Steve N wrote:Koenemann's in Volo also closed in 2017 or 2018.
Sad.

I have seen Koenemann's products at Shop and Save.

A few months ago, I visited Bende's in Vernon Hills. I saw the woman who used to work the counter at Koenemann's. She was her usual brisk behavior, though I learned Bende now makes Koenemann's products. The blood sausage and liver sausage tasted normal. None sold in natural casings with stitches on the side, it was all tubes.

I bought the salze hoping for a nice vinegar punch, but it was not as recall. It is sold in a tube and not shaped like a loaf. I thought it was gelled too stiffly and not enough vinegar punch.

Most German sausages my family buys now come from Usinger's.

Where do you source your German sausages?

Regards,
Cathy2

Steve N asked:

Are there any recent observations / comments on Gene's relative to the German faire ??

Main thread on Gene's Lincoln Square has last post in 2019.

I live in Lincoln Square and stop in every now and then. Definitely the best place within walking distance for fresh Polish sausage. German food is less than when I wrote post 14 in that thread in 2009.

I was in the new Gene's late Monday afternoon. Anyone looking for a worthy replacement for Delicatessen Mayer pre-Hans will be sorely disappointed. The selection of German goods was about where it was when Hans had the business about 3/4 of the way down the drain. German sausage selection was minimal. The German wine selection is token.

Thanks to both Cathy2 and ekreider,

I saw your story before, Cathy, and heard about the same regarding Gene's.

I live out past Volo and tried to get the full story about Koenemann's but haven't been able to. It is quite certain that the Ukrainian group couldn't pull it off, but i haven't been able to dig out any more info. I sent the Koenemann son a message on FaceBook, but no response.
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As I understand it, Bende actually bought the Koenemann recipes. I still haven't made it to Bende's. I know there will l be some disappointment, so haven't made a big push...
We got a couple of the German food boxes and my son may continue with a few more, but it is a big variety and wife gets disappointed there's little she likes, but she and the grandjds seem to get some pleasure from it.
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My mother-in-law was the real German, Bavarian, and had such a German aura about her. That is also what I miss with all the German friends and gatherings. My wife was born there, but seems to have more easily accepted the loss of the German shops and restaurants.
A couple years ago she looked for the Panni Bavarian potato dumpling mix, her mon and she used, but I found out that Unilever discontinued it and there is a Knorr Halb-und-Halb version that is similar, but wife didn't seem excited to try it; although she does show some interest in the small German shelf in Jewel occasionally.

We still do all the Christmas deco, so that will bring back another nostalgia wave in a few months. I guess I'm the old softy...
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She has been getting sausage from, I think it's Whole Foods. The sausage has been fine for us.
Her past favorite butcher shop in Crystal Lake seems to have degraded with service.
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Woodstock has a twice-weekly Farmer's Market on the square and there's some pretty good meats & things there from locals... and that even feels a bit 'old-world-ish'
So adaptation is the new order.
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Time marches on and we find new things to focus on...
Thanks.
Regards, Steve

Probably a little too far for you, but the Wurst Kitchen in Aurora has good sausage.
http://www.wurstkitchen.com/

Hi,

My German grandparents migrated to the USA in the 1920s. My Grandfather's business is still located on Lincoln Ave, with several buildings between Berteau and Montrose.

My Oma bought most of her food at Jewel, Meyer's. Kuhn's and Treasure Island. The lilt in her voice when she mentioned Treasure Island was such, you knew she really liked it.

You have to hunt and peck to find German food:
- Aldi has a number of German products. At least twice a year, they have special German foods. There are always German products present from sauerkraut, muesli, those slim breads filled with seeds, and sausages.
- Woodman's has a wide variety of sausages in their coolers, which may or may not meet your expectations. They have an international aisle with goods devoted to various countries. I have to admit I never looked for German products.
- Shop and Save I visit more often is on Archer near Midway Airport. While it slants toward Polish products, it may have foodstuffs you wish. German food is regional and Poland abutts to GErmany, so there are some shared foods. They also have a bakery making a lot of European style breads. There are a lot of Knorr, Maggi and new-to-me type mixes there.

My Grandfather was from the north, so he was a potato eater. My Oma was from the south, so dumplings were her favored foods. There are Czech foods, which were well known to her as a regional speciality.

What I have not found yet a replacement for: Bruno's sour rye bread. I know Delightful Pastries on Lawrence use a rye sourdough for their breads. As I am writing this, I am thinking of sources.

On facebook, there are several German food discussion groups I follow. People are missing foods with people there to either help find a source or give them a recipe. Since German food is so regional, it is nice to see a broad audience where if one does not know, someone else will. If you are an American with a vague idea of what it was called, I have seen people figure it out for them. Now that is almost a miracle in my book.

I also follow Croatian, Czech and other food groups. Especially during stay-at-home period, it was inspiration for trying food I missed and could not go to a restaurant.

Over the weekend, we had a guest who was gluten free. I made spaetzle for everyone else. I made German potato dumplings for him from scratch. I skipped the fried bread crouton in the middle, of course, but they were a food first-of.

Please report back when you find something you like.

Regards,
CAthy2

PS - I think it is necessary to head to Wisconsin for German culture at this point. I have learned some new stuff from German food culture classes at DankHaus on Lawrence.

I am of German heritage and lived in Germany for several years courtesy of Uncle Sam and the USAF. My vet friends and I think Stiglmeier Sausage has a line of excellent German sausage as well as other treats, including European style rye breads.

https://www.stiglmeier.com/

Thanks, Cath...
Haven't made it into the city in ages.
What is your g-father's business?
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Yea, Wisconsin. New Glarus is one of our favorites, even though it is Swiss, it's a comfortable favorite. The drive in is wonderful to see again and again. Comfort food for the eyes.
Eat in the hotel, then the bakery and candy shop and garden center & whops...
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Lake Geneva is just a hop over the border for us, too and some old favorite places there and walk down the street, but oldies go out of business all over.
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Several years ago now, Fritzl's in Lake Zurich had Rouladen very much like Oma (Wife's mom) made. I think the server said it was a Swiss chef. Everything has gone to the game machines...
I actually got Oma to tell me her recipe and I wrote it, but never tried to read it and try...
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We never made it to the Munich Inn (now Munich Tavern) down in Wheeling either and the owner, Hans M. passed and still haven't gone, but they went to the game machines too. Drove by the cute building so many times when visiting my folks in Niles...
I think we're pretty focused on some specific foods cuz other thing just don't feel the same.
I think Bende's seems to show the familiar candy brands on the web site and an occasional other recognizable thing. As I said wife seems cool on some of the stuff that isn't familiar to her; except maybe the candy.
I get these nostalgic waves, but must also be real...things change and the grandkids are a real thing to look forward to.

I can't see your post when writing, so I'll post this and take a peek to see it I want to comment more...

Yes, there is a lot of 'cross-over' in foods, 'tween countries.
I'm 100% Polish-American-born, but we lived next to her mom in early marriage, so I got used to all that culture and activity. As the generation continue and the elders die away, it's easy to drift away from that.
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It's a hook and comfort to the past you long for.
The two German food box services I linked above are pretty good for an occasional surprise.
Well, Regards to all...

Hi,

Ms. Ingie posted on facebook about Aldi's Germany week begins on September 22, 2021. Here is an article on what you may find.

I am especially fond of the gherkins. This time around I will make a cucumber salad flavored with the pickling juice.

Regards,
Cathy2

PS: More about German week!

That's a 2018 article, but but bears looking into.

Here's her latest, a recipe:
Oma’s recipe for Schoko-Nusskuchen
https://germangirlinamerica.com/

OH! you have the Aldi link. Didn't see that at first... https://www.mashed.com/589481/aldi-fans ... -products/

Thanks, Steve

I'll post this here just in case. It was originally triggered by Koenemann's.
.. .. ..
Hi folks,
I finally managed to stop by Bende's in Vernon Hills mid week-day. I didn't have much time and I really need to get my wife there so she can see what she'd like.
It is about the size Koenemann's *was* n Volo and the shelves are jam-packed, though only one other shopper, so I had the run of the place. From the web site you get the idea it is a huge store.

It was nice to be in a place like that and I chatted with one of the women who said she worked for Koenemann's. I didn't recognize her. When I asked about the Koenemann's recipe meats, there weren't any fresh just then and she remarked, with somewhat of a shrug, that the recipes are changed some. We just had to agree that things change.
http://www.bende.com

Last fall we also went to Lake Geneva Country Meats up on highway 50 east of Lake Geneva on a Saturday. It was big and jammed and with so many things.
lakegenevacountrymeats.com

Two miles east of there is River Valley Ranch. It was also fairly Saturday-busy and we went for mushroom mulch bags. Though it is rather small, it was nice to browse around and pick up some things. They have just about anything you can imagine 'mushroom'!
I just saw on their web site that they had a Chicago, Ravenswood store that just closed Dec 31 2022, but they will be at farmers markets. Sigh
(:-(
rvrvalley.com/

I posted related things like this for others, on the Koenemann's Face Book page, including info for the German food mail order / subscription package services I'd found.
We're slowly coming to terms with change.
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Best Regards to all.

. . . . Feb 2023 . . . .
In case anyone is watching here, I finally made it to Bende's in Vernon Hills, IL - Up North of Buffalo Grove and Lincolnshire.
Off Milwaukee Ave. - Rt. 21 to the west a block or two
925 Corporate Woods Pkwy, Vernon Hills, IL 60061
+1 (847) 913-0304

https://www.bende.com/m/products.php

As of Feb 2023 their shelves are full.

They bought Koenemann's meat name and recipes, but the gal there who also had worked at Konemann's said they have change somewhat.
Regards, Steve

Kinda quiet around here. . .Sept 29 2024
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Aldi German week a couple of days left.
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Koenemann's in Volo Illinois:
I'm sure most know, but the building is open again. Volo Quality Meats. Two Italian guys from Chicago. They added seating. Lots of stuff. Pretty busy at times.
I know it's not the same, but nice just the same.
Time moves on. . .
Regards to all reading.