I was in this weekend and picked up some burrata, a terrific sheeps milk blue cheese, pancetta from Butcher and Larder, a spicy prosciutto that I managed to eat most of within an hour of arriving home, and a foccacia roll made by Crumb (I think that's the name) with Graziano's gardiniera and cheese baked in (that didn't even last the trip home--not even close). Jim says they will be getting burrata in most Thursdays over the summer.

thaiobsessed wrote:I was in this weekend and picked up some burrata, a terrific sheeps milk blue cheese, pancetta from Butcher and Larder, a spicy prosciutto that I managed to eat most of within an hour of arriving home, and a foccacia roll made by Crumb (I think that's the name) with Graziano's gardiniera and cheese baked in (that didn't even last the trip home--not even close). Jim says they will be getting burrata in most Thursdays over the summer.

Do you recall the price on the burrata? My girlfriend seems to be addicted to it, so a reasonable source would be nice.

jblth wrote:Do you recall the price on the burrata? My girlfriend seems to be addicted to it, so a reasonable source would be nice.

I didn't really pay attention this trip, but I feel like the last time I got it is was in the neighborhood of $14 (you may want to call to confirm--price and availability). It's really great stuff. It blows Trader Joe's burrata out of the water (I'm a fan of TJ for many things but not burrata).

Stopped in today and the ever charming Jimmy had from left to right guanciale, cotecchino and mortadella from Butcher & Larder in the cooler, plus an amazing finochetta from Biellese in New Jersey.



Jimmy said Biellese is a small sausage maker who make the finochetta by hand. The mortadella from B & L is really ethereal, much lighter the what I'm used to, but with a wonderful porky flavor, I came away with some plus the finochetta.

Jimmy also asked me to pass along that they'll be closed for vacation starting July 21, and will reopen on August 1.

A caprese-style salad using the incredible burrata we picked up at Graziano's on Friday (along with some phenomenal tomatoes and basil from our home garden) made us look like superstars at our friends' house last night. The creamy, salty-sweet burrata drew uniform raves from just about everyone in attendance. The salad was made even better via the intense and peppery 2010-harvest Cosimo's Farm olive oil we drizzled atop it -- a previous Graziano's purchase. Once again, the simple act of shopping at Graziano's made us seem like much better cooks than we really are. And seeing how pleased our friends were took most of the sting out of sharing that awesome burrata, which my instincts made me want to hoard.

=R=

The burrata is still coming in on Thursdays and is definitely a splurge ($13.50 if I'm not mistaken) but excellent. It's from Gioiella in Puglia:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/04/maki ... italy.html

I make it a point to try to hit up Graziano's late Thur or early Fri.

With all due respect, there ain't no slaw(house made, delicious or otherwise) on a Will Special. I may need to stop by and have a word with Mr. Graziano.

To me, that's like putting bacon on a reuben. It may be damned tasty. But, it ain't a reuben.

Where did you see slaw involved?

I've had the sandwich 3 or 4 times and never received anything other than the standard topping of giardiniera.

When you ask Jim to make you a Will Special, he says "is it OK if I make it my way?" which includes the shredded lettuce, etc. You can get a true Riv-style one if you ask, though.

DClose wrote:Where did you see slaw involved?

I've had the sandwich 3 or 4 times and never received anything other than the standard topping of giardiniera.

Someone mentioned it upthread.

Ah, must have missed it.

Every time I've gone, all I said was "Will Special" and I get the exact same thing every time. As far as my experience goes, the only changes Jim has made are what he sees as a more "proportionate" distribution of meats, and some basil (if that isn't standard Riviera, not sure).

Glad I've never seen lettuce or anything else on any of mine...just wouldn't be right.

DClose wrote:Every time I've gone, all I said was "Will Special" and I get the exact same thing every time. As far as my experience goes, the only changes Jim has made are what he sees as a more "proportionate" distribution of meats, and some basil (if that isn't standard Riviera, not sure).

Gleam has got it - you might not have had Jim himself on the line, or he may have been too busy to want to share his version with you (check this out). Basil is not standard at Da Riv. Being charged $3.50 and feeling like you're getting away with murder is.

Correction: getting charged $4 and feeling like you got away with murder. A hell of a sandwich, at both places.

While I was picking up some great cheeses yesterday -- including the awesome Fiore Di Sardegna, which should not be missed -- Jim informed me that he has plans to expand the shop early next year, probably sometime in February. Tentative plans are to blow out the west wall, add a bunch of interior seating and double the current sandwich-making capacity. This will be great for the lunch crowd in the colder months when the outdoor seating won't be available.

In this day and age, it's comforting to see a distinctive, high-qualilty, old school place continue to grow under such passionate stewardship. It's rare to encounter someone who is so enthusiastic and dedicated to what he does as Jim is. This places continues to be rare gem.

=R=

Just stopped by to say that their new gelato is outstanding, some of the best I've ever had. It's a partnership with Pastry Chef Ben Roche from Baume & Brix. Their piadina sandwich, which is made with a thin bread (reminds me of tunnbrod from Sweden), is also pretty good. You can tell the olive oil on it is very high quality because it tastes so good.

The piadina now has West Loop salumi...I think it's finocchio, but it's damn good whatever it is. The olive oil and risotto gelatos have knocked Jeni's from the top spots of my iced desserts list.

I tried three different flavors of the gelato at Graziano's - hazelnut, amarena cherry and lemon-rosemary. My favorite was easily the hazelnut. The hazelnut flavor was really intense, just how I like it, and I really loved the smooth, creamy texture. I also liked the lemon-rosemary, though I wish the lemon flavor was dialed up a notch, and the rosemary down a notch. I just find that a little rosemary goes a long way, and here the rosemary kind of punched you just a little too hard in the gut. The amarena cherry was my least favorite. I thought the texture was again perfect, but the cherry flavor was really subdued and there are no actual cherries in the gelato. I actually prefer the amarena cherry gelato at Paciugo for this reason.

I had the roasted pistachio last week--incredible stuff!!!

Pistachio and blood orange gelato at Graziano's! Be still my ever so slightly enlarged beating heart!

Recently, I also tried the Nellcote pasta (rigatoni specifically) being sold at Graziano and I was very disappointed. The pieces are so irregularly sized that there's just no way to cook them evenly. Many pieces did not hold up during cooking - holes formed, pieces tore, some had been squished together during the drying process, just a disaster really. On the plus side (the only plus), the flavor was excellent, but I think whoever at Nellcote was extruding, cutting and caring for the rigatoni was drunk when he/she did it. Consider yourself warned, especially since Graziano sells the outstanding Poschiavo pastas.

I stopped by for lunch today and the sandwich and cannoli were excellent as always. I was surprised by how sparse the grocery section was, though. Looking up thread, I see the shelves are typically stocked pretty full. Any idea what's going on? I was hoping to pick up some canned sardines or anchovies, but they had nothing like that today.

turkob wrote:I stopped by for lunch today and the sandwich and cannoli were excellent as always. I was surprised by how sparse the grocery section was, though. Looking up thread, I see the shelves are typically stocked pretty full. Any idea what's going on? I was hoping to pick up some canned sardines or anchovies, but they had nothing like that today.

Jim Graziano told me a while back that he's been steadily re-casting the shop mainly as a sandwich shop and focusing less on the grocery side. It sounds like this transformation is continuing to take form.

=R=

Funny, I had the same talk with Jim a few weeks back. Went in thinking I'd get some beans and white anchovies with my sandwiches. He said that client base left and isn't coming back much these days. I hate to see old school suppliers disappear, but I'm happy for those who can bridge the transformation the 'hood is making. When the hotels and Food Network destinations eliminate the last of the cutlery shops, supply stores, meat packers and body shops, I'll be really sad -- but Peoria and Grant Park Packing were going strong like any other week heading into the 4th this week and Isaacson & Stein is absolutely looking and smelling (!) better than ever, benefitting from the boom. Manhattan's meatpacking district is now firmly an intolerable douche fest (a term I don't use much); the transformation feels a bit better here, but only time will tell. Obviously a lot to like among the new tenants.

Is this the Eataly effect in action? I did not stop by often, but I always thought of them when I had the need for some little salty fishes, white anchovies in particular.

I went to Eataly yesterday as well. They only had one gigantic tin of sardines and their selection of anchovies was very limited. Over time I've noticed Eataly's focus shifting away from ingredients towards more ready-to-eat foods, particularly those you can eat while at the store itself.

Found the podcast episode below via Curbed Chicago. Includes interviews with Jim Graziano and Quality Food Products' Jim Aralis.

The Distance: https://soundcloud.com/the-distance-podcast/7-wholesale-changes

Chicago's Fulton Market district is the city's last remaining food market, a hub for meatpackers and wholesalers of agricultural products. But a wave of new development, including high-end restaurants and luxury condos, is transforming Fulton Market and prompting many long-time business owners to question whether the neighborhood can continue to sustain their livelihoods. We talk to two Fulton Market businesses about how they're navigating this transition.

Sorry, my post above was not clear. I previously bought anchovies and sardines from Graziano's. The last time I needed white anchovies, I happened to be near Eataly so I bought them there (they had house-marinated anchovies which were good that you could buy by weight). I liked the anchovies I got from both places.

Incidentally, I visited Wixter Market a couple of weeks ago and they have some supposedly "high quality" (as indicated by pricing) tinned Spanish seafood including anchovies, sardines, squid, octopus, and cockles.

Is Graziano's still selling salt cod? Haven't been here in some time, and am in need of a good amount for brandade. Thanks.

rtb178 wrote:Is Graziano's still selling salt cod? Haven't been here in some time, and am in need of a good amount for brandade. Thanks.

I doubt they'll have it but you can always call

fwiw I buy salt cod at Market Place on Oakton where it's always available

Elea Mediterranean Food Market on Halsted, which is fairly close to Graziano's, typically has salt cod. I'd call first to double check.

Elea Mediterranean Food Market
309 S. Halsted street
Chicago Illinois, 60661
http://www.eleafoodmarket.com/
Tel. 312.207.1655
Fax. 312.207.1688