Chicago food shopping, an on-going list
I love food shopping, most of the time. The major bummer usually is a crowded grocery store where you have to play chicken with clanky metal carts just to get a couple apples (or you just can’t find what you’re looking for– vegetable broth has been a tricky). So here I present an ongoing source for shops carrying (sometimes organic) food stuffs from the Chicago area, and some just really awesome Chicago shops that sell some kind of food product. Whatever! No clanky carts here!
So, know of a great market or bakery? Or the carrier of some fabulous product? Add it in the comments section!
In no particular order, well, the order that I discovered them, more or less:
1. Chicago French Market (Ogilvie’s Suburban Concourse, 131 N. Clinton) Part grocery store, part multicultural food court (crepes and pasta, Mexican and Korean), it’s a pleasant break from the usual Jewel or lunch spot.
2. Chicago Green City Market (Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon) A year-round farmers market, vendors from around the region sell seasonable food from carrots to cheese to jam. They also host cooking demonstrations.
3. Chicago Downtown Farmstand (66 E. Randolph) A small market hiding downtown, they carry an assortment of prepared food (granola, hummus, yogurt, and lunch items) and seasonable produce.
4. Green Grocer Chicago (1402 W. Grand) A small, cute space with tidy shelves stocked with anything you’d ever want to buy in a grocery store, plus a wine and spirits and a huge chocolate section. (Huge. It’s, like, a third of the store). The affable owners hold discussions and tastings and are quick to answer any of your questions.
5. City Olive (5408 N. Clark) This place just smells nice. They specialize in olive oil products, but there are plenty of gifty items and gourmet foods, not necessarily olive-related, throughout the shop.
