Mexican markets

Having just returned from a cooking class in Oaxaca, I'd like to find out everyone's favorite markets/supermarkets for Mexican ingredients, particularly those near Bucktown/Logan. I'd like to be able to get some hard-to-find ingredients like fresh quesillo cheese, chepil, tuna (fruit), unusual types of chiles, etc. I usually go to Danny's market on Western which has a pretty good stock of Mexican foods but sort of sad produce. I've seen several mentions of Carniceria Jimenez and Cermak foods. Any other recs? Thanks.

Tony's has several stores in the area and are always a good bet.

Well, none of the places I'm going to mention are near Bucktown/Logan Square but here are some sources I'd recommend.

For cheese, try the store in La Villita which specializes in dairy products. Here's a post by bjt and another one by me:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2995
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3065

Santa Maria Lacteos (y Cremeria)
3424 W. 26th St.
773-277-1760

The most extensive selection of chiles that I've seen is at the Maxwell St. Market on Sundays. There's this one guy who has a great selection. Here's a post of mine on several unusual chiles:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4223

(Note, though, that the chile vendor and others have had to move their spots because of construction on the viaduct over Canal – look around for him.)

La Casa del Pueblo has ingredients like guajes and huanzontle in season, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen chepil there or in other area stores. The vendors at Maxwell St. might be the best bet. Let us know if you find it.

La Casa del Pueblo
1810 S. Blue Island
Chicago, IL 60608
312 421-4640

Tunas are easy to find, though – try La Casa del Pueblo or El Güero (we go to the one on Cermak east of Western). Those stores also carry another cactus fruit, xoconostle, which I think are more sour in taste (and typical of the Bajío, I believe).

Maybe you could contact the owners of Taqueria La Oaxaqueña and ask them about local sources for the more obscure Oaxacan ingredients?

That's a great list! Thanks.
I'm particularly happy to know I'll be able to find requeson and quesillo in Chicago--definately worth a drive.
And I'm always happy to have an excuse to breakfast at Maxwell street.

That's really cool that you went to Oaxaca for cooking classes. Did you get to travel around the state at all? I'm interested in this particular state because I have a brother who lives there about half-way between Oaxaca City & Puerto Escondido. He has begun a little "cottage industry" in that he has opened his home to tourists treking through--built a few cabins & has begun creating artisanal pork products (sausage, prosciutto, lonza, etc), cheeses, & pastas in the traditional Italian rustic country manner. This is up in the mountains with the Zapotec Indians.

If your interested in learning more, go to:

http://www.yegoyoxi.com/

This is an alternative method of traveling in that you get off the beaten trail of tourists, and are able to really view life in a tiny Indian village. The photos show the beauty of the region. Oaxaca seems like an incredible place!

Amata wrote:La Casa del Pueblo has ingredients like guajes and huanzontle in season, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen chepil there or in other area stores. The vendors at Maxwell St. might be the best bet. Let us know if you find it.

La Casa del Pueblo
1810 S. Blue Island
Chicago, IL 60608
312 421-4640

Since Amata and I mostly shop for food together (a sort of pastime), I definitely endorse all the places she mentions. I'd like to add that Casa del Pueblo has also had at times the elusive herb, papalo, and has a fine butcher counter. It's a really swell store.

The El Güero we visit has an even more extensive butcher and dairy counter and a very large and generally good and interesting produce section.

Our late and lamented Tri-Taylor Mexican carniceria, El Becerrito, would regularly surprise us with some grocery item or prepared dish, including some interesting queso sincho (I believe I've seen that at El Güero too). But there are lots of little shops like this still going strong throughout the city and the more Mexican suburbs.

Antonius

A p.s. on chepil:

In an email sometime back, RST mentioned to me that chepil is often used in Guatemalan tamales here in Chicago, though he had never seen it in the Mexican markets. So it would be worth investigating which markets around here cater to Guatemalan customers. (JeffB, any suggestions?)

Amata--

I will ask around the Guatemalteca in-laws re chepil.

As for Mexican markets near Bucktown, try Guanajato and Leon on Ashland. My favorite is probably the "big" Guero in Pilsen for the cesina if nothing else. Plenty of nice options on Lawrence and north on Clark as well. I think the legwork has been done before on this. We just need to find it.

In terms of produce, nothing beats Westbook Mkt., IMO, but that's in the Western burbs.

JeffB wrote:... Plenty of nice options on Lawrence and north on Clark as well. I think the legwork has been done before on this. We just need to find it...

That's true but for Amata and me and, I'm sure, for you too, the ever-changing, very dynamic small business scene in the barrios provides an endlessly entertaining and fascinating field of research. Just when you think you're bored with a stretch of some commercial street and stop going there for a short time, you happen by and find some of the places have new names and management and a couple of new places have sprung up.

In terms of produce, nothing beats Westbook Mkt., IMO, but that's in the Western burbs.

We've got to get out there one of these days, right Amata?

Antonius

The Cermak Produce closest to Bucktown is at 2701 West North Avenue. It is not quite as large or diverse as the store in the 4200 block of North Kedzie but is larger than the store at 2800 North Cicero. The selection is quite a bit larger than the Guanajato on Ashland. Tony's (both Elston and Belmont stores) carries many Mexican items but is quite a way behind the two Cermak Produce stores for selection. We typically shop at Tony's on Elston and Cermak on Kedzie once or twice a week each and so are quite familiar with their strengths and weaknesses.

Try the Cermak Produce on North Avenue for calibration. It has the second largest selection (after the Kedzie store) of Mexican groceries that I have found on the North Side. If you find something with greater selection on the North Side, please post.

this is fairly old information, but both lindo michoacan on lawrence (more notable for the prepared meats behind the counter) and supermercado morelia (home of the great shrimp ceviche as well as a pretty good selection of mexican herbs available pretty regularly) on clark just south of howard are two very good mexican gorceries.

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I stopped in La Casa del Pueblo but didn't have time to really shop there. That is an incredible find and I can't wait to go back.
I did a big shopping trip to North Ave. Cermak Produce today (bit of a zoo on the Sat before TG but still a great store). I've been to the Kedzie store but didn't realize there was a location so close to me until I saw ekreider's post. I thought the selection was pretty comparable to the Kedzie location. The butcher counter is great with all kinds of marinated meats, goat, lamb, homemade chorizo. The produce selection is terrific and the quality seemed good as well. I did nearly all of my TG shopping there (had to go to Treasure Island for creme fraiche and maple syrup--Uggh) and spent only about $60 on more groceries than I could carry and a huge tamale steamer/30 qt stockpot. Hopefully, that will motivate to try and make some tamales.

Hello all,

We were just in the El Guero on Cermak and the produce selection is really impressive right now: there's fresh yellow chile manzano/peron for $5.99/lb, also tunas and xoconostles, guajes and huazontle, fresh quince (membrillo), and (frozen) tejocotes.

An excellent store, worth checking out.

Amata

Supermercado El Guero
2101 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60608
(773) 247-0622

-just wanted to add as per La Casa del Pueblo that they offer flavorful chicken and pork tamales(that stand up to reheating hours later). A co-worker of the s/o's brings batches into the office on occasion.

Hit up Guanajato on Ashland for tacos today, outstanding. They're a bit bigger than I expected, but everything tasted super fresh and popped nicely. Great carnitas, chorizo and the carne asada was delicously beefy. (A contrast to the salt-bomb beef flavor combo of the La Pasadita empire, which I also enjoy very much.)
Apologies if this was discussed elsewhere, but this place was great! I can't believe I hadn't been before!