Purple Sandpiper RIP

One of the south suburbs' most interesting eateries shuts its doors.

One of the south suburbs' most interesting restaurants was recently forced to shut its doors. Bloomington's Purple Sandpiper closed due to "MUCH slower than expected sales and the lack of steady business," its owner, M. Haider said. "The state shutdown made it even worse!" he added.

The restaurant wasn't without its idiosyncrasies and struggles: its opening chef, Ryan Aberle, was gone within a month, and the kitchen served one of the worst dishes I ate all year, a plate of cauliflower soba noodles that looked like day-old cat vomit.

Still, it should be lauded for it's ambitious aim to bring creative, affordable, chef-driven fare to an area with a largely staid, chain-restaurant dining scene. Hopefully, Purple Sandpiper will also be remembered for its impressive craft beer list, its lobster Benedict breakfasts, and it's ability to serve a tasty plate of sweetbread nachos to a Caesar salad and Chardonnay crowd.