Persian Grocers in Niles area & Schaumburg area

Was wondering if anyone knew of any "good" Persian grocers/bakeries located in the Niles area - trying to make a "one-day-hit 'em-all" grocery shopping day inclusive of H-Mart and Costco in Niles. I've got a Japanese + Korean + Meijer + Costco combo in Schaumburg/Arlington Heights and would love to add a Persian grocer around that area as well. I've added the Indo-Pak grocers mentioned in the other thread for my Oakbrook "one-day-hit'em-all." TIA.

I don't know if they're specifically Persian, but there are two middle-eastern grocers on the east side of Milwaukee between Dempster and Golf. Zander Import Groceries is just north of Dempster, and isn't too impressive -- Arax (below) used to be here, and moved into bigger digs. They do have more bulk items than Arax, though, IIRC.
8811 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL
(847) 663-1960

Arax Foods is just north of Ballard, and I go in there regularly.
Their deli case has some good cheeses in it (halloumi, feta, etc.), plus additional in the fridges in the back. They have a large array of good fresh breads, flat and otherwise, and some very good pre-prepared items in the freezer case. Pistachios and Almonds are refrigerated -- you won't find them on the shelves.
9017 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL
(847) 966-1808

Just to add to your variety, there are two Philipino grocers in the same neighborhood. One is directly across from Zander and has a deli in the back where they serve hot and cold food. I wrote about their banana eggrolls some time ago. The other is on Dempster a few blocks east on the south side of the road, in a building that was HQ for Abt electronics over a decade ago.

Further north, there are two Korean grocers on either side of Milwaukee just north of Golf, but H-Mart puts them to shame. The produce mart (Garden Fresh?) on the NE corner of Golf and Milwaukee (set back a ways and to the left of Walmart) has lots of interesting international stuff, including asian, Russian (herring from a barrel), hispanic, etc.

JoelF - thanks for the input; Will definitely check 'em out. Funny coincidence - I've been listening to Cake recently myself (re: your signature signoff)

Anyhow, there's this Filipino restaurant somewhat close, nortwest of H-mart that I'd been meaning to try called Filipiniana (profiled once on Sumutoko) - they've got a weekend buffet for ~$12.95 I think. In addition to the "hit-'em-all" grocery shopping, I like to incorporate a lunch/dinner spot as well and Himalayan mentioned on LTH is a great addition to the H-Mart trek. My Oakbrook trek often includes Katy's or Reza's. The Schaumburg / Arlington Heights trips are of course always Japanese.

Since I live in Hyde Park the return trip from all these treks can always include a stop at Chinatown. Suffice it to say, my fridge and freezer is always packed completely full after each weekly trip.

JoelF wrote:Further north, there are two Korean grocers on either side of Milwaukee just north of Golf, but H-Mart puts them to shame. The produce mart (Garden Fresh?) on the NE corner of Golf and Milwaukee (set back a ways and to the left of Walmart) has lots of interesting international stuff, including asian, Russian (herring from a barrel), hispanic, etc.

That would be Farmer's Best. It is one of my favorite stores. It has a great Russian deli and also carries Eastern European, middle-eastern and Asian items. The fish is pretty good there also. If you have a big freezer, the last time I was there they had whole salmons for under $3/lb. I talked some fellow shopper into splitting one with me. Be sure to check out the "Seoul Department" next door for bamboo mats, weird Korean appliances, doo-dads and gee-gaws. As JoelF said, H-Mart beats the nearby Hana Super hands down, although they seem to have good panchan. Warning: stay away from the World Buffet no matter how tempting it looks.

Another great International Market is just west on Golf behind the Omega restaurant. Sun View market has the best selection of goods from ethnic bakeries I have seen. They also have good produce, cheap meat (including goat) and a well stocked international dairy section. They carry 7-8 different feta cheeses. In the same shopping center is a Filipino market and restaurant. between the two International markets on the north side of Golf is the Greenwood Market, which carries one of the best selections of Russian products in town. When I am on a "hit em all" trip to Niles, I also sometimes stop at Captain Alex's seafood on Milwaukee across from Zandar's. I usually end up at the huge Binny's Liquors on Milwaukee north of Dempster. Then I head east on Dempster to Burt's for dinner. If you are in the market for Greek olive oil, Produce World at Dempster and Waukegan has a terrific selection of Kalamata olive oil in 3 liter cans, olives, pickled peppers, Retsina, Ouzo and other Greek specialties, as well as some Armenian stuff. Despite the name, the produce is not as good as either Farmer's Best or Sun View.

Farmers Best Produce
8526 W Golf Rd
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 965-0260

Greenwood Market
8716 W Golf Rd
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 803-0013

Sun View Market
9020 W Golf Rd
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 298-3355

Binny's Beverage Depot
8935 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 966-2300

Captain Alex Seafood
8874 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 803-8833

Hana Super Market
8526 W Golf Rd
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 470-4415

Produce World Deli & More
8800 Waukegan Rd
Morton Grove, IL 60053
(847) 581-1029

How is Capt Alex's Seafood? - I was intrigued when I went on my first foray to Himalayan coming N from H-Mart. Selection different from H-Mart? Prices better?

The $3/lb whole frzn salmon - were they Alaskan? If Alaskan - what type? Coho, Sockeye, Pink?

Always looking for good panchan - I don't really like the stuff at H-Mart nor Chicago Foods (anymore). Thanks for the tip.

IIRC there seemed to be two Persian restaurants on the road N from H-Mart to Himalayan - One I remember was named Sphinx, another had a ad stating hookah pipes and live entertainment - any info on those places?

What kinda food is Burt's?

Thanks for the tips.

Sphinx is egyptian, not persian. I've only been once, many years ago, but it was pretty good. Very good falafel. Very odd decor - blacklights and UV paint abound, and it turns into a nightclub in the evenings.

Jay K wrote:What kinda food is Burt's?

Pizza, Great Neighborhood Award winning pizza.

Burt's

Jay K wrote:IIRC there seemed to be two Persian restaurants on the road N from H-Mart to Himalayan - One I remember was named Sphinx, another had a ad stating hookah pipes and live entertainment - any info on those places?

I haven't been to Sphinx, only its previous incarnations as Old Jerusalem and Open Sesame... it just stopped being convenient and I should give it another try.

There was also Pita Town at Milwaukee and Ballard, but it's been gone for over a year, it's now Burrito Town or some such nonsense. There's still Pita Inn north of Golf on Milwaukee (my favorite falafel, but not my favorite kefta -- need a good kefta place out here).

I think the Filipiniana restaurant you mentioned is the same one d4v3 mentioned. The same strip has, in addition to Sun View (which always frustrates me when I shop because their canned goods selection is terrible meaning I need a second stop for simple things like diced tomatoes when out of season), there's at least one Indian market (where I buy frozen paneer and very cheap spices), a decent Chinese restaurant (Twin Dragon, although I haven't been there for years), and Omega, which has been written about elsewhere here.

Jay K wrote:How is Capt Alex's Seafood? - I was intrigued when I went on my first foray to Himalayan coming N from H-Mart. Selection different from H-Mart? Prices better?

Capt. Alex is a small seafood market whose fish isn't always "just off the boat", if you know what I mean. They alse serve seafood fried to order. The one redeeming quality of Capt. Alex is that they always have whole Greek oregano flowers, allegedly picked on the slopes of Mt. Olympus, which is sold in cellophane bags. I use the oregano often for Greek dishes.

Jay K wrote:How is Capt Alex's Seafood? - I was intrigued when I went on my first foray to Himalayan coming N from H-Mart. Selection different from H-Mart? Prices better?

The $3/lb whole frzn salmon - were they Alaskan? If Alaskan - what type? Coho, Sockeye, Pink?

Always looking for good panchan - I don't really like the stuff at H-Mart nor Chicago Foods (anymore). Thanks for the tip.

At <$3/lb, I am sure the salmon at Farmer's Best was farm raised Atlantic Salmon (maybe Chilean). The fish was fresh, not frozen. My comment about the freezer was because they only sold them whole and each one was over 10lbs. One nice thing about the fish was it wasn't dyed pink like the Atlantic Salmon you get at Jewel or Dominicks.

I must warn you, I am not an expert on panchan (or Korean food in general). My comment that Hana Super "seems" like it has good panchan was based on the assessment of a friend who is more of an authority on the subject (he preferred it to Chicago Food). However, I believe that was pre-H mart. I don't know how H-mart has affected the business of the smaller Korean markets nearby. If you go to Hana Super, I would be very interested in what you think. I wish I knew more about Korean food.

As SteveZ pointed out, Capt. Alex is a little Greek store, which is more remarkable for its quirkiness than its fish (but I like the name). It is not worth a trip on its own, but if you are "hitting them all", it is worth a look-see, even if it is low down on my list of Niles stores. The only reason I mentioned it was because it is on that stretch of Milwaukee (Truthfully, it has probably been a year since I felt compelled to stop there). The place reminds me of when "My Place For ?" used to have a store on Clark St. and Howard across from the restaurant, where they sold fried fish and some fresh and frozen fish, as well as Greek food items. The selection is pretty limited, and it cannot be compared to H mart. Funny that SteveZ should mention the Greek Oregano. I actually bought some of that stuff. I found it to be more strongly flavored and aromatic than its Italian cousin. The flavor is different also (almost minty). I think it is essential to use Greek Oregano in Greek dishes.

I am actually heading out to Farmer's Best and Greenwood Market in Niles today, to get some Russian stuff for my aunt. I will poke my head into both Hana Super and Capt Alex and report back. Actually, I could use some more Greek Oregano (although I think they sell it at Sun View market as well).

I share some of the frustration that JoelF expressed with Sun View Market. It has a great selection of ethnic produce, baked goods, Greek and Balkan cheeses and other dairy products. The produce is usually fresh and well priced (eggplants were .38/lb the last time I was there). However, Sun View does sometimes comes up short on the staples. Also, the inventory is constantly changing, so something that is available there one week, will not be there the next. Farmer's best, on the other hand, is much better for things like canned tomatoes. I will usually hit both stores with a stop at Greenwood Market, in between.

d4v3 wrote:I must warn you, I am not an expert on panchan (or Korean food in general). My comment that Hana Super "seems" like it has good panchan was based on the assessment of a friend who is more of an authority on the subject (he preferred it to Chicago Food). However, I believe that was pre-H mart. I don't know how H-mart has affected the business of the smaller Korean markets nearby. If you go to Hana Super, I would be very interested in what you think. I wish I knew more about Korean food.

The panchan deli at Super H baffles me a bit: it's full of all sorts of things they never serve me (thankfully!) at Korean restoraunts, like seasoned squid guts, and a lot of other fishy bits. What I'd like is to be able to get 1/4 lb of spicy radish strips, 1/2 lb of kimchee (sorry, that gallon container is what we call 'round here a 'lifetime supply' -- actually, they do have some pint jars of commercial stuff), and so on. Hana Super is really quite nice for this. Asia Supermarket across the street used to have a big 'salad bar' for this too, but I think they must have rearranged things (I just popped in there the other day when I was looking for szechuan peppercorns) cuz there's a new refrigerator case where that was.

JoelF wrote:The panchan deli at Super H baffles me a bit: it's full of all sorts of things they never serve me (thankfully!) at Korean restoraunts, like seasoned squid guts, and a lot of other fishy bits. What I'd like is to be able to get 1/4 lb of spicy radish strips, 1/2 lb of kimchee (sorry, that gallon container is what we call 'round here a 'lifetime supply' -- actually, they do have some pint jars of commercial stuff), and so on.

Exactly my sentiments when I first visited H-Mart re: panchan. The stuff they serve you at the restaurants is typically stuff they'd make at home. Most Korean households would not purchase that type of pan-chan at H-mart. It's the "weirder/harder to make/pain in the ass to have a vat of" stuff that they sell at H-mart. No self-respecting Korean grandma/mom would pre-purchase any of the "typical" stuff, leaving some of us in the lurch - glad to hear Hana offers it. I know H-Mart does sell this pan-chan assortment of 4-5 different things for $4.99 - usu soybean sprouts, squash, radish + the brown stem stuff whose name escapes me at the moment.

Hi,

The grocery next to Larsa's is Iranian (Persian). How good it is, I don't know.

Regards,

JoelF wrote:Arax Foods is just north of Ballard, and I go in there regularly.
Their deli case has some good cheeses in it (halloumi, feta, etc.), plus additional in the fridges in the back. They have a large array of good fresh breads, flat and otherwise, and some very good pre-prepared items in the freezer case. Pistachios and Almonds are refrigerated -- you won't find them on the shelves.
9017 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL
(847) 966-1808

Hadn't been to Arax in quite awhile and saw a post by GWiv talking about labneh. My work lunch club was kicking off and I was preparing a Middle Eastern spread so stopped by yesterday. Labneh was out of sight, pistachios were delicious (in the fridge) , Acacia honey stellar.

Didn't have time to investigate all there is but will make an effort to go back when I have more time.