Niles: Champion

In terms of the number and quality, I seriously doubt any town can compete with Niles's compendium of grocery store-ness. H-Mart is much discussed, an Assi/Lotte Plaza has been mentioned or two, but I chanced upon "Farmer's Best International Market" today after buying some crap--all connotations apply--from the Walmart with whom it shares a shopping plaza. FBIM reminds me of Marketplace on Oakton and Lincolnwood Produce and City Market on Devon in its apparent origins as a Eastern European market that has adjusted to the diversity of the nabe, such that there is now the requisite Indian-dried-goods-and-powder-mixes aisle next to the beet-red-pickled-vegetable aisle for the borsch belt set. Owners are apparently greek: illustrations of the islands dotted the walls, and a whole lamb order table was set up next to the tortillas and pita bread. (American consumerism slights no starch, my friends.)

Anyway, sale prices on vegetables are equal to H-Mart--0.99 for both a pint of strawberries and a pound of asparagus--and though the selection is much slimmer (they only had one kind of plums to H-Mart's five), I though the quality of the food I consumed this evening--i.e., strawberries and asparagus--was superior here. They also had some knockout deals: $6 for 34oz ounce of decent extra virgin olive oil, $2.69/lb for rainbow trout, $3/lb salmon steaks, etc; they were selling a $7.99 SRSP Frontera frozen pizza for $1.99. I liked the collision of food cultures at the service counters: grabbed some cecina, which was sitting next to a leg of lamb and all kinds of sausages.

A Yelp search of FBIM led me to Jerry's, down a mile or so on Milwaukee; seems to be the local indie favorite of Nile-ans in the know. I will check that out next week on my way home.

While it is about a year and a half old and slightly dated now, Leah A. Zeldes wrote a great piece on shopping in Niles, which appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times back on February 14, 2007. Accompanying the piece is a fairly comprehensive list of food stores in Niles.

Yet for those in the know, Niles, at Chicago's northwest border, long has been a multi-ethnic food-shopping destination.

Its six square miles along Milwaukee Avenue boast an extraordinarily rich grocery scene, alive with a diverse collection of some 50 bakeries, delis and grocers showcasing Armenian, Assyrian, Filipino, German, Greek, Indian, Italian, Jewish, Korean, Mexican, Polish, Russian and Serbian specialties and more -- not to mention two white-bread outlets and a gluten-free foods store, plus four Jewels (including two 24-hour stores), an Aldi, Costco and, for now, a 24-hour Dominick's.

Niles' increasingly multicultural mix of businesses prompted the village board to pass an ordinance last year mandating that commercial signs must be predominantly in English. Just south of Niles' border, though, you may need sign language to shop at Renee Gourmet, which sells amazing smoked fish, but whose staff speaks only Russian.

=R=

chezbrad wrote:A Yelp search of FBIM led me to Jerry's, down a mile or so on Milwaukee; seems to be the local indie favorite of Nile-ans in the know. I will check that out next week on my way home.

This is a nice place with a really great produce selection, anyone who thinks Stanley's is decent, check this place out, itll change your mind about Stanley's. All sorts of international stuff your not going to find many other places. Good sales on stuff too. Nothing good as far as fresh cut meat but a nice place for produce, spices, international goods and other hard to find items.

Jerry's fruit and garden
7901 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 967-1440

ronnie_suburban wrote:While it is about a year and a half old and slightly dated now, Leah A. Zeldes wrote a great piece on shopping in Niles, which appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times back on February 14, 2007. Accompanying the piece is a fairly comprehensive list of food stores in Niles.

Of these, the ones I know are closed/have made changes are:
either Arax or Zandar (I think Zandar)
Pepperidge Farm
Grand Mart (although something called Farm Fresh International Market is opening "soon")
*Minelli Brothers is now in the Oak Mill Mall at Oakton & Milwaukee, in the old space there is now a Cardinal Liquors*
*Pappagalino's now has an eat-in café*

Any other updates I'd like to hear about. I think I'll take all the advice given over the last few months and start doing my shopping on Golf Rd. Thanks all!

Maybe with all the increased interest in Niles shopping, there should be a Devon-a-Thon-like event in Niles...Miles of Niles?

Arax is still where it's listed in that article, just north of Ballard, but they expanded (taking over the donut shop's space next door), giving them a full meat counter, and more dry goods items available by weight. On the middle-eastern front, a place with halal meats opened at Ballard and Milwaukee (in a place that was previously an Indian sweet shop that I never got to visit). I think Zander is still there too, just north of Dempster on the east side of Milwaukee. I haven't been in there in ages, Arax fills my needs in that cuisine quite well. Very friendly staff too.

I believe Hana Super (same center as Farmer's Best and Walmart) closed. Between Asia Super across the street, and Assi a few blocks south, it's tough competition. Hana never was that strong to begin with, but for a while had a better panchan selection. Now that Hana's gone, Asia Super seems to have dropped the salad bar-like panchan table in favor of more refrigerator cases.


Unlike a Devon-a-Thon, we can't just park and wander, it's a loooong walk from, say, Asia Super to H-Mart. But at least parking is easier throughout Niles than pretty much anywhere on Devon.

Maybe it would be fun to do a Niles Shopping Cook-Off or picnic, using our booty to feed ourselves? Though looking at the gloom outside, it sounds like a summertime activity to me...

I love Minelli brothers- one of my favorite stores- they have a great pastry counter, and gelato too.
Also down the road there's the Schmeisser meat market, and they do hot dishes as well....
but boy if you want a nice piece of meat.....
it's like an old-fashioned butcher shop.
The Fruit and Veg market mentioned across OakMill is nice but the parking situation there is suicidal.
And let's not forget the OakMill Bakery....YUM

Mhays wrote:Maybe it would be fun to do a Niles Shopping Cook-Off or picnic, using our booty to feed ourselves? Though looking at the gloom outside, it sounds like a summertime activity to me...

Indian Summer's a-comin'...

JoelF wrote:Unlike a Devon-a-Thon, we can't just park and wander, it's a loooong walk from, say, Asia Super to H-Mart. But at least parking is easier throughout Niles than pretty much anywhere on Devon.

But we can do a Golf Mill area thon.

If you wanted to really cover Niles, plan a week, at least. I led a tour of eGulleteers through this area recently. We spent all morning, and barely got to 5 stores. You can easily spend more than an hour in any of these places.

Besides the changes noted above, there are additional places that weren't included in the Sun-Times piece or that have opened subsequently. (The Dominick's has also closed, not that anyone cares.)

Do not miss Shop & Save.

I was in stop and go traffic in Niles and I jotted down a few updates to the neighborhood ethnic groceries:

• Pinoy is gone, that's a shame, but there is a Philipino grocery on Dempster a few blocks east (but that's Morton Grove)
• Zander Grocery used to be further south, but it's moved north to the other side of the road, 9030 Milwaukee. It's funny, because now it's directly across the street from Arax Foods, which used to be in the spot that Zander was in...
• ...which is now occupied by Baghdad Grocery, 8811 Milwaukee
• The halal butcher at Milwaukee and Ballard is called "Sara Meats"

I'd still like to organize a "Miles of Niles" shopping trip sometime (not right now)

JoelF wrote:[*]The halal butcher at Milwaukee and Ballard is called "Sara Meats"[/*]
[/list]
I'd still like to organize a "Miles of Niles" shopping trip sometime (not right now)

I forgot about Sara Meats. Anybody been there?

I'd be interested in your eventual MoN tour.

JoelF wrote:there is a Philipino grocery on Dempster a few blocks east (but that's Morton Grove)

If you mean Uni-Mart, it's definitely in Niles and well worth visiting, for the fresh-fish counter, the baked goods and the hot foods.

Sara is a small store, as much grocery as butcher shop, owned by the same people who have Sahar on Kedzie in Chicago. They have a fairly typical mix of Middle Eastern foods. The meat counter stocks zabihah halal lamb, including liver, kidney and heart; goat; chicken; and merguez sausage.

I have had a few requests to reprise my eGullet tour for LTHForum. I will need to check with the stores, and if I can find a satisfactory date this fall, I'll put it up on the events board.

I would add additional places and stretch it out into an all-day tour with more time at each stop.

Uni-Mart One Stop Shopping
Philippine Plaza, 7315 W. Dempster St., Niles
(847) 663-8388
http://www.unimartonestop.com

Sara Meat Market
9001A N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles
(847) 581-0792

LAZ wrote: Do not miss Shop & Save.

Porque? I've never thought of stopping there....

Did finally get to Jerry's, which was an adventure and a heck of a deal, no doubt.

chezbrad wrote:

LAZ wrote: Do not miss Shop & Save.

Porque? I've never thought of stopping there....

Did finally get to Jerry's, which was an adventure and a heck of a deal, no doubt.

I usually spell it "pork" -- and they have lots of it.

Great sausages, good selection of Indian goods -- at least as good as most of the tiny Indian grocers... can't say I love the produce aisle at this one or the one in downtown Des Plaines.

For European groceries, it probably can't be beat in the area in terms of selection.

Stop & Save stores are one-stop ethnic shopping adventures with imported goods from all over the world; wonderful house-smoked meats and sausages and great deli departments, generally; excellent house-made prepared foods (mostly Polish); a good bakery; on top of all of the routine supermarket stuff that you'd otherwise have to buy at Jewel or Dominick's and it's typically at lower prices.

The Niles store is the smallest and most cramped, but walk past the "regular" supermarket section up front and look at the ethnic and specialty sections.

Niles has two good Polish delis but I find I like the sausages and prepared foods at Shop & Save better. I'm especially fond of their salatka jarzynowa (vegetable salad).

The produce department in Niles is OK (not as good as Des Plaines or Schaumburg), but with Jerry's and H-Mart so close, I wouldn't go there just for that. It's fine if you want just to pick up a few things while you do your other shopping.

Here's a random selection of things I spotted on a recent trip: Key lime juice, steel-cut oats, Tallgrass beef, trahanas (Greek sourdough pasta), quinoa, ladyfingers, soba noodles, cellophane noodles, rice noodles and wheat noodles, four brands of fish sauce, Amish butter, Irish butter, Polish butter.

Shop & Save Market
http://www.shopandsavemarket.com
229 Golf Mill Center, Niles, 847/803-6590
518 Metropolitan Way, Des Plaines, 847/227-5800
830 W. Golf Road, Schaumburg, 847/781-7000

Well I'll be...I just naturally presumed the stores--particularly the Des Plaines one--were of the Cub/Kroger variety.

Pie Lady wrote: ...something called Farm Fresh International Market is opening "soon"...)

Pie Lady, (or anyone) any intel on this store? I was in the area not too long ago, and it looked like "soon" was sooner than not. I noticed their logo seems similar to the one now on the Oakton/Asbury store in Evanston.

I'm afraid I don't know the particulars of when they are opening, but I took a walk by there on Wednesday and the non-perishable shelves seem to be fully stocked and they are now hiring. The name is up on the front of the building but all the paper is still on the windows. Is that also the same as the one on Devon, around 2600?
I can't wait til this place opens.

Thanks, I'll keep my eyes peeled, too.

Farm Fresh now appears to be open - a pink & purple flag is flyin' and there are neon green papers covering the top halves of the windows - gotta be sale items.

See you there!

Da Beef wrote:

chezbrad wrote:A Yelp search of FBIM led me to Jerry's, down a mile or so on Milwaukee; seems to be the local indie favorite of Nile-ans in the know. I will check that out next week on my way home.

This is a nice place with a really great produce selection, anyone who thinks Stanley's is decent, check this place out, itll change your mind about Stanley's. All sorts of international stuff your not going to find many other places. Good sales on stuff too. Nothing good as far as fresh cut meat but a nice place for produce, spices, international goods and other hard to find items.

Jerry's fruit and garden
7901 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 967-1440

Just an FYI - Jerry's just started selling fresh meat and poultry. Good prices.

I wish Jerry's had a website with thier specials......

And Farmers Best at Golf and Milwaukee Ave. is now closed.

PKramer wrote:And Farmers Best at Golf and Milwaukee Ave. is now closed.

Really? They were having an anniversary sale two weeks ago, 20% off the entire store. They were still very well stocked -- it didn't look like a clearance.
I've never seen the place very full of customers, though, and while they often had lots of interesting things... they rarely had what I was actually looking for.

I'm sad to report that Sun View market in Niles and the Chicago location of Renee Gourmet/Odessa Market just south of Niles have both closed.

Also, Arax Foods has new management and has evidently given up its adjoining meat market.

There's a Groupon today for $10 off Minelli products. How are things there since the move?

Pie Lady wrote:There's a Groupon today for $10 off Minelli products. How are things there since the move?

I stop in fairly often as I have a regular appointment in the Oak Mill mall. Minelli's is always hopping. We enjoyed the freshly made meatballs recently. I also liked the sausage meatballs, but Mr. X was less of a fan. (He said meatballs are made of meat, not sausage. Sigh.)

Minelli Meat & Deli
7900 N Milwaukee Ave # 6
Niles, IL 60714-3173
(847) 965-1315

I was there a few weeks ago and thought the fresh meatballs (raw, take home and cook), fresh sausages and deli were all great. I also bought a jar of the extra hot giardeniera, which is outstanding. I was irritated by the fact that the woman who bagged our items managed to place the heavy jar of giardeniera right on top of the meatballs but whatever.

The mall location is incredibly odd but once inside the shop itself, I thought the vibe and the goods were as good as ever.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:The mall location is incredibly odd but once inside the shop itself, I thought the vibe and the goods were as good as ever.

Agreed, weirdly empty mall, but Minelli's is bustling.

I'm a Minelli's fan, Italian subs, fresh meat, deli and thoughtful selection of dry goods. I particularly like their celery and olive salad and Italian sausage. In a not so scientific survey I did 4-5 years ago Minelli had the hottest, spiciest Italian sausage out of the 7-8 places I tried. All of their sausage if fresh, with the exception of the XXX-Hot, that is frozen as it does not move rapidly, it is a seriously amped up sausage.

There are tables in the mall available for eat-in Minelli customers.

Enjoy,
Gary

New(ish) location
Minelli's Meat & Deli
7900 N Milwaukee Ave
Ste 6
Niles, IL 60714
847-965-1315

Should I expect more deli meat stuff as opposed to butcher meat stuff like Schmeissers has?

Oak Mill mall is indeed an eerie place. I miss the store that sold wigs and ice cream.

Pie Lady wrote:Should I expect more deli meat stuff as opposed to butcher meat stuff like Schmeissers has?

Oak Mill mall is indeed an eerie place. I miss the store that sold wigs and ice cream.

Pie Lady-

They have both a butcher counter and a deli counter.