I’m still trying to figure out the geography of Chicago’s West Town, which according to Choosechicago.com/neighborhoods, appears to be a catch-all for several neighborhoods, including Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, Noble Square, East Village and River West but on another map I have (above) West Town is its own area, south of Ukrainian Village.
That said, we went to an excellent cheese and wine shop for lunch in the Ukrainian Village part of West Town, on Chicago Avenue, recommended to us by a suburban Detroit cheesemonger. All Together Now (think Beatles lyric to try to remember) is a cheerful place with a cool counter and a few tables. Their chicken liver mouse, served in a small jar topped with a layer of congealed oil/fat, was delicious, served with crispy baguette slices, a sweet jam, a country-style Poupon mustard, and tiny pickles (cornichons). The mouse sells for $8 in the shop. The smashed potatoes came with two sauces – one creamy white, another tangy red. And a simple sandwich with excellent ingredients – fresh baguette, Pleasant Ridge cheese (from Wisconsin), salami, and that Poupon-y mustard, was delicious. (We also visited the nearby shop Komodo, which has a cool selection of gifts – jewelry, cards, incense, plants etc.) Other recommended cheese and specialty food shops to visit in Logan Square – The Rind and Lardon.
Since moving to Chicago, we’ve been searching for a conveniently located Italian import store that matches one we love in Des Moines (Graziano’s). Bari Foods on West Grand Street, fits the bill, with a deli counter offering fresh ricotta and mozzarella, homemade sausage, and cold cuts including prosciutto and genoa salami. Next door, we stood in line to buy bread at the Italian bakery and sub shop D’Amato (most people were buying sandwiches and thick slabs of pizza-like focaccia – or focaccia-like pizza.) These shops are not in Chicago’s Little Italy, which is a little further south. (Last month, we tried the huge Italian supermarket Angelo Caputo’s in the western suburb of Elmwood Park, which also has a great deli counter but is less convenient for us city dwellers. Next time I’m in that neck of the woods, I’d like to try Capri Italian Food, 7325 W. North Ave. in River Forest, which is less supermarket.)
The famous Publican Breads is just west of the Italian shops on Grand but, sadly, was closed by 3 p.m. (we arrived at 3:05 p.m.) Also closed by 3 p.m. but worth a future visit – a curiously named coffee and home goods store, The Center of Order and Experimentation at 1727 W. Grand Ave that is also home to Martha Mae (the uber-curated art supplies and “beautiful things” shop formerly of Andersonville).
TakeBetsywithyou 