Has anyone hit the Wisconsin Cheese Mart booth there yet? An old high school buddy of mine works for them (normally in Milwaukee), and has been in charge of getting the booth up and running. Last I talked to him, he was having a hell of a time.

Eva Luna wrote:Has anyone hit the Wisconsin Cheese Mart booth there yet? An old high school buddy of mine works for them (normally in Milwaukee), and has been in charge of getting the booth up and running. Last I talked to him, he was having a hell of a time.

One kind of turn-off feature of the Wisconsin Cheese Mart is that most if not all the cheese is precut and sealed -- at least that's the way it was as of last Friday. I walked by and saw a bunch of cryovac packs, nothing fresh, but it's quite possible this may have changed over the past week. I hope it has.

Pastoral, on the other hand, is doing basically all fresh-cut (though my understanding is that they plan to precut/seal some cheeses for quick grab-n-go...but if you want it fresh cut, it's my understanding that they'll do that for you).

David Hammond wrote:

Eva Luna wrote:Has anyone hit the Wisconsin Cheese Mart booth there yet? An old high school buddy of mine works for them (normally in Milwaukee), and has been in charge of getting the booth up and running. Last I talked to him, he was having a hell of a time.

One kind of turn-off feature of the Wisconsin Cheese Mart is that most if not all the cheese is precut and sealed -- at least that's the way it was as of last Friday. I walked by and saw a bunch of cryovac packs, nothing fresh, but it's quite possible this may have changed over the past week. I hope it has.

Pastoral, on the other hand, is doing basically all fresh-cut (though my understanding is that they plan to precut/seal some cheeses for quick grab-n-go...but if you want it fresh cut, it's my understanding that they'll do that for you).

In my one visit to the market, I found that Wisconsin Cheese Mart had an entire uncut wheel of cheese from Wisconsin's Capri Farm. I had to have some, and it was indeed outstanding. Capri sells weekly at the Dane County Market, and this was the first time I have ever seen their stuff for sale in Chicago. Wisconsin Cheese Mart was also selling Capri's Washed Bear, which is a real in-your-face near limburger kinda cheese. I'm sorry, I had the name of the other Capri cheese, but have since lost it. Just ask them for what they have from Capri.

I also would not be put off by the cheeses in plastic wrap. To me, the Holland Family Farms "Marieke" raw milk goudas is one of the single best cheeses available in the USA. It's a real bargain as well. Get it.

And speaking of limburger, Wisconsin Cheese Mart has yet to bring any across state lines, but they were selling the washed rind Brick (a/k/a foil wrapped brick) from Chalet Cheese Coop, perhaps a gateway drug for limburger.

When I talked with them, they seemed very unsure of their exact market niche. Honestly, this is a place most known for selling cheeses shaped like footballs and port flavored tubs of cheese spread. At least that's their image to me. Yet, they know that some of the finest cheeses in the world come from Wisconsin. They can get 'em. For instance, they wondered if anyone would buy BleuMont Dairy cheeses, which would retail at over $30/lb. Would you?

I see potential in this spot.

Vital Information wrote:I also would not be put off by the cheeses in plastic wrap.

"You are strangling the baby." Leslie Cooperband

That said, we buy cryo'd cheese all the time.

Stopped by the French Market twice on Friday. First for lunch, had the Pork belly bahn me, which was as good as the ones I've had on Argyle. I also stopped by after work and pikced up a campagne sandwich (country pate, cornichons, stone ground mustard, cheese) from Pastoral to eat on the train to the Flaming Lips show. I will definitely be back to buy bread before taking the UP North train home to Rogers Park. I can't see myself buying any fresh meat or seafood, however. The CVS is also a great addition, since they offer giant bottles of Stella and cans of Heineken for just $3, more than half what they charge at the bars upstairs at Ogilvie.

The friets/frites/fries have arrived:

They have a website at frenchmarketchicago.com

The friets/frites/fries have arrived:

Try'em, they're good.

Rene G wrote:

The friets/frites/fries have arrived:

Try'em, they're good.

I know where I'm going for lunch!

clogoodie wrote:

I can't remember where I tried the satay peanut sauce + mayo on fries combo but it was definitely interesting in a good way.

As one of the more anticipated stands at the market, Frietkoten got off to a shaky start (through no fault of their own, apparently: I believe equipment deliveries were delayed), and it's my understanding that there will be many more sauces offered when they're in full swing.

My daughter and her friends plan to make a trip from PROP to Chicago for the express purpose of visiting this stand. For you see, they love French fries.

mrbarolo wrote:She said that they will be getting in pho. They will make it themselves in the kitchen of Pho Xe Lua and bring it down. Only a basic chicken and basic beef, not all the various types.

Pho will be introduced at Saigon Sisters this Saturday, January 2. I believe they will offer beef and vegetarian ("Nobody wants chicken," said the owner) and for now only on Saturdays and Mondays. Other days will be added.

Saigon Sisters
Metra Market
Chicago
312-496-0094
http://www.frenchmarketchicago.com/vend ... on_sisters

David Hammond wrote:One kind of turn-off feature of the Wisconsin Cheese Mart is that most if not all the cheese is precut and sealed -- at least that's the way it was as of last Friday. I walked by and saw a bunch of cryovac packs, nothing fresh, but it's quite possible this may have changed over the past week. I hope it has.

Three weeks later and it's still that way (at least partly). They had some 13-year-old Cheddar I was interested in but they only had 2 pound portions and weren't willing or able to cut it. I wasn't that interested.

Wisconsin Cheese Mart
Metra Market
Chicago
312-234-9900
http://www.wisconsincheesemart.com/

The frites are indeed quite good. Though I'd love to see them add a garlic mayo when they introduce more sauces. I got a chuckle as I walked past the Raw stand, which is across the aisle and a stand away from the frites. I think I saw the person staffing the Raw stand digging into a cone of frites. Raw food or frites? Frites or raw food? Hmmm, tough choice.

Browsing the City Fresh Market, I saw that they offered bureks. I didn't try one there, but I have enjoyed the bureks they serve at their main store at Devon and Kedzie. They make the bureks at the main store and deliver them to the French Market site each day, I was told. I don't know how they'll do sitting in a heated case, but for when you have a burek craving in the Loop, I imagine they might be worth a try. I'll plan to try one soon to see how they fare. Pic here:

I was totally disappointed by the French Market. Granted, we were there on a Saturday, but it was tiny and had a very limited variety of shops. While the prepared foods may have been good, it did not really feel like a market, but more of a food court at a mall (with a Mexican and a Chinese restaurant). There were very few French items. The produce stands were small and had very limited variety. The breads, while they may have been artisan, were nothing like the bread in France. Baguettes were heavy and chewy. The cafe was not French, but Italian and the delis were more Central European (German, Hungarian or Polish) than French and had more limited offerings than Gene's, Kuhn's, Bende....

We did like the crepe stand that we ate at, the Belgian Pommes Frites place looked good and I have heard good things about the Vietnamese sandwich shop. Still, I expected something more substantial, like at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Pike Place in Seattle, the French Market in New Orleans or something that was even more genuinely French. With the limited space that they have though, I don't see how this place could become a shopping destination, instead I think it will never be more than a convenience to commuters.

Mr. Svickova: I won't debate what the French Market "should" be, whether it should be more "French," or whether it's as good as something in some other city. My focus is on whether what's there is high quality. Here, I disagree with your assessment of the bread vendor, which is Necessity Baking. While I agree the breads are not "like those in France," a critcism on this basis is most unfair. I have sampled most of what they offer, and the breads are uniformly excellent. I've had: oat and honey, foccacia, whole wheat, and the bread stuffed with chocolate and prune (sprinkled with sea salt). The owners have previously sold only in farmer's markets, and this is their first "brick and mortar" venture. They put out a very high qualify product and I commend people to give them a try.

Jonah

Jonah, I am not saying that the bread is bad. Nor am I saying that any of the vendors are bad. The Italian coffee was quite good. I couldn't try everything. The Chinese and Mexican places may have been good too.

What I am saying is, if I go to a market called the "French Market", I expect at least some of the basics to be represented. French baguettes and French cheese are the minimum. Without those and without a French ambiance, it is no more than a market that happens to be owned by some French speaking people.

Mr. Svickova,

There are no Chinese stands in the French Market, but there is a Vietnamese and a Korean stand.

Have you tried the breads and cheeses from Pastoral?

Mr Svickova wrote:What I am saying is, if I go to a market called the "French Market", I expect at least some of the basics to be represented. French baguettes and French cheese are the minimum. Without those and without a French ambiance, it is no more than a market that happens to be owned by some French speaking people.

French cheese and bread, present: Pastoral.

I think maybe the name is the biggest source of confusion here. Yes, the place is called "French Market". However, if you visit the company's website, you see that this is intended to mean "a market similar to that which you find in France" as opposed to "a market selling French things".

While public markets in France certainly do sell baguettes and Camembert, they also sell hand-dipped candles, Tunisian food, used books & CDs, vegetables, clothespins, bahn mi, and vintage t-shirts. These markets exist to serve the everyday needs of normal French folks who might have a hankering for some kimchi or might need to grab some veggies to take home for dinner, not just the stereotypical beret-wearing, baguette-under-the-arm, Gauloises-smoking, vélo-riding Frenchman.

I apologize. It was Korean, not Chinese.

When I am back there, I will give Pastoral a try. Do they have a good French baguette? It is so hard to get in Chicago. The closest thing to a real baguette I have found, is at Fox and Obel.

I am not opposed to local and non-French stuff being there. I just think there should be more French things than there are if you are to call the market French. Those that want a year round farmer's market are less likely to go and those that are looking for a lot of French stuff will be disappointed.

Mr Svickova wrote:When I am back there, I will give Pastoral a try. Do they have a good French baguette? It is so hard to get in Chicago. The closest thing to a real baguette I have found, is at Fox and Obel.

at least at the store, Pastoral sells baguettes from Bennison's Bakery in Evanston. They're not in Fox & Obel's league, and not particularly good.

As an aside, some of the best baguettes around are at a catering operation/ cafe called Cook Au Vin.

Cook Au Vin
2256 N. Elston Ave
(773) 489-3141

Kennyz wrote:at least at the store, Pastoral sells baguettes from Bennison's Bakery in Evanston. They're not in Fox & Obel's league, and not particularly good.

Interesting comment. Although I'm not much of a Bennison's fan, I find their baugettes (at least the ones I've been served at Prairie Grass) to be excellent; and their cibatta is my go to bread for grilled cheese sandwiches. I like Fox & Obel's as well, but I don't see much of a difference. They are both excellent examples.

stevez wrote:

Kennyz wrote:at least at the store, Pastoral sells baguettes from Bennison's Bakery in Evanston. They're not in Fox & Obel's league, and not particularly good.

Interesting comment. Although I'm not much of a Bennison's fan, I find their baugettes (at least the ones I've been served at Prairie Grass) to be excellent; and their cibatta is my go to bread for grilled cheese sandwiches. I like Fox & Obel's as well, but I don't see much of a difference. They are both excellent examples.

I agree that they're excellent and Jory Downer, Bennison's lead baker, did captain the US team that won the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in 2005, beating teams from all over the world, including France. But like all baguettes, they don't travel or hold up very well. At PGC, they're typically warmed in the oven before being served.

I like F&O's baguettes very much, too.

=R=

Perhaps. My comment was about the several Bennisons baguettes I've had from Pastoral, not about baguettes purchased at the bakery itself. All of the Fox & Obel baguette's I've eaten have been straight from the source.

Kennyz wrote:As an aside, some of the best baguettes around are at a catering operation/ cafe called Cook Au Vin.

Cook Au Vin
2256 N. Elston Ave
(773) 489-3141

Agree with this. I like Fox and Obel's maybe a touch better but these are very good. Cook Au Vin's croissants are perfect. They have a stand at the Logan Square Farmers Market, including the indoor sessions at Congress Theater. At least in the summers they also make make crepes, which I've never tried. Always go for the croissant.

I would second the selection of COOK au VIN for best French bread and croissants around.
FOX and OBEL baguettes are near perfection when they just come out of the oven but lose their freshness and part of the crispiness of their crust after a few hours. Same story with the very good baguettes from RED HEN on Milwaukee Avenue, just north of North avenue: If you buy them in the morning and plan to eat them with your dinner, you better reheat them in a 350 degrees oven for 2 or 3 minutes, otherwise their texture will be a bit chewy. But that would be the same with any baguette in a French town. This is why most French bakeries in Paris bake baguettes twice a day: around 4:00 or 5:00 AM so that people can enjoy fresh bread with their breakfast. And in the afternoon so that they can buy fresh baguettes for dinner on their way home from work. FOX and OBEL, until a recent past, was to the best of my knowledge, the only place in town to bake its baguettes twice a day.
BENNISON's baguettes in Evanston are actually quite good early in the morning when you buy them in the summer at the Evanston Farmer's market. But do not keep them in your pantry until the next morning, you would be quite disappointed.
By the way, if I am not mistaken, I believe that when the American team won the top award in 2005 at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris, Jory Downer's was in charge of the "viennoiserie" bread and pastries contibution, not the baguettes.
the baguettes.

I've been going to the French Market pretty regularly. Here are some comments:

Wisconsin Cheese Market: There are some comments upthread about how the cheese is prewrapped. While they do have a case full of such stuff, they have a full case of very interesting wisconsin cheeses, all in bulk, and cut fresh for you. Yesterday I sampled two of the three Carr Valley cheeses, Menage, which has goat, cow and sheep's milk, and a slightly aged chevre. They were mild but with good depth of flavor. The proprietor was happy to give samples, sell whatever size I wanted. I liked both, but then I like just about all Carr Valley cheeses.

Fumare Meats: I've sampled some of their smoked product, and found it quite good. They make sandwiches, as well. While I haven't yet tried one, I spoke to the proprietor about their bread. They currently use a Red Hen baguette, but have received some comments that it's too hard to chew. Starting next week, they'll have an option of a ciabatta like bread, also from Red Hen. The proprietor seemed excited about this new bread.

Saigon Sisters: I haven't had enough of their Bahn Mi's to comment yet, but I thought it interesting that they told me their bread comes from Nhu Lan.

Pastoral: This place seems to be one of the big hits, with lots of people there every time I'm there, getting both sandwiches and cheese. This, I think, is good, as in my view they make the best sandwiches in the Loop.

Vanille Patisserie: There is another thread devoted to this excellent merchant, but I'll note that yesterday they had a wide variety of macaroons available. My wife, however, is addicted to an item they call Royal, which is a hazelnut, chocolate, caramel concoction.

Necessity Baking: I've commented on them earlier in this thread, but I'll just note again that I think they are a real discovery of the Market, offereing several excellent breads.

Raw: I tried their onion loaf, which is kind of like an oniony pumpernickel. I found it had too much raw onion taste, but if they took out the onion, it would be a pretty good "bread."

The Market has a lot of depth to it. I hope it thrives.

Jonah

Steve Dolinsky was there taping a piece on Friday. The folks at Saigon Sisters told me they were to be one of the featured stalls.

Jonah

I've been following this thread eagerly ever since David started it with the sneak previews back in November and all that time I've been looking forward to getting a chance to visit. Well, the occasion presented itself yesterday and Amata and I had a great time checking out all the stalls. We were there in the afternoon, before the late afternoon rush...

Our actual shopping/purchasing was limited to two stalls: Pastoral and City Fresh. I've never been to the Loop location of Pastoral but will check it out when next I'm in the area, for I was very favourably impressed with the goods and service on hand at the FM location. We bought a couple of beautiful cheeses, as well as some pork products. Sandwich offerings look great...

The main goal of the outing was to buy fish and this we did at City Fresh. We had a nice long chat with Eddie, the manager (I believe) and his enthusiasm was impressive! They had a number of interesting items on hand, brought in fresh earlier in the day, and the prices were quite acceptable -- I had expected them to be very high, so this was a pleasant surprise. We will most definitely make a point of visiting there regularly to buy fish. We only got to take a quick look at the meat offerings but in that department as well there seemed to be some nice options one could pick up in order to put together a nice meal conveniently.

I really hope this market does well...

Antonius

Rene G wrote:

The friets/frites/fries have arrived:

Try'em, they're good.

I wish I could agree with you, but on my visit the other day, I was wholly unimpressed with the frites-maybe-we should-just-call-them-fries.

It's a very open operation. There are no secrets, and it's fairly obvious why the product did not achieve any sense of wandering Le Grand Place. Yes, you can see them peeling fresh potatoes and running them through a Gene Judes style cutter, but you also see boxes of liquid shortening, standard fryers and single fry's. More telling, the commercial fryers were going at breakneck speeds to keep the line moving. The result, my potatoes were mostly very crisp, too crisp really, with none of the latent sweetness that good frying produces (cf. Al's Italian Beef). Moreover, there was no more than one dimension to the fries. The classic Belgium frite is firm on the surface and fluffy within, from double frying. These were hard all around. I know I'm not the only one to be non-plussed by the fries as Crain's knocked them too. I'm hoping they can rectify things going forward with a slower operation, some better lipid (if you don't want an animal fat, how 'bout peanut oil?), and hopefully the two-step process.