Thank you to the Steve Dolinsky (aka Hungry Hound) for reviewing our store Green Grocer Chicago! #shopsmall #shoplocal #Chicago "Excited to be back home, but returned to an empty fridge. Ordered some staples this morning from @greengrocerchicago via @shopmercato so I could make one of my go-to recipes for lunch/dinner: peanut noodles. Super easy: any pasta works (I used udon); sauce has creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, fresh ginger & garlic plus rice vinegar, honey and a litt

With the Pandemic continuing its course in the City of #Chicago and around the world, people continue to stay at home and search for things to do. One activity that seems to be popular is the resurgence of #baking and cooking at home. It's great to see. At Green Grocer, we have always cooked and believed that eating a nutritious diet is important to overall #health and wellness. Many of our customers are coming in to purchase yeast and flour. We have both. But they may be

Wine tasting events are a varied affair. This week I went to four wine events over the course of seven days and each event was totally different than the next. Of course, I had my favorites for different reasons. I detest loud places with crowds so that eliminates the large venues that encourage drinking rather than discreet and informed wine education. This week, I enjoyed two wine events that took a unique approach which encouraged intimacy and intelligent conversation and

This week has been a wonderful mix of different tastings. I went to three national tastings sponsored by the wine agencies of Australia, Portugal and Spain. Here are some brief takeaways from my experiences at all three tastings. The first two were held in Chicago and the third in New York City. The first tasting I went to featured wines from Australia. It was held at the Chicago Athletic Club and I was very grateful that the sponsor provided valet parking for those, like me,

Learning the various wine making regions of Italy can be quite daunting. I'm neither a sommelier (I can barely spell the word) nor do I have the nose or palate for a string of long descriptors that impress those that know wine. But I've been enjoying going to seminars hosted by the various wine making regions of the world when they come to Chicago. Just last week, I attended a walk around on Alsatian wines sponsored by Wines of Alsace USA and a seminar/tasting on the wines fr

This week's Meet the Maker Interview is with Nathan and Lou Ann Robinson, Owners of Jake's Country Meats. Jake's Country Meats is a Michigan farm that supplies Green Grocer with pasture raised meats that are raised without antibiotics or hormones. Q: How long has JAKES been in business and how did the company start? A: The Robinson family that owns and operates Jake’s is a 7th generation family farm. The original homestead, this is still being used today, was originally purch

This time of year, we get invited to many wine tasting events as the weather is breaking, sales of white wines, roses, and sparkling wines increase, and many young wines (whites especially) have been bottled, imported, and are ready to be consumed and enjoyed. We get invited to wine events that are sponsored by countries, wine making regions (both domestic and international), distributors, and wine associations. It all can be overwhelming. Based on a wonderful experience we e

If you live in Chicago and follow the grocery business like I do, you'll know that the closing of produce seller Stanley's has received a great deal of attention. Stanley's was a fixture for many shoppers as it offered rock bottom prices on produce and had been in the business for years so had a loyal following who came from near and far to save money. Sources cited in today's Tribune article (SUN APR 28) mention the increased competition of recent openings by grocery giants

Earlier this week, my wife and I were invited to the grand opening of the Jeni's Scoop Shop in Chicago's West Loop. It was an exciting affair and one that I'm glad that we were able to attend. We were invited because our store, Green Grocer Chicago, sells pints of Jeni's products and they have been a good category for us. Our customers enjoy pints of Jeni's ice cream even in the coldest of months. So you know something has to be good with the ice cream! Our sales rep Petra in

In the grocery business this week, the buzz is about the abrupt shut down of Stanley's Produce on Elston Street in Chicago. For those of you who don't know Stanley's or are from out of town, this store was a Mecca of cheap pricing for produce. They got things a bit on the "ripe" side, moved inventory at rock bottom prices, and had a wide selection and loyal customers. So why did it close? The store owner has been quoted as saying that Mariano's (the chain of stores now own

Wine tastings come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Too often, they're way too large and more of a cattle call. These type of wine tasting doesn't really add to an appreciation of what's out there. There is little time for reflection and just a drunk rowdy crowd that make lots of noise. No thanks! But when done correctly, a trade industry wine tasting can be quite informative and a pleasant social occasion. You get to meet other wine professionals and to discuss industr

This is the time of year that people living in Chicago wait for! Finally the warm weather is here and we can now take part in the numerous festivals that happen on weekends in #Chicago and enjoy the lake front of Lake Michigan. This time of year also means good eating. At Green Grocer Chicago, we are do our best to stock #local and fresh products that are #organic and #sustainable. Our shop is located at 1402 W Grand Ave and we invite you to come and get items that will be g