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  • Post #31 - March 14th, 2008, 12:30 am
    Post #31 - March 14th, 2008, 12:30 am Post #31 - March 14th, 2008, 12:30 am
    There's a fairly new Cermak Produce in the mall at Cicero and Cermak. They moved from a small building on the north side of Roosevelt into this new place and it is much better than their old place. It has at least 3 or 4 times the floor space of the old building, with wide, clean aisles. There is an outstanding selection of meat and produce and the prices are great. The deli is pretty good, and there is a bakery department.
    What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?
  • Post #32 - March 15th, 2008, 7:25 am
    Post #32 - March 15th, 2008, 7:25 am Post #32 - March 15th, 2008, 7:25 am
    I am shocked that Stanley's hasn't been mentioned!

    Living right off Devon allows me to be almost totally independent of larger-scale chain supermarkets (we patronize Strack & Von Til for the things we can't get in the neighborhood, but we don't really mind that so much after years of dealing with Dominick's, Jewel et al).

    A bit to the east of us is Devon Market, which can be a bit hit-or-miss, as the selection is quite variable. Some of the best prices I've seen for herbs and veggies, but they won't always have the specific thing I'm looking for. DM has come a long way from when I first began shopping there six years ago - then they didn't carry alcohol, did not have the fancy butcher counter in back, and most definitely did not carry organic milk and Tofutti as they do now. I also recall that there seemed to be a revolving cast of checkout ladies, none of whom spoke much English, and all of whom were kind of clueless about the plastic dividing thing you put between orders to separate them. I always had to be ready to intercept as they pushed it aside and reached for the next guy's groceries :D

    Travelling west, you will come across many small Indian/Pakistani groceries. I like Farm City Market for its butcher shop, and Patel Brothers for its everything! PB is as close as Devon gets to having a supermarket.

    Rogers Park Fruit Market isn't on Devon, but it was one of my favorite spots when I lived in east RP. Admittedly I haven't been in since they remodeled, but I can't imagine it's gotten anything but better, and it was pretty great to start with. A wonderful place to find exotic fruits and veggies, along with challenging Caribbean food items (...seaweed drink?).

    I'm not sure of the name of the last store on my list. It's a small, Eastern European-focused store that nonetheless packs in a lot into its tight space. There's a butcher, a dreamy bakery, and a small but thorough selection of produce, Euro food imports, and all the basics. It's right at Devon and Kedzie and while I can picture it clearly (and taste their packzis) I can't for the life of me remember the name.

    Stanley's Fuit
    1558 North Elston Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60622
    (773) 276-8050

    Devon Market
    1440 West Devon Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60660
    (773) 338-2572

    Farm City Market
    Does not exist according to Whitepages.com
    But it's on Devon west of Leavitt

    Patel Brothers
    2610 West Devon Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60659
    (773) 262-7777

    Rogers Park Fruit Market
    7401 North Clark Street
    Chicago, IL 60626
    (773) 262-3663
    As a mattra-fact, Pie Face, you are beginning to look almost human. - Barbara Bennett
  • Post #33 - March 25th, 2008, 10:51 am
    Post #33 - March 25th, 2008, 10:51 am Post #33 - March 25th, 2008, 10:51 am
    It may not be exactly local but Woodman's (Carpentersville, Aurora & Rockford) is a great example of an independent grocery store. The produce can be iffy but otherwise there selection is wide and diverse. They carry all things Wisconsin (but sadly no New Glarus) and their meat, cheese and ice cream offerings cannot be matched by any store in the Chicagoland area.

    BTW - I might a bit biased because I work part time in their deli but I was shopping there along time before I ever took the job.
    Last edited by mousec1 on March 28th, 2008, 5:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #34 - March 26th, 2008, 7:10 am
    Post #34 - March 26th, 2008, 7:10 am Post #34 - March 26th, 2008, 7:10 am
    I second the love for Woodmans Market, I use to make the trek upto Kenosha before they opened the one on Randell Road...best thing in that part of the burbs
  • Post #35 - March 26th, 2008, 10:37 pm
    Post #35 - March 26th, 2008, 10:37 pm Post #35 - March 26th, 2008, 10:37 pm
    I like Woodman's, too, when I'm out that way.

    I do a lot of shopping at Meijer, which I guess you'd call a regional chain, partly because it's open 24/7 and sells so many other things besides food -- where else can you go at 2 a.m. and buy fruit, meat, plumbing supplies, auto parts and underwear? I'm fond of their house-brand of black-pepper potato chips and the Amish potato salad they carry, and in the late evenings they mark down rotisserie chicken as low as $2.

    They have a good mix of international goods, and while the produce doesn't always look wonderful (especially at 2 a.m.), they usually have some decent items. I just bought meyer lemons, for example. The prices are generally much better than Nick-the-Jewels.

    Shop & Save markets are great local stores that I urge folks to check out. Imagine a regular supermarket with all the national brands, and then add on an extensive international market featuring foods from all over Europe and Asia, a huge deli with their own smoked sausages and hams, a luscious house bakery and a wide selection of house-prepared ready to eat foods with an Eastern European slant.

    I also like Harvest Fresh, which stocks an international mix, although mostly Eastern European. I love their creamy chopped-mushroom salad.

    Meijer
    www.meijer.com
    1301 Meijer Drive (Golf & Algonquin), Rolling Meadows, (847) 690-1500
    Randall & Stonegate roads, Algonquin, (847) 960-7800
    Randall Road & College Green, Elgin, (847) 717-6500
    13521 S. Route 59, Plainfield, (815) 267-8000
    2253 N Richmond Road, McHenry, (815) 578-9700
    225 N. Weber Road, Bolingbrook, (630) 679-6500
    755 E. Boughton Road, Bolingbrook, (630) 783-5300
    808 N. Route 59, Aurora, (630) 692-6100
    130 S. Gary Ave., Bloomingdale, (630) 351-7600
    855 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, (630) 762-7200
    2700 Route 34, Oswego, (630) 636-5000
    611 U.S. 30, Merrillville, Ind., (219) 650-3700
    10138 Indianapolis, Highland, Ind., (219) 934-2100

    Shop & Save
    www.shopandsavemarket.com
    229 Golf Mill Center, Niles, (847) 803-6590
    518 Metropolitan Way, Des Plaines, (847) 227-5800
    830 W. Golf Road, Schaumburg, (847) 781-7000

    Harvest Fresh International Market
    100 E. Rand Road, Arlington Heights, (847) 368-0138
  • Post #36 - March 27th, 2008, 7:38 am
    Post #36 - March 27th, 2008, 7:38 am Post #36 - March 27th, 2008, 7:38 am
    I have found that in McHenry County, Joseph's marketplace in Crystal Lake is great! There produce is fresh, good quality, and their deli has a great selection .

    Joseph's Marketplace
    29 Crystal Lake Plz
    Crystal Lake, IL 60014
    (815) 444-8500


    Joe Caputo & Sons in Palatine is another good place located in Lake County off of Rt 12.


    Joe Caputo & Sons
    2070 N. Rand Road Palatine, IL.
    P.(847)705-7200
  • Post #37 - March 28th, 2008, 5:16 am
    Post #37 - March 28th, 2008, 5:16 am Post #37 - March 28th, 2008, 5:16 am
    There is also a Joe Caputo and Sons in Algonquin/Lake in the Hills on Randall and Algonquin Rds. I think that the deli and produce selection is great but prices seem high in comparison to the other Caputo's I have been to in Addison and Hanover Park.
  • Post #38 - March 28th, 2008, 7:19 am
    Post #38 - March 28th, 2008, 7:19 am Post #38 - March 28th, 2008, 7:19 am
    mousec1 wrote:There is also a Joe Caputo and Sons in Algonquin/Lake in the Hills on Randall and Algonquin Rds. I think that the deli and produce selection is great but prices seem high in comparison to the other Caputo's I have been to in Addison and Hanover Park.


    I cannot speak as to whether their prices are better or worse than other Caputo's stores but that is not really relevant.

    What is relevant is that they are less expensive than the large supermarket chains in McHenry Co. that they compete against for a product that is perceived to be higher quality.

    Joseph's in Crystal Lake is generally cheaper on most items.
  • Post #39 - March 28th, 2008, 4:11 pm
    Post #39 - March 28th, 2008, 4:11 pm Post #39 - March 28th, 2008, 4:11 pm
    mousec1 wrote:There is also a Joe Caputo and Sons in Algonquin/Lake in the Hills on Randall and Algonquin Rds.

    Complete list of Caputo stores
  • Post #40 - March 31st, 2008, 8:56 am
    Post #40 - March 31st, 2008, 8:56 am Post #40 - March 31st, 2008, 8:56 am
    LTH,

    I'm a fan of Lincolnwood Produce, Market Place on Oakton and Caputo's (Harlem), though lately I have been shopping at Fresh Farms on Devon. Not much in the way of meat, deli just ok, but the spectrum of fruits and vegetables is quite amazing. Fresh turmeric root, Persian cucumbers, boxes of mango's, all very good quality. Speaking of Persian cucumbers, I find the crisp texture and earthy flavor much to my liking.

    Fresh Farms has a selection of dry goods centered around Indian, and a refrigerated section with multiple nationalities of products, including 4-5 types of yogurt. There is also a juice bar which appears to do a rousing business, though I have not tired it as of yet.

    Enjoy,
    Gary

    Fresh Farms
    2626 W Devon
    Chicago, IL
    773-764-3557

    Lincolnwood Produce
    7175 N Lincoln Ave
    Lincolnwood, IL 60712
    847-329-0600

    MarketPlace on Oakton
    4817 W Oakton
    Skokie, IL 60077
    847-677-9330

    Caputo's
    2560 N. Harlem Ave
    Elmwood Park, IL
    708-453-0155
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #41 - March 31st, 2008, 11:08 am
    Post #41 - March 31st, 2008, 11:08 am Post #41 - March 31st, 2008, 11:08 am
    christine wrote:Also, no one mentioned Valli Produce. I find them to not be as good in selection or as cheap as Caputo's, and they seem to cater mostly to the Hispanic pantry, but it is a nice store.


    Are you referring to the Valli Produce in Arlington Heights? My favorite market in the suburbs is Marketplace on Oakton, but Valli Produce is a decent option out that way. The produce is not as consistently good as Marketplace on Oakton, but I think its offerings are just as international. Valli has never struck me as a Hispanic pantry, but I only shop there about once a month. If anything, its emphasis seems to be Italian and Polish. Valli is my favorite market this week. Yesterday, all varieties of Hero preserves were on sale for two for $4. I picked up a jar of raspberry and a jar of black cherry. (They also had the German preserves on sale. I can never remember the name, but it comes in a roughly strawberry-shaped jar with no label except a paper cover on the lid. These preserves were two for $5, which is a lot cheaper than even Oakton's price.) Also, I think this is a recent development, but Valli now carries Kookaburra licorice. At $2.99 a bag (I bought two yesterday), they're selling it at I think about half the price of Fox & Obel. I also like Valli because they carry papaya La Yogurt, my favorite sugary yogurt. I believe their price for this item is also half the price of Fox & Obel's, maybe even less. I also like Valli for their fresh bread offerings--they beat Marketplace on Oakton in this regard--and because they sell Italian lollies by weight. I keep meaning to try Valli's gelato and pastries, but I'm never in the right mood on my early morning, usually Sunday, visits.
  • Post #42 - June 11th, 2023, 4:05 pm
    Post #42 - June 11th, 2023, 4:05 pm Post #42 - June 11th, 2023, 4:05 pm
    The Value Fresh in Arlington Heights (nee Valli Produce) has changed names yet again.
    I'm not certain whether they are currently open (we passed by late at night) but the signs now read Brookhaven Market - their website says they have sites in Darien, Burr Ridge and Mokena.

    Brookhaven Market
    450 E Golf Rd, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
    https://www.brookhavenmarket.com/
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #43 - June 11th, 2023, 4:44 pm
    Post #43 - June 11th, 2023, 4:44 pm Post #43 - June 11th, 2023, 4:44 pm
    JoelF wrote:The Value Fresh in Arlington Heights (nee Valli Produce) has changed names yet again.
    I'm not certain whether they are currently open (we passed by late at night) but the signs now read Brookhaven Market


    The Golf Rd Brookhaven Market have been opened for a couple weeks now.. They are just remodeling / redesigning the store but its opened. Prices at Brookhaven are definitely higher than the original Valli Produce or Value Fresh.. but it just opened so will see how it progresses.
  • Post #44 - February 4th, 2024, 8:53 pm
    Post #44 - February 4th, 2024, 8:53 pm Post #44 - February 4th, 2024, 8:53 pm
    Visited Brookhaven in Arlington Heights today, and it was a lovely experience. Handsome place with something from a remarkable array of food cultures, mostly European but also Asian and Mexican. They kept the wonderful bakery from the previous iteration of the store, but took at a wall in the produce section, making it much brighter. Otherwise, still the same layout. But great fun, great selection, and largely reasonable prices, especially if you look for sale tags. Oh -- and remarkably nice people.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #45 - February 4th, 2024, 11:04 pm
    Post #45 - February 4th, 2024, 11:04 pm Post #45 - February 4th, 2024, 11:04 pm
    Did Brookhaven bring back a wine & liquor section? When they first converted from ValueFresh, they didn't have a license. ValueFresh used to be a good cheap source for Romanian wines along with oddball bargains from other areas. Best sale there: Horse Heaven Hills rose, 3/$10.
  • Post #46 - February 5th, 2024, 12:00 am
    Post #46 - February 5th, 2024, 12:00 am Post #46 - February 5th, 2024, 12:00 am
    tjr wrote:Did Brookhaven bring back a wine & liquor section? When they first converted from ValueFresh, they didn't have a license. ValueFresh used to be a good cheap source for Romanian wines along with oddball bargains from other areas. Best sale there: Horse Heaven Hills rose, 3/$10.


    I didn't really look at the wine and liquor section, but there did seem to be a couple of aisles.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #47 - February 14th, 2024, 7:25 pm
    Post #47 - February 14th, 2024, 7:25 pm Post #47 - February 14th, 2024, 7:25 pm
    It occurred to me that one other thing worth mentioning was that Brookhaven has salt cod (bacalau). A few years ago, I was looking for salt cod for a recipe I brought home from Newfoundland, and it was very difficult to find. Finally located one piece at a Sunset Foods not too far from me -- but not convenient. But there, at Brookhaven, they had several packages. I figure someone else at some point will be looking for this.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #48 - February 14th, 2024, 8:44 pm
    Post #48 - February 14th, 2024, 8:44 pm Post #48 - February 14th, 2024, 8:44 pm
    Nothing wrong with buying your bacalao at Brookside, but if that's not convenient, most Buteras sell it year round.
  • Post #49 - February 14th, 2024, 10:42 pm
    Post #49 - February 14th, 2024, 10:42 pm Post #49 - February 14th, 2024, 10:42 pm
    When Lake Forest still had a Caputo's cheese store, I bought bacalao. I was there just as they were planning to ship bacalao to another Caputo store, because it was considered a seasonal item for the cheese store.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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