Update to this one.
We sought out a good restaurant supply store today as we were looking for some non-staples at cheap prices. Really trying to find some of the stuff listed in this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dinin ... .html?_r=1Northwest Cutlery was our first stop. After reading some rather high remarks("An institution of Chicago") we were excited. The store lives up to its claim of having an absurd amount of knives and an awesome ability to sharpen them at a reasonable price while you are there. However, their selection of items was mild compared to what I was looking for. They carry some high end brands (Le Creuset, Henkels, All-Clad, etc...) but what I was looking for was more along the lines of $8 omelet pans, $2 wooden spoons, $4 mixing bowls, etc... Unfortunately they were not as cheap as I was hoping. I do believe this is THE spot for knives, but for the absurdly cheap staples we were looking for it did not do the trick.
Next stop for us was
Herzog Store Fixture Company located somewhat close to Northwest down in the west loop. Now this store was exactly what we were looking for. They had everything from restaurant ranges, warmers, serving counters to an entire collection of the wares we needed for the kitchen. The difference was the pricing. They had everything and mostly at great prices (for what you are getting). For example, if you got ambitious and decided you wanted to make Veal stock and needed a HUGE pot, but didn't want to drop $300 heavy on it, this would be a good place to pick one up at a reasonable price. Omelet pans started around $9 and went up. Squirt bottles $.50. Metal mixing bowls for $3. Etc. Everything from the big wooden things you take pizzas in and out of the oven with to cheap (as in affordable) plastic cutting boards (still thick enough they wouldn't warp). Going to a place like this blows your mind when you think that Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma is selling the same stuff but at 4-5X the price.
Overall I would say if you are looking to add some pieces to your kitchen Herzog is a GREAT place to checkout.
If you need your knives sharpened, new knives or are looking for some great high end cookware bought locally, Northwestern is the spot.
Northwestern Cutlery and Supply.
810 W Lake Street
(between Green St & Halsted St)
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 421-3666
Herzog Store Fixture Company
1034 W Madison Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 666-2600