fresh fruit in RP

hey there: On the corner of Morse & Clark Street there is a fresh fruit vendor worth chcecking out. We have driven by him several times and been impressed with the abundance of fruit on his cart and how attractively it's always displayed. (A telltale sign for me that whomever is selling the foood, actually admires the food they are selling.) The other day when the temps were kissing 90 we decided to pull over and check it out. I was hoping for an agua fresca along the lines of Jamaica or Sandia (hibiscus punch or watermelon, respectively) but he is a purist and sells only fruit, although he does also sell coconut millk/water with lime. Anyhow, I went ahead and requested the small cup of fruit,which was the size of a large smoothie cup. He asked me what I wanted and so I chose watermelon, pineapple, canteloupe. honeydew, coconut, mango and papaya. Then he sliced it up expertly and swiftly while we chatted about the beauty of Michoacan, where he is from. He then asked me if I wanted chile (I said no) salt (I said yes, a little) and if I wanted some orange juice poured over the top (I said yes to that too) and affirmative on a few squeezes of lime.

Maybe the heat helped my enjoyment level, but my husband and I drove down Clark Street completely slurping and chomping down all the fruit and the salty/sweet/tangy combo was more refreshing than a bottle of water. I often see mango carts but I haven't seen many carts like this in Chicago, I felt like I was right back in the streets of Guanajuato. And on the north side, no less!

Anyhow, not sure how much longer they'll be there, given that fall is right around the corner, but I think it's worth checking out. Oh and for you food handling/street vendor germaphobes, he, his wife and his father all wore plastic gloves and his father was the official money handler, not touching anything but. It was a very tidy, pleasant operation.

enjoy!

bjt

I should have known that this vendor would already have been discovered on lth. Just came back from lunch at Argyle with some out of town friends, and my daughter noticed this cart on the way home and we stopped. We got the mango with salt and lime. Two Chicago EMTs were there. One encouraged us to try it with the chili powder and the other discouraged it. The vendor gave us a taste with the chili powder and it was too much. I was most amazed at the knife work. They got three times as much mango off a mango as I've ever gotten.

I'll definitely check him out, how much was the fruit bowl?

These guys are amazing. We had some of their fruit at the first North Clark-a-Thon, and I've been back since, although not this year.

Last summer, a very tall cup of fruit, substantially overflowing, cost $6.00. It may have been a quart of fruit, if my spatial memory is any good. They sell other sizes, but I think that's the biggest.

One expertly cut mango with the juice of one lime and salt cost $3. As I noted above, the guy got three times as much mango from the fruit as I normally so I felt the price was right.

are they still in the same location? can you believe I have not driven up Clark Street on that end all summer long . . . but they are still there, I will be back right quick!

bjt

Made the special trip up north for the fruit today and glad I did. Great stuff, heaping bowl with lime juice, chili powder and salt- so good and just $5. Ate half right there and took the rest home to have with some yogurt; the yogurt smoothed out the spice of the chili, highly recommended.

Just wanted to give some love to these guys. They're using really ripe fruit right now and a humongous cup (more like a small bucket, really) is still only $7.

cilantro wrote:Just wanted to give some love to these guys. They're using really ripe fruit right now and a humongous cup (more like a small bucket, really) is still only $7.

Word.

Every summer since I moved to RP I stop by these guys as often as I get a chance. Cold, fresh fruit, lime and chile. What's not to love? These guys definitely deserve a GNC.

This is a good one for the "1-2 punches" thread. Harold's fried chicken combined with fresh fruit from the cart on the corner. The cold tangy fruit cleanses and cools the palate after the hot oily chicken. The fruit cart is also kitty-corner to Las Monarcas paleteria and ice cream parlor. The Mamey popscicles are my favorite.

/bump
I love the fruit cart at Morse and Clark, but his hours are erratic, in 2019 I have driven here twice and found the corner empty. Any other tips where I might find such delights.
thank you,
Jill