From all the press I’d read, I felt certain I was going to walk into a market of French foods. Instead, this market is global, with 30 local vendors putting out native produce, Vietnamese sandwiches, Mexican fare, Polish sausage, Italian coffee, exotic pastas, fish and meat, French pastries, artisan soaps, cut flowers, crepes — and more. There’s tables inside for diners who want to grab a quick lunch, and outside, tables blessed with sun.
I was looking for dinner ingredients after a pleasing business lunch at Prairie Fire (215 N. Clinton St.) brought me to the West Loop.
After touring the whole market — brightly lit, with wide aisles — I zeroed in on the fresh offerings at Produce Express, where I nabbed pints of local blueberries and blackberries ($4 each) and a bag of mixed greens ($2). If I were a commuter, I’d be stopping here daily; prices were reasonable and there was a wide assortment, all of it locally grown at this time of year. Their vegetables looked exquisite, and, I have to admit that I liked being inside — not fighting dogs and baby strollers and the heat — buying local, quality produce.
From there I headed to Pastoral Artisan Cheese Bread & Wine, an outpost of the popular Lakeview establishment (2945 N. Broadway). I picked up a puffy boule ($3.42), creamy hand-dipped ricotta ($6.99 per pound) marinated sun-dried tomatoes ($14.99 per pound) and Italian prosciutto ($24.99 per pound). The servers were knowledge, helpful and generous with tastes.
On my way out, I picked up oversized cookies ($2 each) from Sweet Miss Giving’s, a bakery and jobs training program that donates half its profits to Chicago House. Good deeds produce great cookies: my chocolate chip cookie eaters raved about the dark chocolate chunks and golden, fluffy dough.
The market (131 N. Clinton St.) is accessible from Clinton Street or the Ogilvie Transportation Center (504 W. Madison St.) It’s a treasure for commuters, West Loop workers and residents, and home cooks like me who’ve wandered off their beaten path.