I had always wanted to visit the French Market, but friends had talked me out of it, saying it wasn't much to speak about. And I just don't spend that much time in the Loop - maybe once a week at the federal courthouse, but only for a short time in the morning. But I kept looking at the list of vendors and wondering what there would not be to like. Well, maybe my friends were wrong, or maybe the market has come a long way since it first opened, but I was extremely impressed with my first visit today. It reminded me a lot of Reading Market in Philadelphia, except that I'd say that the cooked food offerings at the French Market exceed what you can find at Reading Market. I went with a friend and we were both very impressed with the choice of food, which included many Chicago favorites:
Fumare Meats (Montreal smoked meat and more)
Lillie's Q
Pastoral
Flip Crepes
Frietkoten Belgian Fries (burgers & beer too)
Saigon Sisters (banh mi)
Wisma (from John des Rosiers - Inovasi)
Klay Oven Kitchen
. . . there was sushi, a Korean-ish place Bowl Square, a raw food spot, and more.
There were also several places for dessert, including:
Vanille
Delightful Pastries
Beavers Donuts,
and more, including a place to get gelato and the aforementioned crepe spot.
I can't imagine someone going here and not being able to find something they like. This would also be a very handy spot for someone taking the train to the burbs and wanting to pick up some meat, fish and/or vegetables to cook for dinner. In this respect, I was particularly surprised to see fresh frogs legs.
I was surprised to find it quite crowded today, a Saturday. By the time I left (shortly after 1pm), all of the tables were filled. Today we sampled items from Fumare, Frietkoten, Flip Crepes and Vanille. I'm looking forward to returning and trying out more of the offerings. And I just read that Little Goat Bread expects to be opening a stall in May.
This place really seems to merit a lot more praise and a lot more attention than it seems to be getting. But maybe others can address why they're not impressed, or whether the French Market has just improved that much since opening.