add to the liquid. Pour over the brioche and soak overnight.

Grease pans thickly with butter and brown sugar. Layer the bread mixture with the fruit and
caramel sauce. Repeat. Finish with apricot puree.

Bake at 300-325 degrees in a water bath until fully set. Top with caramel, lemon curd and raspberry or blueberry sauce.