New "Fresh Market" store coming to Wilmette

An interesting chain will be opening a branch in the mall in Wilmette on the north side of Lake Street, just east of the Edens:

http://www.freshmarket.com/pages/company_history.htm

The concept seems to be a supermarket with high quality and better service. Construction still has a way to go, but they have signs up about opening in 2007.

Jonah

There is a Fresh Market in Kildeer that opened about 12-18 mos ago. I really like it. It's a much better alternative to the Palatine Whole Foods, which is just awful compared to the other locations in Deerfield or Chicago. Fresh Market is smaller, but the produce, meats, deli, and bakery offer quality products at reasonable prices. In their bakery section, I love their brownie pillow cookies (a cookie w/a brownie in the middle) and key lime cookies. Their bread is very fresh - I especially enjoy the bread w/pieces of roasted garlic throughout. I always get my baking ingredients there - they have all the quality brands at very good prices. They have a small floral section - I think I purchased a dozen roses for $6.99. I think their mix & match is 3/$12 or something like that. They have a bulk section of coffee beans, trail mixs, nuts, candy, and gourmet chocolates. This section always looked more fresh than what I saw at Whole Foods. The staff does a great job of keeping the place neat and clean. They are very helpful and knowledgable. I feel like a commercial.

Slightly off topic, sorry, but my sister told me excitedly about a food store that's going to move into what was Frank's Nursery on Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville. I don't think it was Fresh Market or Garden Fresh Market. Does anyone know what that might be?

Have to say that I live about 10 minutes from that Fresh Market in Kildeer and for a while I was staging my own one person boycott of the place. I got so tired of buying things that had plainly been left out for too long. I came home with moldy cheese on more than a couple of occasions, fish that did not taste right and muffins that were mushy. I also got tired of walking into the store and being smacked in the face with the smell of bleach. I did start going in there again a few months ago when I just needed something rather basic. I was pleased to find that the bleach smell is gone, but I will still only buy produce and packaged goods there.

I recently heard that the Palatine Whole Foods is relocating to Kildeer, which I confirmed by visiting their web site. No address was given as of yet though.

Kwe730 wrote:Have to say that I live about 10 minutes from that Fresh Market in Kildeer and for a while I was staging my own one person boycott of the place. I got so tired of buying things that had plainly been left out for too long. I came home with moldy cheese on more than a couple of occasions, fish that did not taste right and muffins that were mushy. I also got tired of walking into the store and being smacked in the face with the smell of bleach. I did start going in there again a few months ago when I just needed something rather basic. I was pleased to find that the bleach smell is gone, but I will still only buy produce and packaged goods there.

Your mushy muffins remind me of the soggy experiences that my sister has had w/their bakery too. I forgot about that in my initial post b/c it happened so long ago. I stick to the cookies and consume their bread quickly enough not to experience those problems. Thanks for the tip on the cheese and fish.

Kwe730 wrote:I recently heard that the Palatine Whole Foods is relocating to Kildeer, which I confirmed by visiting their web site. No address was given as of yet though.

I hope they expand their product selection! I want Wallaby yogurt!

The Fresh Market that was supposed to go up in Libertyville is coming to Lake Forest instead, in the old Don's space.

-Will

I went there about a month ago and found the produce prices really-really high. The place looked wonderful but with limited selection of dry goods. The baked goods looked delicious. It sort of reminded me of the People's Market that used to be located on Chicago Ave. in Evanston that is now a Whole Foods. I wonder how a place like this can survive as it would be difficult to do a full weeks shopping.

It's been a while since I've been to a FM, but the best thing there IMO was the dozen roses for 6.99 everyday...

I absolutely love the one in Geneva. The meat counter is a little pricey, no doubt. But the quality is great. They have a section of take home and cook chicken items that are very reasonable - little packets filled with things like crab, portabellas, ham & cheese etc. Their deli counter has wonderful premade salads (and chopped chicken livers they keep in a cooler hidden, I assume, from the rest of the world that are grossed out by them!) The produce is very fresh and well done. Lot's of variety. The bakery is lovely. You do pay more than Jewel and friends, but less than Whole Foods. It's not a weekly shopping place for me, but I do hit it about once a month.

I have not had any bad experiences at the Fresh Market in Kildeer. I think that the produce prices are high. The items we buy from Fresh Market are the cookies and the dried cranberries. I have found the food in the bins to be fresh. The bins are good for buying ingredients in smaller quantities. We like the bbq eel rolls (in the sushi area).

They now have a cookie club where your kids can get a free cookie (from their cookie bin area) when you shop there. Your kids can get a cookie club card from the cashier.