Grab a recycled bag, Green City Market (GCM) opens Wednesday. Local farmers from Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois flock to the south end of Lincoln Park between Clark Street and Stockton Drive to bring you fresh produce and specialty foods.
Starting May 14, every Wednesday and Saturday (7 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.) through October.
Between Ethiopian food, Indian food and raw fish I've been accused of eating everything. So it wouldn't stand to wonder why I like Kashi cereal. Considering all the fat, cholesterol and calories in some of these write-ups it might be the change of pace, it might be the change of flavor or it might be me rationalizing the health aspect of this cereal. Never-the-less I do enjoy the fiber twig.
For a while a friend of mine has tried to pursuade me to visit Lush Wine and Spirits. Tucked away in Roscoe Village, it is a bit out of the way for me geographically so I never stumbled upon an opportunity to check it out. Finally we met up for a free Sunday wine tasting.
Continue reading "Sunday Wine Tastings: Lush Wine and Spirits" »
I feel like I sold out a friend by including Hagen's Fish Market before The Fish Keg. It's nearly perfect. The first time I was there two 70+ ladies were trying to get their oysters double battered and were not making any headway with the young guy upfront. They asked for a gentleman in particular. If I remembered his name the story would gain in authenticity but I don't.
Let's just call him Harold.
You go to certain restaurants and you start to notice patterns... Gunthorp Duck, blood orange reduction, etc. Everything needs a fancy variation, right? Justifies the price and your finickiness... dates are just dates, right?
Well, I have always secretly thought, "Yeah, they do look like little roaches." They have that crispy sort of papery husk of a skin and a mushy center. And they're a bitch to pit. Medjool is on the right and common date is on the left.
Medjool dates are hard not to buy at a glance. They're bigger and plumper. They don't look like dead insects and have a lovely purple hue to them, instead of the date-brown. They are a bit more expensive but honestly dates aren't cheap to begin with and you're usually using them for something fairly elaborate so the extra buck should be worth it for the visual benefits.
My vegan friends in Vermont sent my wife and me some delicious vegan chocolate champagne truffles, and they were so good I felt compelled to write. Made in England, these delicacies contain nothing but dark chocolate, coconut oil, corn syrup, champagne, along with a cocoa powder coating. It's a quirky brand with not only organic and vegan labeling but also a "never sold in supermarkets" tag. These truffles can be bought online at their website http://www.boojabooja.com.
Today when I ordered my coffee, I couldn't resist buying a delicious fresh store-made macarons from Sarah's Pastries & Candies. Macarons (sometimes spelled Macaroons) are credited as being a regional specialty of a town in Northeastern France, but are popular throughout France.
I was driving past. I was looking for lunch. It's the perfect storm. There was parking. There was a mural. It has almost epic potential. It's a mural of vikings fishing on the wall. There's neon, etc. everything but a phone number. I love the Fish Keg on Howard. Needless to say I went in for a bite and I ate it in my car.
Ordering lunch is always kind of odd in a counter environment. The good stuff is by the pound. You say you want lunch and get guided towards the sandwiches... which is what I went with before hearing that the cod (I think it was cod) comes in already breaded. It was okay. It was about $3.00. I won't go any farther into the sandwich because you'd go back for the smoking.
Walking into work today I had a horrifying encounter – at least two dozen donuts stuffed with creams and jellies and glistening with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla icing. I then learned that there was a special reason that these donuts appeared today to completely destroy my diet. These were not actually donuts. They were Paczki – Polish donuts eaten on Fat Tuesday.
Sears has a "Wish for Joy" roaster set for $4 after a rebate. That's kinda crazy. If you're looking for something to use outside and maybe crap up this may be the way to go.
Baster, Oven mitt, cutting board, roaster, pair of skewers and a knife/fork in addition to other weird stuff I can't quite make out.
Buy it here or in store to save on shipping. Click on "Rebate Details" to get the low-down on the $4 price.
I've been scoping rice cookers, already owning a kick-ass Sanyo, and know that Zojirushi makes some killer cookers. But I found something really cool that tests my new year's "spending freeze" resolve.
It's a crazy super insulated thermos. But it has multiple containers and apparantly holds things at temperature for a seriously long time. You can stack foods to keep colder items cold, etc. Unlike a rice cooker, its not a real necessity and granted you still need to do the cooking but it stays with you all day. If you are microwave-less here's a great option for what seems to be a copious amount of luncheon.
I'm still trying to make heads and tails out of fuzzy rice cookers. I've had great luck hitting "cancel" and "cook" and everything comes out perfect. Considering all the buttons are in Japanese that's no mean feat.
Buy it on amazon after the jump...
Continue reading "New-Fangled Hot Lunch: The Zojirushi "Thermos"" »
Brian wrote about his penchant for Jamon Iberico after some time in Madrid.
Unlike pink prosciutto jamón Ibérico is blood red, more chewy, and has a complex taste and texture. Many of the tapas bars (which in Spain look nothing like Ba-Ba-Ree-Ba and instead are bars that serve a few basic snacks and sometimes meals) have a leg of ham hanging on a hook out in the open where someone can ask for a few slices.
It looks like his prayers are answered.
I can't say enough good things about Pastoral...I was happy to hear plans of opening a downtown location, though part of me hopes that another great concept will not morph into yet another boring chain. What made me equally happy was a quarter-pound of their Rosemary Manchengo.
Continue reading "Rosemary Manchengo: Another great cheese from Pastoral" »
Come and walk through the gates of Golden Pacific, an Asian market in the Edgewater neighborhood. Here you will find various foodstuff that cater to Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian and Indian cuisines. What draws me to this store over any of the stores in Uptown's Argyle neighborhood, is the very pristine nature inside.
Continue reading "Golden Pacific – Northside Asian Market" »
I wanted to celebrate Independence Day with some barbecue, but alas! I had no grill or deck or any of the other key elements of good barbecue.
So instead, I popped down to the Argyle Red Line stop and picked up a few BBQ pork buns for lunch. I've been hitting up the Chiu Quon Bakery for a couple years now and its never let me down. For 75 cents a piece, you can buy these massive steamed pork buns (a.k.a. "bao"s).
Continue reading "Chiu Quon Bakery – 4th of July BBQ Pork Buns" »
Sitting on Devon, steps from the culturally rich grocery store of Devon Market and Thai eats, I found myself wandering the aisles of La Unica. This is a quaint Cuban grocery shop full of ingredients native to Cuba and other latin countries alike. Countless tropical juices, black beans and guava pastes line the shelves starting my head thinking of dishes I could create with them. Frozen yucca, tamals and exotic fruits I've never heard of can be found within the freezer section. Ginger beer, bottled mojo and pineapple sodas stand in glass bottles.
Coxinhas (little drumsticks) are soft, fried dumplings - filled with savory, shredded chicken and covered with a soft, delectable pastry coated in fine breadcrumbs. They are - by far - my favorite snack-bite in the world.
Coxinhas are so hard to make (see recipe here). They take forever. They take the touch of a seasoned Brazilian housewife, and a recipe that's been handed down for generations but never written down. I'd always considered this a blessing - because I knew that if Coxinhas were always readily available I'd be done for - I love them that much - I'd eat ten a day and gain a pound a day, and well, you do the math.
THEN we moved. Last month. From Lincoln Park to Bucktown. And on our corner, there just so happens to be a Brazilian grocery Store.
I'm wading through a jet-lagged Sunday. I woke up at 8am and went to the grocery store and ordered a Café Americano. I just got back from Europe where you pretty much cannot get drip coffee so I made do with espresso shots and hot water. It pretty much makes the equivalent amount of drip but tastes different.
After several days with fairly diluted espresso in London I was switched to about half as much hot water in Paris where coffee-to-go doesn't really happen. They give you a plastic cup that feels like it's melting and look at you funny. The stronger coffee grew on me.
I know this isn’t the first article on Pastoral here but I find it so hard not to write about this place. Whenever I’m in Lakeview I almost always go for the inevitable visit to Pastoral. This place always sucks me in…it’s the friendly staff, the fact that they have a few cheese wheels out in the open waiting to be sampled, some good caricature, a nice selection of olive oils and balsamics, and a wine selection. Oh, yeah, and there’s also an olive bar and an assortment of artisan dairy products.
Continue reading "Pastoral Artisan Cheese: Always worth going out of my way" »
The Bucktown-bred Goddess and Grocer is a welcome addition on the Gold Coast, serving great snack foods and little dishes when you have company coming over that night and want something a notch above Treasure Island or Trader Joe's. The Gold Coast does not yet have a great cheese place that I've found but Goddess and Grocer keeps a decent selection on hand.
Dominick's has the large 16oz. can with the widget.
Especially given the timing it's a great price...
On Kedzie, just south of Lawrence is the Lebanese restaurant Al-Khaymeih. Just down the street is Semiramis another Lebanese restaurant but one at a time.
Shawarma was the reason for going and well worth it. You can choose either chicken or beef and you can take your time as you watch the meat on the spit. Monday evening I went back for more Tacos Al Pastor from Taqueria Uptown and thought about how similar regional foods are even when geographically they're literally a world apart. Of course you have to mention gyros and there you have it... beef, chicken, pork, and lamb. All we need is a slowly rotating giant spit of fish fillets. Hmmm. I think I'm on to something.
The one dissenting order was for a kefta-kebab type thing that I would order next time. The tahini sauce does wonders with charred meat. In addition to the sandwiches we really enjoyed the hummus and the very smokey babaganoush. Their tabbouleh salad was heavy on the veggies and light on the bulger. A friend explained the regional differences. When you're closer to the veggies - you get more veggies. The kibbeh was also terrific – deep fried spheres of bulger wheat filled with ground meat. Complimentery olives pickled with lemons and salty picked turnips were nice additions.
Ashkenaz, a Jewish delicatessen on Cedar Street, is either an oxymoron or an anachronism in the Gold Coast, a neighborhood populated with chain restaurants, overpriced restaurants, nightclubs drawing a suburban clientele, and a scant few charming neighborhood places. Ashkenaz is the type of place where the staff seldom changes and the regulars therefore know the staff, so it definitely has a neighborhood feel.
Yeah. I know. It's a grocery store. I've had grocery store sushi before and it's not that good. I've also tried to swallow a hard boiled egg without chewing. That's really a bad idea. It basically get's caught in your throat where your muscles that aren't supposed to be used for food mash it into a paste that can barely go down. If you're wondering why I'm describing this egg-situation I can only refer you to the headline... yes. It's that bad.
If I had more money I'd have a Champagne problem My friends tell me of the actor who played J.R. on Dallas and his Champagne problems. I think they're making fun of the fact that I actually really do love Champagne. I love the taste of a bottle of Bollinger - from the first glass to the last. It's a great wine that you can actually appreciate as you drink the whole bottle.
It's not New Year's that has me excited and thinking about bubbly. It's the Binny's Champagne tasting tomorrow night. If it's anything like I remember it I'm in for a real treat. A few years back the mob, and it IS a mob (it sells out every year), was congregating around the Cristals and the Doms leaving me a B-line for the Henri Giraud but that might have been at the Sam's tasting. But Giraud is my favorite Champagne of them all. Better than the R.D. Bollingers, better than any Salon or Krug.
On Thursday evenings the Fish Guy Market on Elston closes its retail fish shop and transforms into Wellfleet fish restaurant. Tables are set out between the refrigeration cases and tea lights and candles create an unorthodox atmosphere for a 6 course dinner, though some courses are plated and served together.
The candlelight effect is terrific but the presence of Bill Dugan and crew is equally engaging. Anything you want to know about anything with gills he can explain and he takes you through the evening's dishes with a genuine enthusiasm.
The menu changes every few weeks but the service and level of preparation of the dishes should be constant. Given that they've only been at it for a short time it should even improve. It's BYOB and a couple of different bottles would give you a nice range considering the several courses.
The first course came as a plated combination of three large oysters in an "Asian style," a soy and radish treatment. It was a very clean way to serve a very fresh oyster. A ramekin of creme fraiche covered a layer of cauliflower puree and a healthy portion of Illinois sturgeon caviar – Joel Robuchon style. I enjoyed the cauliflower puree but would have liked toast points or something on which to spread the very rich and very tasty dish.
I'll admit it. I go to Starbucks fairly often. I get it at the office and over long car rides. But I just get coffee. No lattes, mochas, frapps, etc. coffee... black. But I have started getting assorted pastry before a decent car ride. I tried the flax seed braid that actually isn't half bad but I recently tried a breakfast sandwich thinking that it's gotta be better than McDonald's.
Just north of the WI/IL border is the Mars Cheese Castle. It's giant
sign, a beacon to some. It's a landmark that can clue you in to the real
place to go.
Drive past the castle and head back towards the southbound entrance ramp and just before you get on the highway, pull off to the right into the lot of Bobby Nelson's. You've found sausage nirvana.
The sign should resonate. You know you've found something. From cheese curds and port wine cheese to aged cheddar you'll find it. Pickled stuff, jams and jellys it's all there. All the typical Wisconsin items are there– syrups, gift items etc.
So the Bears are up and the Pack is down. The rivalry's so far out of balance that a Ditka jersey north of the border isn't even offensive. So there's no better time to take a quick hour drive to stock up on meats for the rest of the season.
And what more could you ask to go with a fall/wintry football game than a Brat. It legitimizes canned beer. It's one of the only ways to get some guys to eat cabbage. Where could you get this tasty treat? Surely not at your local grocery store...
I suppose. But in this case it's worth a trek to get something really good. It's the only tough part of the process.
Cooking a brat is pretty easy. The more simplistic you can be the better your brats.
Canned beer is a wonderful thing. Old Style was on sale so it fit the bill but High Life, Miller Light, Leinies... any Wisconsin beer would be more appropriate. Slice up some onions, any kind, and add them to the boiling beer (Beer and sme water is okay if you're running low on beer. Just don't go less than half and half unless you've already put away the rest of the beer–make do with whatever you have). If you're a saurkraut fan cook some up in a different pot. You could use the same but I like to separate the onion and the kraut and prefer the beer/onion combo.
My first visit to the Fish Guy Market on Elston was part of my langostino quest. I had started at Fulton and headed north. It was a bit after noon and I was tempted by fillets being grilled for other customers. For something like 8 bucks you can pick your fish and get it grilled on a roll with a wonderful herbed mayo.
I was in Oak Park this past Sunday and went door-to-door at 3pm-ish looking for lunch. We actually walked in and out of several spots... we were really just checking things out. Then we came to the Pasta Shoppe and on walking in saw fresh pasta in a chiller case and desserts... and sauces... and things I've never seen before - Arancini, which are saffron rice balls stuffed with spinach and cheese. The Shoppe does catering, trays, carry out, and there's a Café to eat in. We ate in.
So we sat down in the back. We ordered an appetizer portion of the arancini - three smaller sized balls instead of the slightly oversized baseballs upfront. They were crispy with creamy rice, mozzerella and spinach inside. They were delicious in a fresh tomato marinara.
OK... I have been on a quest for langostino. It's come up several times in the past few weeks. A tv show about Iceland had a bit about them as a local delicacy (though not sure exactly what they were). The proprietor/chef at the Richmond Inn likes to use them and I had a plate of them a few weeks back at Las Islas Marias on Clark north of Devon. So I did some looking around.
It turns out last week that a restaurant, Rubios, in California which was serving langostino instead of lobster in their "lobster burrito" has been allowed to – the courts said it was OK to call it that since it tastes the same...?! Needless to say spellcheck doesn't recognize it either.
And funny how my guilty pleasure - Long John Silver's just started serving lobster bites with Langostino. Red Lobster uses it in their lobster bisque... See what happens when you start digging? It's like the Truman Show. My life revolves around a crustacean of some sort. Even though it's not shrimp, and not lobster either... at least not really.
I started calling fish markets, super markets, and eventually got several "Yeah we have that" answers prices varying from $32/lb to 2lbs for $15. So my escapade for seafood oddity began.
Trader Joe's has posted a notice recalling their kick-ass molé sauce for a "lack of quality." I wonder what that really means...
There are many different French influenced Vietnamese resturaunts around Argyle, ranging from the expensive, like Pasteur, to the everyday, like Ba Le French & Vietnamese Bakery. Known for their Banh Mi sandwiches, they have over a half dozen on the menu.
Don't ask me what they all are, and don't ask the women behind the counter either, as English is the second language, just go and pick a number and be adventorous. I picked the #1 Ba Le Special, while my compainion picked the #3 chicken. I was very anxious to taste it since the woman behind the counter pointed to the types of meats that were in it, they sell them all, wich consisted of headcheese and other bologna type meats that I would normally never, ever, eat.
Just past Devon in Rogers Park is New Leaf: Natural Grocery.
A flier with coupons, a couple for Organic Valley dairy, a fair trade coffee coupon was under my door last week.
A specific offering is the Organic Produce Box which is a week's supply of, what else, organic produce.
The contents of our boxes change weekly, but to
give you an idea of the quantity, listed below is a sample from their
website of a $15 box.
On the heels of a great duck confit I was drawn back for more. I figured I loved it I needed it. Mmmm.
They were out of it. So I got to try something new.
More duck. Without the confit available I went with plain old duck breast instead of the peking duck, tenderloin meatloaf, aussie beef tenderloin...
I splurged and snagged two crabcakes, two bite-sized pieces of seared sesame tuna, asparagus in a marinade and a parsnip and shallot vanilla infused somethin-somethin... plus chocolate chip cookie dough... this time they didn't toss in a baguette... bummer.
L'Appetito, 30 E. Huron St. is an Italian deli with indoor and outdoor seating and some grocery items as well. It's a couple blocks west of Michigan Ave and they will make you whatever you want. They have a great selection of meats and cheeses (with emphasis on Italian products) as well as tuna salad, egg salad, pasta salad, etc.
Their sandwiches (subs, etc) run large, except the slim tostinos, and the man in front of me ordered a half of one. I took his lead with a 1/2 a muffalatta but was given a whole. It was $6.50 and enormous.
I was looking for Hummus and what do I find at the Devon Market? Nectar Del Razo Pulque in the cooler next to the beer from Croatia... It's gotta be bought and it's gonna be bought.
I got it home poured a tall one in my Blackhawks Budweiser glass and decided to google it.
http://www.tequilamescal.com/pulque.htm
It's maguey cactus nectar that's fermented to about 6% alcohol. It's syrupy and tastes really good. Kind of fruity but more woody... and sweet. It's like a Zima ...but woody. I could drink this all summer long.
Argo Georgian Bakery (2812 W. Devon Ave.) had been on my list of bakeries to visit for months. On a particularly gorgeous day last weekend my friend Harold and I drove up to Devon to try it out. We entered into a small and sparsely decorated shop with tiled floors and a large, earthen domed oven directly ahead of us.
In our usual fashion we indecisively loitered around the counter until eventually deciding on a spinach pie, a honey and walnut pie (tapluna), a hachapuri (mozzarella, farm cheese, and feta cheese pie, pictured), a Georgian round bread (puri), and a long bread (shoti). We sat down in one of the few sets of small tables along the wall and dug in to our first three offerings. The spinach pie was simple and hearty, served cool. I thought it could have used a bit of seasoning or simply some salt, but otherwise it was quite tasty. The tapluna was a sweet roll of pastry, covered in powdered sugar, and filled with a sweet and nutty filling. This was also lovely, though perhaps a bit too sweet for my tastes.
I would point to cheese if I was to take a guess at the mainstay of Pastoral. But then again that just may be the power of cheese.
Beyond the large and thoughtful cheese selection there are other things in the store. That's what I like about it... the olives, the meats, the tapenades, the nuts, the miscellaneous. They've figured out the food combinations that go well together and surprise surprise... they're mostly farm style natural items.
It's a store where many items have a story– from historical significance to mini-bio's of producers. The most random items I have found to be the most impressive.
Continue reading "Pastoral - Behold! The Power of Artisan Cheese" »
Alright. I'm admitting that for the past several months almost every Friday I snag a pizza from Dominick's uncooked with one topping for $5. I stop at the video store get a lame movie and proceed to eat a few pieces and fall asleep on the couch before the credits roll.
Every week can be tough but we've perfected the process. You get one topping included on the pizza. Additional toppings are $1 and come in plastic containers. Getting pepperoni this way is really cost effective. BUT it's a grocery store and for about $.89 you can get sliced black olives. Wandering around the produce department you can grab broccoli, mushrooms, pineapple, sun-dried tomatos, green peppers, spinach, onions, etc.
Don't get it cooked. It comes on a black plasti-paper tray that slides right into your oven at 425º and in 14-16 minutes you have a really crispy nice pie if you DON'T cook two at once.
It used to be called Yaohan. It is a Japanese grocery/kitchen store/food court. They have stores in California, New Jersey and Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Before I really got into food I was somewhat-obsessive about toys. So up until 4 years ago I had been buying udon in the food court and Godzilla bandai snap-together candy toys at the grocery store known now as Mitsuwa.
Instead of Tetsujin pariphanallia I buy dumpling sauce, dried noodles, frozen noodles, mushrooms, and things that I can't explain.
I have never been to Trotter's. I just haven't... no good reason I guess. But I thought it was odd that I had never even walked into Trotter's to Go. I saw the website. I love Pastoral, go to Whole Foods and buy miscellaneous crap from Sam's cheese and accoutraments section and I was on Fullerton.
Brookhaven Marketplace in Darien is not a large store, nor is it impressive in it's decor, but if you are looking for an unusual food, or just like experimenting in the kitchen, this place is worth the visit.
To your right, when you first enter is the produce section. It has at least six varieties of old familiars like oranges and onions, and a healthy selection of greens. Peppers of every sort, color and degree of hotness, and eggplant including Indian, and Japanese varieties. There are all kinds of roots, and the largest selection of dried beans and legumes I have ever seen.
The Devon Market is between Broadway and Clark on Devon and has a terrific variety of produce and general products.
Having lived 2 blocks away from it for close to 4 years it's taken me a long time to get used to it for more than sundry items. A friend of mine made a great soup from Nigel Slater's Appetite cookbook. (THAT cookbook is another absolute must and I'll get to it in detail later).
The recipe called for whole anise, lemongrass, fresh fennel, fish sauce among other things and I was dying to make it. Dominicks had nothing. Dried lemongrass, fennel seed, crushed anise.
Devon had it all. They also have dried, semi-dried and fresh peppers... anchos, poblanos, hungarian wax peppers (listed as banana peppers but really hot).
For an ensuing stir-fry kick they provided a variety of chinese rice cooking wines, rice noodles, and Baby Bok-Choy... not the huge unruly bok-choy. And the produce is beautiful. I have actually on several occasions used it in photos.
The chicken is safe. I have not tried the lamb brains, cow's feet, tripe and myriad other delicacies they stock. Whole shrimp, whole tilapia, etc. It intially is kind of weird but once you're used to it you love it.
They do also carry a ton of Slovakian, Serbian, Hungarian, Mexican, Thai, uh... almost everything. Miscellaneous items from mason jar lids for pickling to stone mortar/pestle combos for guacamole.
A secret item is the $8.99 750ml of Moskovskaya Osobaya (the Russian distillery). Apparantly the original Czarist vodka before Stolichnaya became so popular. It's made by Stoli.
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