Grocery Markets

I have always wondered if our Chicago international grocery markets (such as Valli's Produce, Marketplace on Oakton, etc) and an idea of such markets are unique to Chicago? Back when we lived on the East Coast we had fruit&veggie stores, but they sold ONLY fruits and veggies, and you had to go to a regular grocery store for meat, spices, deli, milk, etc.

The wonderful grocery markets in Chicago are complete stores - between them and Trader Joe's we don't have to go to other supermarkets. I have asked friends and family around the county, and no one seems to have (or at least know of) of equivalent stores anywhere else.

So does anyone know if those are stores are unique to Chicago or what's the story in the rest of the county?

We lived in different places in Chicagoland, and at different times frequented these stores:

- Valli's Produce, both Hoffman Estates and Arlington Heights locations
- Joe Caputo And Sons, Palatine location (I think there is another location in Des Plaines, but I have never been)
- Eurofresh (haven't been there in years - has anyone gone there recently?)
- Marketplace on Oakton in Skokie

We bought similar groceries at all of them (produce, spices, nuts, meat, deli, bread, cheese, etc), but each one has its own personalities and I like each one for a few little nuggets that you can't find at other stores.

Also have been to

- Harvest Fresh in Arlington Heights
- Fresh Farms in Wheeling

Also good produce, interesting international ingredients, etc. I usually go there for specific items.

Every city is different.

Cincinnati has the Kroger monopoly, a weak Supervalu presence, and a now mediocre market in the middle of Over the Rhine.

St. Louis has two large GREAT chains (Dierbergs and Schnuck's) and few independents and a city market (Soulard).

Cleveland has a great public market, a couple of great independents (Lake Rd Market), a very good chain (Heinan's) and two mediocre chains.

Detroit has a phenomenal public market (Eastern Market), two weak chains (Farmer Jack's and Krogers), and a lot of independent markets. The Detroit markets are generally as good as the independents in Chicago.

Eurofresh is fine and improved since their 2006 fire. They have added a hot food selection but have not added a real good selection of meats. Valli's does nothing for me personally. Garden Fresh (now in Crystal Lake as of 6-27-07) also has a nice selection of produce. (In fact, I am heading there now for lunch.)

I know what you mean about East Coast markets, however, in Texas you'd be hard-pressed to find anything *but* a full service grocer from mom n pops on up.

We could buy everything at this little italian market in New Haven. I forget the name, but it had baked goods, produce, meats, packaged things, oils, etc. It was in the middle of a residential neighborhood nearish to campus.

Atlanta has the Dekalb Farmer's Market the like of which I haven't seen in Chicago - it's kind of like H-Mart, but without a specific Asian slant and it's HUGE. They (ten years ago) used to roast coffee on the premises, you could buy warm bags...sigh

With the exception of a Whole Foods, Kansas City has no ( none, zero, nada, meio, aucune de) national markets. The entire local market scene is tiered in three levels by a single family's places. Some of the markets are excellent, some are merely passable.

At the high end are Hen House markets, which are very heavy into local artisanal bread, produce, dairy, meat and poultry. Can't tell you how lucky we are in this regard...

TTBOMK, there are only two ethnic super-stores: a Chinese market on Santa Fe in Overland Park, and an Oriental mkt in the City Market area. Both of these have all mod cons, including good seafood availability.

On the weekends, the City Market has an excellent farmer's mkt, with lots and lots of good things. Plus bbq, brewpub, etc. in the surrounding surroundings.

Geo

Geo wrote:On the weekends, the City Market has an excellent farmer's mkt, with lots and lots of good things. Plus bbq, brewpub, etc. in the surrounding surroundings.

Geo

Not only does the City Market have a good variety of farmer's produce, it also has a good variety of surplus produce and some pretty cool shops.

The thing that knocks me out in Chicago, but hasn't been mentioned yet, are the many Mexican and Polish supermarkets. Not huge destinations, a la Mitsuwa and HMart, not funky little bodegas like Riviera and La Unica, and not precious Cartier/Tiffany grocers like Fox & Obel, but full-service, neighborhood supermarkets that happen to (mostly) serve a specific ethnic group.

Particularly regarding the produce, dairy and red meat at the Mexican markets, and the smoked/cured meats and canned stuff at the Polish spots, one would be hard-pressed to find better choices or bargains anywhere. I'd add Caputo's as an Italian version, and Patel as the Indian, too.

You are starting to see small Mexican markets pop up throughout the midwestern cities. In Cleveland, there is a combination taqueria, grocery, western wear store and currency exchange store that is the center of the Mexican community on the west side.

However, in the same cities, many of the older ethnic markets for established immigrant communities, especially German markets and bakeries, are closing.

There's a supermarket, liquor store, and taqueria in Ft. Atkinson WI. It completely fills an old 'hump-back' Safeway store. GREAT taquitos!

Geo

jlawrence01, thank you for the Eurofresh information, I am going to have to check it out now.

An awesome resource for area grocery stores would be the book, A Cook's Guide to Chicago, by Marilyn Pocius.
http://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Guide-Chicago-Marilyn-Pocius/dp/189312147X

It captures all the various ethnic groceries in and around town, which is helpful for those who like to venture in ethnic eats.