Standard Market - Westmont

Stumbled across this new produce shop/butcher shop/cheese shop/fishmonger/bakery/wine shop/restaurant on Ogden Avenue in Westmont. I had my iphone, so I snapped a few pictures.

Produce is just inside the entrance:




Wine and Cheese areas:



La Quercia Speck, Pancetta and Prosciutto Americano {also in whole form}:



The Bakery:



Fish counter:



More fish:



Closeup of some of the cheeses:



Butcher counter:



Vac-sealed beef cuts:



333 E Ogden Ave Westmont, IL
(630) 366-7030
Open 9 - 9 every day
http://www.standardmarket.com/

Sure looks pretty, and not too far from my parents house.
I've been meaning to visit Mom...

Their website is dreadful, but something did catch my eye:

No Cash at Checkout - Debit, Credit and Gift Cards Only

In the fine print under the "no cash" statement, the sign says cash is accepted at the customer service desk and will be converted into a gift card that can be used at checkout. The checkout lanes have no "cash" registers; everything is paid for with the swipe of a card of some kind.

Pretty smart on the store's behalf, don'tcha think? No large amounts of cash or coins to be kept on hand, no balancing the till, no armored car pickups and dropoffs...

Often I prefer to pay with cash, I certainly wouldnt bother with the pain in the ass buy a gift card process. Doesnt seem smart to me.

mchodera wrote:Pretty smart on the store's behalf, don'tcha think?

Actually it sounds pretty dumb and anti-consumer to me.

I guess we will all see how this plays out in the coming months.

i understand ur point but how is it any different than cash only??

First, having a cash-only grocery store would be almost as dumb as a no-cash grocery store. Almost. Thankfully I haven't encountered a cash-only grocery store since the mid '90s.

With a cash-only store, there's one transaction -- at the register -- with the possibility of a second (trip to ATM) if you didn't have enough cash. With a no-cash store, there's a minimum of two if you want to use cash -- one to get the gift card, and one at the register. Plus there will be a third forced transaction if you're stuck with extra money on the gift card. At least if you had to go to an ATM to get some cash for a cash-only store, if you wound up with extra cash afterwards, it could be used anywhere else you want...

Hi- I believe the credit card companies charge the stores 2% for a transaction. That is why Aldi's does not take credit card. I don't know how much the banks charge for a debit transaction, but I am sure it is much less, because Aldi's take debit cards. Now I don't have any problems using my visa debit card at Sam's club, but once when I bought a set of tires there, they told me that they did not take visa. They only took Discover and one other credit card. I had to go to the ATM there, and take out cash. McDonald's used to be cash only too.
If they do not have a register at check out, how do they figure out what everybody owes. They must do it on an adding machine maybe? It does not make any sense to me. Thanks, Nancy

I went to the market today. It's very sleek. The cheese department is quite good, with cheeses from Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan, among the local products. I tried the Prairie Breeze from Iowa, and really liked it. I was also happy to see that Saxon Creamery, with their Big Ed's Cheese, was represented as well. There's a small bar in the cheese area: you can have some wine while you taste and shop for cheese. Nice!

The produce looked good, and was well-priced. The 3-lb bag of onions, for example, was $1 less than the bag I bought at Jewel over the weekend. Mexican limes were 5 for $1, and lemons were 40 cents a piece. They also seem to squeeze their own juices, including clementine, today.

The bakery items looked good, but I didn't try any. They had a sample of pizza made in the store, and the crust was a very short bready crust. It was good.

The meat section had a butcher station, as well as items that were pre-packaged in vacuum bags, which I think is a good touch, since they will keep better. They make their own sausages, too, and cure their own bacon. In the frozen section they had legs of lamb, among other cuts that you don't often see outside a butcher shop. The fresh fish station is quite extensive.

They also have an extensive prepared-food section, and a nightly "take a meal home" package; tonight was $14.99 for meatloaf, potatoes and broccoli for 4 people I think, all packaged in a bag, ready to go. On Sundays the meal to go is bouef bourguignon -- today they had bouef bourguignon potpies in the prepared food section. The ingredients list does not include wine. The potpie turned out to have only a top crust, which I think is cheating, but at least it was pie crust, and not puff pastry, which is REALLY cheating. IMHO.

They have some staples as well, but not a lot.

There is an attached cafe, which I didn't check out.

I hope this place makes it. It's really quite wonderful -- like Fox & Obel sort of, back in the glory days.

It's just east of Cass Avenue on the south side of the street.

Hi guys,

Ken from Standard Market here. tcdup, I'm glad you had a good experience. I checked with our chefs, and I just wanted to clarify that the beef bourguignon pot pie has always included red wine. It was inadvertently left out of the ingredient list.

Hope to see some of you in the Market. (We're just down Ogden from Katy's.) I truly believe we have unique offerings that you might enjoy, and we'd love to hear your feedback on how to make it better.

-Ken

In the area today, so on impulse, I picked up some Nueske's peppered bacon and Canadian bacon both on special for $3.49 each. Saw a lot of artisanal branded items that I have not noticed at other area retailers like Fran's chocolates, a wide variety of Askinosie bars, and 4 different products from Vermont Butter and Cheese. Next time I am in the area, I will try to plan ahead and pick something out from the seafood and butcher counters.

Snapped a picture of this creepy looking fruit.

Pucca wrote:Snapped a picture of this creepy looking fruit.

Buddha hand is a very bitter citrus fruit. It was recently featured on an episode of Chopped!

I must say that we've become regulars at Standard.......very good sushi.....the smoked bacons are all terrific. Their small cafe has some wonderful sandwiches and pizzas.....but the thing I like most is their people....to a person they work at providing top notch customer service......and this is in every department in the store!!!

It's definitely worth checking out. Thank me later. Despite the name, it's far from standard. As noted upthread, I also got that Fox & Obel in the early days vibe. They have a wonderful selection of meats and cheeses(ex:Neal's Yard) and prepared foods. There is also a fresh juice bar and a restaurant. It's a large, modern, well-lit space. I hope they do well because they fit a great niche in the area.

Impressive pork selection. Pretty much all Duroc or Berky. Decent prices for these breeds., about 1/2 way between the farm & the high end butcher. $5-$7 /lb. for what i got.

doing some Duroc belly, Berky ribs & Duroc bone in roast today in various recipes.

No cash thing is kind of lame, but il be back for more pork i imagine.

HI,

I stopped in after a visit to Katy's Noodles, which is cash only.

Upon crossing the threshold into Standard Market, there is the sign stating no cash only credit card sign. I bought a blood orange beverage for 99 cents plus tax. I went directly to the customer service to collect my gift card for the exact change. Instead it was settled right then and there.

I learned if you want to pay cash, you go through the process of checking out and get a ticket for the entire amount. You then pay at the service counter. Clearly they are training their customers to do credit card only.

It reminds me of the toll roads: speed past with your I-Pass or kill time paying directly.

This shop's selection of high end food was terrific and enough tasting samples to keep me happy. It does not appear to be a store where you could do all your shopping, though this is by design.

Certainly something to check out when over at Katy's.

WESTMONT, Ill. — BAKERSFIELD, 330 East Ogden Avenue, a 7,500 square foot casual, yet sophisticated new restaurant is scheduled to open May 1, 2012.

BAKERSFIELD will showcase steaks butchered in-house and prepared on a wood-fired grill. Signature entrees include a Barrel-Cut Filet paired with Wilted Spinach and Red Bliss Smashed Potatoes and the 96-Hour Marinated Cajun Ribeye accompanied by a Loaded Baked Potato. Additionally, seasonal whole fish will be flown in from around the world to be hand-filleted. Entrée-style salads such as the Crab Cake Salad or the Four Farmers Grilled Chicken Salad, and sandwiches like the Lobster Knuckle Sandwich and Mustard-Honey Chicken Sandwich, will satisfy for both lunch and dinner.

BAKERSFIELD is owned by the partners behind Westmont’s hugely successful new Standard Market (Andre Radandt, Vince Priest, Phil Stewart, Brett Verkaik). The partners initially worked together at a company that produced carrots and super-premium refrigerated juices. All live in the Chicagoland area (Hinsdale, Hinsdale, Wheaton, Chicago, respectively). The menu will incorporate the same vision that the team has brought to Standard Market: a “celebration of food.”

Hours are Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For reservations, call 630.568.3615.

My family and I make a weekly trip to Standard Market. We don't buy everything here, but we do try to stock up on poultry and meats for the week, as well as some produce, bread, and other prepared foods. I love their turkey thighs, their marinated chicken (in the freezer section), and I really love one of their homemade breads -- I believe it's the 9-grain (full of all sorts of seeds). I usually start my shopping by picking up their weekly bulletin of specials and sometimes focusing my meat selection around what's on sale, as they do have some nice promotions. We also eat in the Standard Market Grill regularly. My favorite item is probably the Cali Burger (burger, gouda cheese, roasted tomatoes, avocado, onion on multigrain bun with honey mustard (though I get it without this last ingredient). The burger is full of flavor and all the other ingredients really add something. But honestly, I don't think we've ever ordered anything we didn't really like at their restaurant. The tuna cobb salad is outstanding, as is the new Romaine Heart salad ("24 Hour Marinated Steak, Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pretzel Bun Croutons, Pickled Shallots, Avocado, Arugula"). I highly recommend this place.

I stopped by here today for lunch and walked around the market. Boy, was I impressed. Standard Market seems to have all manners of ingredients for the weekend gourmet chef.

As mentioned above, the cheese selection is impressive. Here's a shot of some of the pre-wrapped cheeses.


In addition they further age cheeses in their own cheese cave, resulting in already excellent cheeses taking on their own personalities (see the back wall in the pic). I picked up some cave-aged Evalon, and it is so very good.


On the butcher side, they had a lot of interesting offerings, the brightest blip on my radar being the dry-aged meat locker. Standard sells both whole roasts and cut steaks dry-aged.


There is also a freezer case full of duck products: Muscovy breast, confit, and foie gras.


And lastly scattered around were whole Duroc pork blade roasts, house-made bacon, Serrano and Prosciutto hams (I was too awe-struck to take pics), and that's just scratching the surface. I didn't have enough time to look at the produce, on-site bakery items, and seafood (needed to get back to work...). But if the previous are any indication, the offerings should be diverse and high-quality.

Oh yeah, they have a very good fast casual restaurant that leverages the same fresh ingredients as the grocery.

I'll echo the recommendations for Standard Market above, this is a very special grocery, particularly for the suburbs. I also hear they are opening up a branch in Naperville, so hopefully business is going well. I intend to visit quite often.

mike

Westmont's Standard Market coming to Lincoln Park

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130530/BLOGS09/130539991/westmonts-standard-market-coming-to-lincoln-park

This restaurant opened last week at 444 W. Fullerton Parkway in Lincoln Park, serving contemporary cuisine with ingredients from the owners' gourmet grocery store, Standard Market in Westmont.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... kouts-more

Is it a grocery store...or is it a restaurant?

Standard Market is both–and the combination is proving palatable to west suburbanites eager for additional options in a shifting grocery market.

The concept, which debuted in west suburban Westmont in late 2011, will open a second full grocery store and grill in Naperville in April, according to store executives.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... naperville

I drove by the Naperville location today, and it seems a long way from completion. Tyvek is still visible on the outside, the inside seemed pretty empty. I hope it opens in April.

Meanwhile, Cosmopolitan Marketplace is reportedly coming to the west side of Aurora, an underserved area. The store was first announced in newspaper reports in 2012, and another mentioned a September 2013 opening date. I called them today, and they said they hoped to open "sometime this summer".

Cosmopolitan is owned by a Russian company and plans on opening a candy factory and store first, then branching out to other merchandise in a renovated Lowe's location. The website looks great. Wish it would open soon....

Updated to report that Standard Market is holding a hiring fair at the end of March for the Naperville store, which will open "mid-May".

Standard Market will open its 40,000-square-foot Naperville location at 1508 Aurora Ave. on May 20.

http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/business ... 3DQNq1dUUt

The Naperville location did indeed open on May 20, although they will be having a Grand Opening event in June.

The store has more square footage than the Westmont location, but for some reason seems smaller. This store has a couple of things that the one in Westmont doesn't have: a fresh pasta counter, with a big pasta machine in the background, and an area making candy and flavored popcorn.

The wine and cheese area looks out on a pretty view of ponds and park. It will be nice to sip a glass of wine there.

The place was a mob scene on the 20th, and the parking lot is not big enough to handle the crowds. Hopefully they are going to expand the parking lot, but even still, the entrances will be problematic from a traffic standpoint.

In a relatively small area, we have Caputo's, Standard Market, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and soon Mariano's to choose from, not to mention Casey's. Nice!

tcdup wrote:I drove by the Naperville location today, and it seems a long way from completion. Tyvek is still visible on the outside, the inside seemed pretty empty. I hope it opens in April.

Meanwhile, Cosmopolitan Marketplace is reportedly coming to the west side of Aurora, an underserved area. The store was first announced in newspaper reports in 2012, and another mentioned a September 2013 opening date. I called them today, and they said they hoped to open "sometime this summer".

Cosmopolitan is owned by a Russian company and plans on opening a candy factory and store first, then branching out to other merchandise in a renovated Lowe's location. The website looks great. Wish it would open soon....

Updated to report that Standard Market is holding a hiring fair at the end of March for the Naperville store, which will open "mid-May".

Interesting. This sounds like the same company that approached my community a few years back when I was on the council. There was something that felt a little off about them and they ultimately took their plans to another community; it will be interesting to see the end result.

Dave148 wrote:

This restaurant opened last week at 444 W. Fullerton Parkway in Lincoln Park, serving contemporary cuisine with ingredients from the owners' gourmet grocery store, Standard Market in Westmont.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... kouts-more

Standard Market Grill has closed. The massive corner restaurant on the first floor of 444 W. Fullerton Parkway closed its doors and papered over its windows Tuesday.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017080 ... -fullerton

I am so sad. The Standard Market in Naperville is closing. 30% off sale is starting today. They were really the best place for specialty items in that area of Naperville/Aurora.

tcdup wrote:I am so sad. The Standard Market in Naperville is closing. 30% off sale is starting today. They were really the best place for specialty items in that area of Naperville/Aurora.

Standard Market in Naperville closing Friday, citing 'business conditions'

=R=

I never shopped at the Naperville location, but I did have some of their take home meals. Their grocery costs were higher than I would like to pay. Their takeout meals were pretty good if you wanted the special of the day which was $20 for two people.