HyVee Supermarket in Sycamore

A brand new HyVee store is opening on DeKalb Ave in Sycamore. It is not open yet but it looks like they'll be open in less that one month and will be the first market in this area.

Hey...this is in my neck of the woods. Is HyVee a big deal? jlawrence01 are you in my area? (you can PM if you want).

Ive been to the HyVee over in Peru, IL.

About the same as my local Super Walmart & Krogers: average produce, plus beef, chicken and pork I wouldnt buy.

Was afraid of that

razbry wrote:Hey...this is in my neck of the woods. Is HyVee a big deal? jlawrence01 are you in my area? (you can PM if you want).

A step below Wegman's

A GIANT LEAP ahead of Jewel, Dominick's and the other chains in the Chicago area.

HyVee had their grand opening yesterday...what a crush! I have to say that it probably is now the area's leading grocery store. Looking forward to going back when there are fewer than a gazzillion people present.

razbry wrote:Hey...this is in my neck of the woods. Is HyVee a big deal? jlawrence01 are you in my area? (you can PM if you want).

No I am in McHenry Co. However, my grocery exploits range from Niles (Super H Mart) to Rockford (Hilander and Ingoles). And I get out to DeKalb when I am returning from St. Louis and occasionally during football season.

The HyVee's I've been to in Iowa usually have a small diner inside that serves up a decent breakfast. I wouldn't know about lunch or dinner as I've only been for breakfast.

Went back. The store has a pretty big dine in area. Mall food...pizza, Panda Express like Chinese, sushi, sandwich bar and salad bar. They serve breakfast and have special meal nights like steak dinner for $8.00. I like the cheese case, large produce section and huge "wellness" section that includes gluten free products. There is also a community room, and they are offering a bunch of cooking classes for $10. I might try one. What I thought was GREAT was that if you take your grocery store receipt to the HyVee gas station, you get 10 cents off/gal.

Stopped by this past Friday to check out the new store. Was very unimpressed. It reminded me of a cheap Whole Foods knock-off. From a price and selection comparison Woodmans has the store beat hands-down.

The one bright spot was the liquor department. Nice rum selection, in fact they carry Flor De Cana 7 yr ($21.00?) and 12 yr ($33.00). The prices are in line with what you what would expect to pay stateside for these exceptional rums.

Yes but mousec1 this is Sycamore! We are happy for anything that is one step up. Funny about the rum. I never even went to the liquor dept.!

razbry wrote:Yes but mousec1 this is Sycamore! We are happy for anything that is one step up. Funny about the rum. I never even went to the liquor dept.!

Considering that the other options are Jewel (approximately 30+ years old) and a Super Walmart, I think that people in the area are ecstatic.

HyVee update. HyVee is offering short simple cooking classes here in Sycamore. I took a class on making Salsas ($10.00). What a lot of fun. Over 30 people showed up...so I'd say this area is "hungry" for this sort of thing. Learned a few new things and got to eat myself silly with salsas. Chef Jon was a fun and engaging instructor.

I must confess, this is the first time I've ever developed a relationship with a grocery store. Took my third cooking class there last night (how to cook fish). Learned alot, met lots of local foodies, loved the enthusiasm of Chef Jon. There are some good brains turning at HyVee.

I'm going to my first HyVee dinner with paired Sam Adam beer. Now before you poo poo this, you gotta think about where I'm located. For $40.00 this is what is being served:

1st Course: Duck Confit, Watercress Salad, Blackberry Vinaigrette, Candied Pecans with SA Blackberry Witbier
2nd Course: Pale Ale Mussels, Butter, Citrus, Carlic, Out-of-the-oven Garlic bread with SA Pale Ale
3rd Course: Seared Sea Scallops, Home-made Roasted Corn Relish, Edamame Puree, Lime Dressing with SA Imperial White
4th Course: Wee-Heavy Scotch Ale 7 Hour Briased Beef Short Ribs, Leeks, Carrots, Mushrooms, Pan Juices, and The-Best-Mashed-Potatoes-Ever with SA Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
5th Course: Made-From-Scratch Brulee Pumpkin Cheesecake, 5-Spice Whipped Cream with SA Double Bock

Chef Jon will be cooking...and he is very good. I'm more in it for the food than the beer, but it should be a fun event. HyVee has a really nice clubroom where they hold these events.

Life just got a little better out in the country!

razbry wrote:I'm going to my first HyVee dinner with paired Sam Adam beer. Now before you poo poo this, you gotta think about where I'm located. For $40.00 this is what is being served:

1st Course: Duck Confit, Watercress Salad, Blackberry Vinaigrette, Candied Pecans with SA Blackberry Witbier
2nd Course: Pale Ale Mussels, Butter, Citrus, Carlic, Out-of-the-oven Garlic bread with SA Pale Ale
3rd Course: Seared Sea Scallops, Home-made Roasted Corn Relish, Edamame Puree, Lime Dressing with SA Imperial White
4th Course: Wee-Heavy Scotch Ale 7 Hour Briased Beef Short Ribs, Leeks, Carrots, Mushrooms, Pan Juices, and The-Best-Mashed-Potatoes-Ever with SA Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
5th Course: Made-From-Scratch Brulee Pumpkin Cheesecake, 5-Spice Whipped Cream with SA Double Bock

Chef Jon will be cooking...and he is very good. I'm more in it for the food than the beer, but it should be a fun event. HyVee has a really nice clubroom where they hold these events.

Life just got a little better out in the country!

menu and price got my attention..

I think I have to revisit that Hyvee over in Peru. makes me wonder if they are doing things like this.

razbry wrote:I'm going to my first HyVee dinner with paired Sam Adam beer. Now before you poo poo this, you gotta think about where I'm located. For $40.00 this is what is being served:

1st Course: Duck Confit, Watercress Salad, Blackberry Vinaigrette, Candied Pecans with SA Blackberry Witbier
2nd Course: Pale Ale Mussels, Butter, Citrus, Carlic, Out-of-the-oven Garlic bread with SA Pale Ale
3rd Course: Seared Sea Scallops, Home-made Roasted Corn Relish, Edamame Puree, Lime Dressing with SA Imperial White
4th Course: Wee-Heavy Scotch Ale 7 Hour Briased Beef Short Ribs, Leeks, Carrots, Mushrooms, Pan Juices, and The-Best-Mashed-Potatoes-Ever with SA Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
5th Course: Made-From-Scratch Brulee Pumpkin Cheesecake, 5-Spice Whipped Cream with SA Double Bock

Chef Jon will be cooking...and he is very good. I'm more in it for the food than the beer, but it should be a fun event. HyVee has a really nice clubroom where they hold these events.

Life just got a little better out in the country!

HERE ARE THE DETAILS:


Samuel Adams Brewery Beer Dinner

Date: 10/15/2011
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Hy-Vee Club Room

Join us for a special night of beer and food as we are joined by representatives of Samuel Adams Brewery for a beer dinner featuring some new and old Sam Adams brews and another delectable menu from Chef Jon Paton. Price for this delectable evening will be $40.00 per person and seating is limited, so call or stop in soon and reserve your spot!


I would attend but I am on vacation that week.

They are also going to have a bourbon dinner at the end of Oct.

Bourbon Dinner Info.

Date: 10/26/2011
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Hy-Vee Club Room
Cost: $40.00
Chef: Jon Paton
https://www.hy-vee.com/stores/department-features/Default.aspx?s=978

1st Course:
Dry-Cured Country Ham, House-made Assortment of Pickles, Whole-Grain Mustard-from-scratch, Door-County Cherry Preserves with Basil Hayden 8 year.
2nd Course:
Grilled Sturgeon Skewers, Napa Cabbage Slaw, Cider Vinaigrette with Maker's Mark
3rd Course:
Moroccan Lamb Chops, Apricot-Ginger-Bourbon Chutney, Grilled Cauliflower, Baby Greens with Baker's 7 year old
4th Course:
Roasted Pumpkin Bisque, Thick-Cut Bacon, with Knob-Creek Single Barrel
5th Course:
Fred Flintstone Sized Bone-In Prime Ribeye, Wild Mushroom Medley, Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus with Booker's Bourbon
6th Course:
Cast-Iron Home-made apple Pie, burnt sugar Ice Cream with Maker's Mark 46

I can't wait. The closest thing similar to this might be in Geneva, but would be well outside my price range. Now wouldn't it be ironic if some LTHers from the Chicago area came out to Sycamore try this in a HyVee grocery store clubroom? Chef Jon Paton is doing a great job turning the locals into true foodies!

Recently I had one of the best dinners I’ve eaten in a long time, and the best dinner I’ve ever had within a 50 mile radius of the DeKalb/Sycamore area. It was a unique experience as it took place in a local grocery store. HyVee opened in this area this past summer, and I’ve been developing a relationship with it ever since. HyVee has a clubroom that is located within the grocery store, and is used for dietary informational opportunities, cooking classes, liquor tasting and more. I got hooked on the cooking classes. They were taught by HyVee’s Chef, Jon Paton. It didn’t take me long to recognize that this young man was not only passionate about the culinary world, but was extremely talented Chef as well.

As one of the “foodies” in his classes, we were overjoyed to have his talent and passion to learn from and revel in. The DeKalb area isn’t known for it’s culinary opportunities. It’s been lonely, and certainly it was a motivating factor in my outreach to the LTH forum. HyVee had created an opportunity for me to find the local people of “my kind”.

About a month ago HyVee started to offer five or six course dinners, created by Chef Jon to pair with select liquors. The first dinner was paired with varieties of scotch. The next dinner that was offered was paired with Sam Adams beer. In the future there will be a dinner paired with bourbon. I attended the Sam Adams dinner. Based on seeing how and what Chef Jon taught in his cooking classes, I knew I was in for a treat. The meal was everything I thought it would be, and more. One of the incredible aspects of this event was the price point. The meal, and six (plus) beers (if you wanted to drink them all)for $40.00. What an opportunity!

The clubroom. Once the doors were shut and the blinds closed, it felt like a private dining room.



Chef Jon in early prep.



The clubroom setup. You could watch the Chef work in the kitchen at the end of the room



The menu



Chef Jon plating the first course



1st Course: Duck Confit, Baby Greens Salad, Blackberry Vinaigrette, Candied Pecans. Served with Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier

Rich fatty duck beautifully contrasted with the sweet pecans and the acidity of the salad vinaigrette



My favorite taste (of beer) of the evening



2nd Course: Pale Ale Mussels, Butter, Citrus, Garlic, Out-Of-The-Oven Garlic Bread. Served with Sam Adams Pale Ale

The mussels were sweet and tender, and extra garlic bread was dispensed so we could sop up every last bit of that heady mussel/butter/citrus/garlic liqueur.



3rd Course: Seared Sea Scallops, Home-made Roasted Corn Relish, Edamame Puree, Lime Dressing. Served with Sam Adams Imperial White

Probably the best seared sea scallops I’ve ever been served away from a coastline. Perfectly cooked and beautifully paired the hints of sweet in the corn relish and citrus in the lime dressing, resting in a pool of silky Edamame Puree.


Chef Jon plating the 4th course. I really enjoyed watching the service aspect of plating the meal.


4th Course: Wee-Heavy Scotch Ale 7 Hour Braised Beef Short Ribs, Leeks, Carrots, Mushrooms, Pan Juices, The-Best-Mashed-Potatoes-Ever. Served with Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

The Braised Short ribs were infused with depth of flavor that could only come from a long slow cooking process. One of my table companions described how he could taste the entire dish as the mushrooms in the dish burst with flavor in his mouth. Indeed, the mashed potatoes were the best ever. “Pan Juices” does not begin to do homage to the reduction that was a beautiful combination of the Wee heavy Scotch Ale and meat/vegetable juices. I would have enjoyed a glass of this more than the Scotch Ale itself!


Chef Jon preparing to “brulee”


5th Course: Made-From-Scratch Brulee Pumpkin Cheesecake, 5-Spice Whipped Cream. Served with Sam Adams Double Bock.

This was a light cheese cake that was not overpowered by the pumpkin flavor. The Brulee added a decadent crunch of sweetness. The 5-Spice whipped cream, well you can never go wrong with something like that!


The dining experience lasted about 2 ½ hours. At the end of the evening we were all gifted with a Sam Adams “perfect pint” beer glass. Guests were invited to stay and sample more beers. But for me, the real gift was the memory of my best dining experience in a long time, and I didn’t have to drive to Chicago for it!

I am not associated with HyVee in anyway, other than to be their customer. I have truly appreciated the strategy at work in this store. What better way to encourage interest in good food than offering cooking classes? Teach the masses how to cook a good meal (somewhat of a lost art for many) and HyVee will be there to supply all the ingredients and materials you need to accomplish that. Have a Chef on the premise that inspires new interest in good food, and fires the passion of existing foodies. Offer top notch dining paired with liquor, highlights HyVee sourced food, what is available in the liquor department, the bread baked in the HyVee bakery, and a quality dessert available for purchase. There is also opportunity for HyVee to showcase their catering and floral departments at these events. In my opinion, it all comes together as a perfect win, win, win situation. As for Chef Jon, I’m going to enjoy what he has brought to the area as long as we get to keep him here. I predict that his star is just starting to ascend.

So there you have it LTHers. The newest thing in dining is now fine dining in a grocery store that also puts the materials and knowledge into the consumers hands to dine "fine" at home.

Excellent post razbry, thanks for sharing!

The interesting thing about pumpkin that people don't expect is that it actually lightens something like cheesecake. I made my 1st pumpkin cheesecake years ago as an experiment and was shocked at how well it worked.

For $40 that's a steal!

HyVee has another dinner that is coming up in November that I'm REALLY looking forward to. I'll tell you all about it, after I get my tickets!

thanks for sharing the pictures and detail of that meal razbry, looks fun/good.

your Hyvee is definitely different than the one I go to in Peru(revisited this past weekend).

I talked to Chef Jon this afternoon. I discovered that the Sycamore HyVee store is unique to the chain. I feel sad that this experience isn't being replicated throughout the chain. Hopefully corporate HyVee will catch on to this success.

Chef Jon let me have a taste of the first course of the upcoming Bourbon Dinner....Dry-Cured Country Ham. Smokey, salty, ham and fat goodness. Eyeballs rolling back in my head!

Wow, great write up razbry. I know I'm lucky to live in the city which gives me access to lots of options, so I love hearing what's happening elsewhere. Keep us updated and hopefully you'll come in for the canning exchange.

razbry wrote:I talked to Chef Jon this afternoon. I discovered that the Sycamore HyVee store is unique to the chain. I feel sad that this experience isn't being replicated throughout the chain. Hopefully corporate HyVee will catch on to this success.

When is the next event?

Other HyVees may not do the fancy dinners but they do offer a lot of cooking demonstrations and also focus a lot of nutrition.

Next dinner...Nov. 12th. I'll post details when I get them. It looks really good.

As promised, here is the info. on the next Sycamore HyVee fine dining (and wine) dinner. For $40.00...you can't go wrong!

Dinner and Wine Tasting of the Pacific Northwest

Another great evening of fine wine and food as we present a wine dinner featuring the wines of the Pacific Northwest. Our special guest will be Greg Wolter of Von Beaumont Distributing, owner of the top Northwest portfolio in Chicago.

Pacific Northwest Wine Dinner Menu

1st course: Spanish-Chorizo Stuffed Clams, Riesling Sauce, Grilled Lime - Willow Crest Pinot Gris 2010

2nd course: Dungeness Crab Salad with Mango and Avocado, Citrus Vinaigrette, Sourdough Crostini - Eola Hills Chardonnay 2009 and Seeing White Chardonnay N.V.

3rd course: Pan-Seared Duck Breast, Pinot Noir and Cherry Sauce, Duckfat French Fries, Mixed Greens - Yamhill Valley Pinot Noir 2007 and Emerson Pinot Noir 2008

4th Course: Wagyu-Beef Wellington, Mushroom Duxelle, Roasted Parsnips - Roza Ridge Roadside Red 2008 and Gilbert Cellars Left Bank 2008

5th Course: Roasted Hazelnut Pie with Apple Butter Ice Cream - Eola Hills Vin D’or Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc

Saturday November 12th, 6:00pm - Make your reservations soon!