moving to Uptown, any advice?

Hi all, my wife and I are moving to the Sheridan Park neighborhood in Uptown in two weeks (we're on Dover, right around the corner from Carol's Pub), basically 4600 Clark. We're wondering if any locals have tips about where to get groceries. I know there's a Jewel on Broadway, but if you know of any Asian/Mexican shops that have good produce/meat, that would be great.

If there are any or restaurants in the neighborhood we should definitely check out, let's hear 'em.

You're not that far from Argyle Street (Argyle between Broadway and Sheridan). The many Vietnamese groceries (plus one Thai grocer on Broadway where Argyle dead-ends) have good meat and seafood. I just bought great ground pork at one of the larger Vietnamese shops - it was very fresh, and very lean. Since many of the Vietnamese there are ethnic Chinese, there are a lot of Chinese ingredients in the stores, too.

For Mexican, you're not far from a nice Mexican grocery that's on Lawrence a block or two west of Ashland, north side of the street (don't know the name, even though I shop there at least once a week - just look for the green awning).

To get a large selection of produce, meat and Mexican items you need to go west. If you have a car, you should check out HarvesTime (2632 W. Lawrence) and the even larger Cermak Produce (4200 block of N. Kedzie).

HarvesTime is at least partially Greek owned and carries many Greek items for the remnants of Greektown North but also has many other Eastern European and Mexican items (along with a heavily Mexican work force). The produce section is pretty fair, but some of the prices seem to go up on weekends. Meat and fish beat the big chains on quality and price. They added a cooler for organic dairy products in last year's expansion. The product mix seems to respond to the increasing yuppie amd decreasing Hispanic presence in the neighborhood.

This Cermak Produce is much less Mexican than some of their other stores. They appear to carry more Mexican packaged goods than at 2700 W. North Avenue, but the store is so much larger and carries so many products for gringos, Asians and non-Mexican Hispanics that the overall appearance is less Mexican. Meat and produce selections are much larger than the two big chains while prices are lower. For comparison, the pre-wrapped meat cases and butcher meat cases are about four times the size of those at the Jewel at Ashland and Wellington. The delicious irony is that Cermak took over and expanded a store that Jewel abandoned (including a spell as on Osco) after opening a Jewel-Osco at Addison and Kedzie and have taken a lot of business away from the newer Jewel by offering better quality, selection and prices.

Edgewater Produce
5509 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 275-3800

Edgewater Produce is owned by the same people as HarvesTime but is very much smaller and does not have a parking lot. The selection of merchandise is very limited by comparison but not as limited as the ratio of floor space (at least a factor of 5) would imply. When they expanded Harvestime last year, they also widened the aisles. Even so, there is still some congestion on weekends but nothing like the congestion in Edgewater Produce.

i always enjoyed visiting delray farms at broadway/foster ... haven't been there in about 3 years, but they used to have good produce (purchased direct from farms?) and pretty good meat...

one of the largest ethnic asian food stores is in the strip mall on braodway just south of argyle... from the front it looks small but inside its a pretty decent sized store ... http://chicago.citysearch.com/profile/36209703 ... haven't been there in a few years either.. it had just about everything you could think of... i never really tried their meat, though they had fresh seafoods and other meat.

also, right across from carol's pub used to be a grocery store that was "ok" (i preferred it over jewel)... in the same plaza as the walgreen's.... it was a centralla then right as i was leaving it was bought out and changed its name. i feel like i went back and felt like it had gone downhill because they were trying to make it more specialized as something else. not sure what it is now.

dddane wrote:also, right across from carol's pub used to be a grocery store that was "ok" (i preferred it over jewel)... in the same plaza as the walgreen's.... it was a centralla then right as i was leaving it was bought out and changed its name. i feel like i went back and felt like it had gone downhill because they were trying to make it more specialized as something else. not sure what it is now.

Unfortunately, it's now Staples: Your Office Superstore.

Don't forget Aldi's at B'way at Sunnyside for staples -- like honey at $2.50/24 oz -- mushrooms and spinach (standard brands) and half to one third the price of the chains, and a rather awesome german prosciutto.

ekreider wrote:Edgewater Produce is owned by the same people as HarvesTime but is very much smaller and does not have a parking lot.

Interesting, I didn't know it was owned by the same people. You are right, the parking sucks (which is one reason why I never go there anymore), and there are bigger and better markets on the far North Side. However, it is very close to where the OP is moving, and is a much better local option than Jewel for produce.

i echo the remarks about edgewater produce, argyle and the other asian markets, and delray. as to delray and the asian markets, the produce can be hit and miss, but when they're hit, it's a good hit, and really cheap.

From Wilson (4600 north) and Dover HarvesTime is only about 0.5 miles farther than Edgewater Produce (5500 north). Neither is within reasonable walking distance carrying a load. If you are driving anyway, HarvesTime is better in so many ways than its older sibling.

Edited to correct distance

Along the same lines as the Asian markets on Argyle, but cleaner and with some Japanese items, is Golden Pacific Market. It's 20 feet north of the Jewel on Broadway (at Berwyn). They have six parking spaces, and that is usually more than enough.

There's also the Middle Eastern Bakery, on Foster between Clark and Ashland, which is so good for so many reasons (among them: breads, homemade spreads, and bulk grains & spices).

My sister just moved to Uptown. This thread has been dormant for awhile, so I'm hoping there's some new stuff in the neighborhood. She's at Magnolia & Leland, so Lawrence and Broadway. She's desperately looking for the closest grocery store. She does not have a car, so walking/public transportation is her only option (unless I drive out there and get her occasionally.) If there are any produce markets nearby, I know she'd be eternally grateful for the tip.

Any ideas?

dddane wrote:i always enjoyed visiting delray farms at broadway/foster ... haven't been there in about 3 years, but they used to have good produce (purchased direct from farms?) and pretty good meat...

Is Delray Farms still in business? The last time I drove past several of their locations, they were shuttered.

jlawrence01 wrote:

dddane wrote:i always enjoyed visiting delray farms at broadway/foster ... haven't been there in about 3 years, but they used to have good produce (purchased direct from farms?) and pretty good meat...

Is Delray Farms still in business? The last time I drove past several of their locations, they were shuttered.

It is now a CVS

Sharona wrote:

jlawrence01 wrote:

dddane wrote:i always enjoyed visiting delray farms at broadway/foster ... haven't been there in about 3 years, but they used to have good produce (purchased direct from farms?) and pretty good meat...

Is Delray Farms still in business? The last time I drove past several of their locations, they were shuttered.

It is now a CVS

abe_froeman wrote:My sister just moved to Uptown. This thread has been dormant for awhile, so I'm hoping there's some new stuff in the neighborhood. She's at Magnolia & Leland, so Lawrence and Broadway. She's desperately looking for the closest grocery store. She does not have a car, so walking/public transportation is her only option (unless I drive out there and get her occasionally.) If there are any produce markets nearby, I know she'd be eternally grateful for the tip.

Any ideas?

Pickin's is slim. Dominicks is at Foster & Sheridan, Jewel is at Montrose & Sheridan, so they're pretty equal distance, and neither is nice. It appears that a new smallish grocery is going to open (but when???) in the space that used to be Mi Rancho, 4650 N. Sheridan (next door to Siam Noodle). The sign is up ("Urban Fresh Market" or something?), but the windows are papered and progress seems slow. Something to watch for... There is also a newish (and tiny) produce market, Anadeisy, at 4757 N. Sheridan, but honestly, I kind of avoid that corner (fairly or not). The only time I've been in there was the day after Election Day when I was trying EVERYWHERE to find a newspaper. For now, the Clark St. bus to Edgewater Produce would be what I'd do. There's also a new 7-11 on Wilson near Racine, and Walgreens at Clark & Wilson, FWIW.

abe_froeman wrote:
My sister just moved to Uptown. This thread has been dormant for awhile, so I'm hoping there's some new stuff in the neighborhood. She's at Magnolia & Leland, so Lawrence and Broadway. She's desperately looking for the closest grocery store. She does not have a car, so walking/public transportation is her only option (unless I drive out there and get her occasionally.) If there are any produce markets nearby, I know she'd be eternally grateful for the tip.

Any ideas?

Peapod.com should become her next best friend, especially at this time of year. Granted, there is a delivery charge, but the selection of both food-and non-food items they carry is very good, the meat is more than acceptable, and the sale prices are generally as good as Jewel/TI, if not better. For big, heavy stuff - laundry detergent, bottled water, 64-oz juice cartons, wine/beer, etc. - the convenience factor is unparalleled. Service is nothing short of impeccable; any snafus are rectified literally in a matter of minutes. Highly recommended!

Holly of Uptown wrote:For now, the Clark St. bus to Edgewater Produce would be what I'd do.

If taking the bus is an option, I'd recommend taking the Montrose bus to Kedzie and heading over to Cermak Produce (Montrose bus goes down Wilson between Broadway and Clark). I'd also favor the Lawrence bus to HarvesTime over Edgewater Produce. But for me, Cermak is at the top of the heap.

The little grocery I referenced above, Fresh Harvest Market (I had the name wrong before) finally has signs up that say Grand Opening Saturday, February 28. I just googled the name and the address and phone came up.

4650 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 516-4860

Edited to correct date

I live in the area now, having moved from edgewater, and there are two options that I use that I haven't seen.

1. Aldi is a few blocks south on Broadway.

2. If the bus is an option, my favorite market is Devon market. All you have to do is take the Broadway bus north and it will drop you right out front. Also you are across the street from La Unica then where you can pick up some great Latin American Staples as well as a GNR lunch!

Fresh Harvest Market, referenced above, opened today. I've been shopping at the nearby market at Wilson and Sheridan, and this is quite a step up. It's closer in concept to a Whole Foods than a neighborhood market, with an in store cafe that serves coffee and ice cream, a salad bar, olive bar, soup station and (coming soon) a prepared food section. The organic selection is a bit limited, but they do have Stonyfield Farm yogurt, and Horizon Organic milk. The store is beautiful, and prices are very reasonable. It's a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Fresh Harvest Market
4650 N. Sheridan Rd.
Chicago, IL

I just moved to uptown as well, and have spent some time exploring grocery options myself. I've start a small project to document the local(ish — my definition of local is somewhere I can bike to and return with a decent amount on my back, this might be a little far for most people) grocery stores in a format that's easy to plan shopping trips with (ie google maps). Most of the information is from LTH, yelp, and my personal experience.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=101586581231142222804.000472b0893df6ed5fafc&z=13

If anyone wants to contribute to this let me know and I will add you as a collaborator.

I just went to Edgewater Produce for the first time today. I got:

6 avocados
5 limes
one bunch cilantro
one cucumber
Half pound queso fresco
one vidalia onion
two cans Chicken of the Sea tuna in water
One can Preferida frijoles charros

Total bill $11.38. I'm sold.