I usually buy mine at Caputo's cheese store in Melrose Park. But, I don't even grate it anymore. It's wonderful sliced thin , paired up with olives bread and olive oil. I'm sure everyone knows where it is, but just in case.
Caputo Cheese Market
1931 N. 15th Ave.
Melrose Park, IL 60160
I am curious about this Graziano's now. I need to make a trip. Buyng in large quatities is tough for my house with only two people.

nicinchic wrote:I am curious about this Graziano's now. I need to make a trip. Buyng in large quatities is tough for my house with only two people.

Nic,

Sorry if I wasn't clear. Graziano's has a large wheel of pecorino pepato in stock which they are cutting smaller pieces off of to order. I purchased 3/4-lb of pecorino pepato.

Enjoy,
Gary

nicinchic wrote:I am curious about this Graziano's now. I need to make a trip. Buyng in large quatities is tough for my house with only two people.

As I reported some time back (up thread), now that they have a retail licence, Graziano's can pretty much sell you whatever you want in whatever quantity you want; the old wholesale rules no longer constrain them in that regard.

The pepato comes in different degrees of agedness; younger ones are intended just to be eaten as 'table cheeses', while more aged ones, such as the one I show in the photo above and to which GWiv refers, are also very delicious as a 'table cheese' but being quite dry they can also function as a grating cheese and in that rôle they are most satisfying.

Antonius

I totally dropped the ball on this place and cannot believe that I haven't visited earlier. Ran out here during lunch on Friday, and was pleasantly surprised by the vintage wholesale space -- large, labeled barrels of dry goods on one side, wooden shelves of packaged pastas and imported canned goods on the other; a walk-in cheese refrigerator in the back and most importantly for real wholesalers -- a large scale in the center. Graziano's is to wholesale as Costco is to Wal-Mart.

Anyhow, had to wait a few minutes as the lone, friendly guy working the customers was waiting on someone else. Struck up a conversation with the guy in front of me who was waxing poetry about Graziano's ricotta, which he was using in fresh pasta ravioli this weekend. At that very moment, our friendly clerk emerges from the walk-in with a large, gorgeous container of smooth, dryer, ricotta, two pounds of which became my impulse purchase (which I'll make into ricotta gnocchi soon).

In addition to snagging two pounds of ricotta, I purchased a 1/2 lb. of parmiggiano-reggiano, 2 lbs. of polenta (at .45/lb), 1/2 lb. Kalamata olives, 3 bags of Divella pasta (at about $1/bag), and a few other things. The clerk totaled my items old-school, by writing their weighed amounts on the paper bag they were to be packed in and adding them up on the bag. The grand total for this kitty: $21.00

Graziano's will be in my regular rotation of depression-era shopping.

Graziano's kalamatas are outstanding. I don't know what his source is, but they're the best I've ever had, and the consistency is incredible, too. They're almost all equally rich and meaty and not very bitter. Fantastic.

gleam wrote:Graziano's kalamatas are outstanding. I don't know what his source is, but they're the best I've ever had, and the consistency is incredible, too. They're almost all equally rich and meaty and not very bitter. Fantastic.

Ed,

You might want to the spicy broiled olive recipe Jim Sr offered one afternoon at Graziano's, I've made it any number of times, in particular for parties, and it is always well received. It's on the previous page of this thread w/pictures.

I was at Graziano's a few weeks ago (polenta thread) and Jim Jr informed me his dad, Jim Sr, had passed away late last year. A terrific fellow, quick with a story, smile and suggestion.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

gleam wrote:Graziano's kalamatas are outstanding. I don't know what his source is, but they're the best I've ever had, and the consistency is incredible, too. They're almost all equally rich and meaty and not very bitter. Fantastic.

Ed,

You might want to the spicy broiled olive recipe Jim Sr offered one afternoon at Graziano's, I've made it any number of times, in particular for parties, and it is always well received. It's on the previous page of this thread w/pictures.

I was at Graziano's a few weeks ago (polenta thread) and Jim Jr informed me his dad, Jim Sr, had passed away late last year. A terrific fellow, quick with a story, smile and suggestion.

Enjoy,
Gary

Yeah, the first time we bought he recommended that to us also.. great recipe! It's been far too long since I've been to Graziano's.. maybe next weekend.

Truly sad to hear about Jim Sr.

This store is really a gem! Thanks Antonius and all the others who posted about it. I've been twice in the last two weekends. I love the look of the place. Talk about emitting a great vibe... The proprieter (Jim Jr, I guess), is really a mensch (as my grandmother would say); plus, he's helpful and very knowledgeable. I had to go back today after reviewing the above posts more closely and seeing Gary's post about the olives recipe. They have San Marzano tomatoes in 35 oz cans for $2 (well under half the price of Whole Foods) so I stocked up on those. I also bought olives--black kalamatas preserved in oil and big green cerignolas they had just gotten in. The cerignolas have a very sweet, fruity taste. I think they'll be a nice addition to pastas. But those black olives...WOW! They are great. We made a nice lunch out of these with some other purchases from JP Graziano: olive oil ('Sonoma' recommended by Jim Jr.), Pecorino Sardo, Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto as well as crusty, bread from the depths of my freezer (unfortunately, part of the crustiness due to freezer burn, but what can you do) and some marcona olives.

G wiv, if you read this, I would love some tips on making these olives. I had trouble getting mine to plump. I broiled them for about 4 minutes and out came nice, black, slightly plump...lumps of charcoal. I couldn't get these nearly as plump as yours looked without burning them. Should I turned down the heat? My second batch (about 1.5 minutes under the broiler) turned out much better. But still, not that plump. Anyway, great lunch, thanks for posting the recipe. Can't wait to try this again with better bread!

Just wanted to thank you for the great post. Made my first trip to Graziano's this weekend and loved it. Got some of that Sicilian Canestrato and it's making my whole week

thaiobsessed wrote:G wiv, if you read this, I would love some tips on making these olives. I had trouble getting mine to plump. I broiled them for about 4 minutes and out came nice, black, slightly plump...lumps of charcoal. I couldn't get these nearly as plump as yours looked without burning them. Should I turned down the heat? My second batch (about 1.5 minutes under the broiler) turned out much better.[/img]

Thaiobsessed,

I place the olives in a colander under running water and rinse well, even get my hands in there and rub off a little of the oils. My thorough washing may be hydrating the olives a bit causing the difference in "plump"

I dry the olives as completely as reasonable and place on the very top shelf of the oven, as close to the broiler as possible. On occasion I've even put something under the olives to get them closer to the broiler flame.

No real timing, but you are not trying to cook the olives, just heat/plump. Make sure to stir/rotate the olives or they will burn.

Your lunch looks terrific, a couple more times and I'm sure your olives will look and taste exactly as you wish.

Enjoy,
Gary

I dry the olives as completely as reasonable and place on the very top shelf of the oven, as close to the broiler as possible

I think that was my problem--not close enough to the heat. Thanks!!!

thanks for turning me on this place. I went on Saturday and got 3 different kinds of olive oil, coffee, olives, cheese, sausage, pasta and a huge bag of Ceresota flour. I also got a can of cherry tomatoes -never seen those before! We made a quick sauce for dinner with some fresh ricotta. Great fun talking to the very friendly owner. After that, we went to Blommer's and stocked up for Easter and beyond.

G Wiv wrote:I place the olives in a colander under running water and rinse well, even get my hands in there and rub off a little of the oils

Graziano's for olives, cheese and olive oil Friday. Short conversation with Jim Jr. about procedure for spicy olives and he mentioned multiple rinses to take off surface oil was the key to plump olives.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:Graziano's for olives, cheese and olive oil Friday. Short conversation with Jim Jr. about procedure for spicy olives and he mentioned multiple rinses to take off surface oil was the key to plump olives.

Thanks for this tip--somehow I missed it last month.

Another productive trip to Graziano's this week. I'll say it again--what an absolute pleasure to shop at this place.
This week's yield included pancetta, two terrific cheeses (a tallegio and a gorgonzola), truffle salt, and of course, some oil-cured olives. Also, Jim Jr had an open large can of salt-packed anchovies which he will sell small quantities of, so I got about a quarter pound of those as well.
Some tallegio, olives, a sprinkle of truffle salt spread on foccacia made by my S.O. made an incredible sandwich.

Becca,

tallegio, olives, and truffle salt on foccacia...looks and sounds mouth-wateringly good. Your S.O. sounds like a keeper

Kenny

I've had two very productive trips to Graziano's in the past week or so. I've become hooked on their caciocavallo cheese, which is great on pizza. I picked up some tallegio, gorgonzola, prosciutto, truffle oil and 00 pizza flour as well. I know there's some debate about whether or not it makes a difference to use 00 flour in a conventional oven, but I figured for $3 (I believe it was), I could run a little experiment. Also, per Jim jr., they will be getting in aged balsamic vinegars in the next week or so (10, 15 and 25 year age--I think I got those right, don't quote me), apple balsamic vinegar (really doesn't sound good to me but he swears it's delicious and all his recs have been dead on so far) and a lambrusco jelly (apparently a nice addition to a cheese course). As an FYI, they will be closed in mid-july (I believe, the 13th-18th) as well as tomorrow (the 4th).



Edited to add pic 7/4

I put my Graziano's prosciutto and a new kind of cheese I got there as well (can't remember the name and now it's driving me crazy--hard cheese with a slight sharpness) to good use. I made sandwiches with leftover cheddar and scallion scones, prosciutto, honey mustard, the prosciutto and cheese. Delicious breakfast--I debated about whether to put this under 'best thing I've eaten lately' or here.



Just looked up-thread--the cheese is Canestrato (thanks ak934)

thaiobsessed wrote:I put my Graziano's prosciutto and a new kind of cheese I got there as well (can't remember the name and now it's driving me crazy--hard cheese with a slight sharpness) to good use.

Per Antonius' original post that opened this thread (I also posted specifically on this cheese but can't find the post at the moment), could it be 'ncanestratu, "a sharp sheep's milk grating cheese from Sicily" [sometimes spelled canestratu and sometimes even canestrato]?

Thanks Gypsy Boy,
Yep , you got it--I just edited my post after ak934's post up-thread reminded me.

It has been mentioned elsewhere on the forum, but let me add another plug for Salvati brand extra virgin olive oil. I just bought my first bottle at Graziano's, and I've been converted. It's the best available for the price (11 bucks a liter). I'll also sing the praises of L'Antica Rocca dried pasta, which Graziano's sells. It is so much better than even the highest-end brands available elsewhere.

I just want to mention, since other than a post on the second page of the thread nobody seems to be bringing up their sammiches, that if you live or work (as I did) in the neighborhood, Graziano's is a great place to go, especially if Jerry's on Madison starts to wear thin with you. I wish I had discovered Graziano's sooner than I did, but between the good food (and cheaply priced, by the way) and the whole experience of stopping in at that awesome little place, I was appreciative to have found it at all. There's not a lot of options of West Randoph for the employee who can't afford to eat out every lunch but usually has to, and Graziano's deserves repeated mention as a place to go.

There's not a lot of options of West Randoph for the employee who can't afford to eat out every lunch but usually has to, and Graziano's deserves repeated mention as a place to go.

the sandwich station has only been open a year or so. before that it was a great place to shop, but not to eat. it was smart of them to add this feature. justjoan

Antonius wrote:There's something aesthically really neat about a place like this in the age of faux-this and faux-that... stone-washed faded-jeans, artificially "distressed" furniture... This place is, beyond the main things regarding quality and price of food, also just a really great looking, for me nostalgia-inspiring space on a stretch of a street that, for the moment, still is a real part of the food industry.

Tony,

Those comments, written back in 2005, are as true today as they have ever been. Time has passed, and so has Jim Sr., but Graziano's goes on as if caught in amber with Jim Jr. at the helm.

J.P Graziano Grocery Co.


Since I no longer work in the area, my visits have been much less frequent in the past several years, but Graziano's endures the same as it ever was. When I was in the other day, Jim Jr. was telling me about how carrying on the family tradition links him to the past in ways that could otherwise never happen. Jim Jr. never met his Great Grandfather, who started the business over 100 years ago, but by working in the shop since he was a kid, he got to know him through stories and other first hand accounts from customers who had been coming into the shop for many years. For the Graziano family, this store is a living history and Jim Jr. understands the significance and is happy to be the next link in the chain. The rest of us are all the better for it.

Jim Graziano Jr.

Thanks for the awsome tip I live in the western suburbs but get down that direction fairly often We have a good italian market by us but that place looks great!!I love shopping in ethnic markets especially italian Will definitely be going there soon.

Kennyz wrote:It has been mentioned elsewhere on the forum, but let me add another plug for Salvati brand extra virgin olive oil. I just bought my first bottle at Graziano's, and I've been converted. It's the best available for the price (11 bucks a liter). I'll also sing the praises of L'Antica Rocca dried pasta, which Graziano's sells. It is so much better than even the highest-end brands available elsewhere.

Big 10-4 on Salvati and L'Antica Rocca, particularly Salvati olive oil, at Graziano's.

Add one more to the ever growing list of terrific, not just terrific value, but all around terrific products available at Graziano's, LaSquisita Italian tomatoes $2.50 for 35-oz. Peeled, plump, sweet, used my first can this evening and wishing I had bought more than two.

LaSquisita Peeled Tomatoes, $2.50 for 35-oz at Graziano's



Enjoy,
Gary

J.P. Graziano Grocery
901-905 Randolph Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
312-666-4587

Timely post! I'm headed there this morning and then on to the Cheese warehouse.

Great GNR resource. We went today. Picked up delicious oil-cured olives, cheese, & a couple of sandwiches.

DH said about his sandwich: "I just don't want it to ever end."

Jim was very gracious. He took a bit of time with us and told us how he came to be in the store his great grandfather founded. He even encouraged us to buy less cheese since we both work in the Loop & live a couple of miles away.

Somehow, I suspect we will be back very very soon.

I stopped in today, and was happy to see the newly minted GNR paraphernalia displayed prominently throughout the store. Jim says he's humbled and proud, and has had several non-LTH customers inquire about the award, then agree that the sentiments on the plaque describe his store well.

In addition to the always-pleasant chitchat, I picked up some cannellini beans and a small jar of truffle-specked mostarda, after Jim told me what a hit it was in a salad dressing he made for a recent dinner party. It was a hit for me too, working wonderfully with a tender green salad served aside a rich, decadent gratin. At 17 bucks for a small jar, this is a luxury item for sure, but it's packed with truffle aroma and flavor, and a little bit goes a very long way.

As is often the case, Graziano's was again an integral part of a nice dinner at home...

Crostini with cannellini beans and roasted broccoli pesto:



Sunchoke gratin, mixed greens with truffle-mustard vinaigrette:

So much has been said about the wonderful fresh products at Graziano's : cheese, olives, salumie, etc - I couldn't agree more. I wanted to praise Graziano's for the variety and freshness of their dried products and herbs. Lentils and beans cook quicker and taste so much creamier than their grocery shelf sitting brethren.

I finally stopped by Graziano's for the first time last Saturday, araound 1:30 PM.
That visit confirmed everything I had been reading on this thread about that marvelous place: the warm welcome of Jim Graziano Jr who showed me around and proudly described the various types of Italian cheeses he has in his special ltlle refrigerated room (he let me taste a couple of them), his very interesting selection of dried herbs, good quality pasta, etc. But what really caught my attention was the bottles of olive oil he had on one of the shelves. An unfiltered, 100% Italian Extra Virgin "Novello", meaning extracted from a new crop of olives, beauty from SALVATI, a brand I've never encountered before. I could not wait to taste it when I got home and had a spoonful of it, straight, the only way to really taste a good olive oil. Dipping it in bread kills its original aroma and flavor. Boy, what a pleasant surprise: It says "fruttato" on the label and it is true. This oil, that obviously has a very low level of acidity, is extremely but pleasantly fruity. I tried it at night in a dish of so called "artisan crafted" fettuccine from Racconto Riserva ($ 1.79 at Fresh Farms in Niles) sauteed with garlic, fresh chopped parsley, and raw shrimps from the Gulf, finished with white wine and it was pure bliss.
Jim told me that this oil comes from Tuscany.
At $ 10.99 for a a full liter bottle, it is a real bargain.
My only regretsare that it seems to be bottled in the U.S. and that there is no trace on the label, screw cap, or engraved on the bottle of the actual date of bottling or even better harvesting time, as it is the case in olive oils packed in one of the countries of the E.U..
There is also no mention of the % of acidity.
One thing is sure, I will return to Graziano's.
I also loved the ritual of paying your bill to Jim's mother who is sitting behind a hole in the wall of what looks like a special office.
Great experience.