bearDROPPINGS

Paulina Market

3501 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL
(773)248-6272

I started going to this place when I moved into Lakeview 26 years ago and they have only gotten better with time. Prime meats and sausages as you have never seen them before. The meat and cheese deli is awesome and the freezer cases are full of wonderful goodies like rabbit, stuffed clams. If you even remotely like meat, this is the butcher to try. Get a packed of frozen Lieberkasen to make at home, but some fresh from the deli case.

Patel Bros

2610 W Devon Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 262-7777

The Patel Bros supermarket on Devon is the place to buy Eastern, Indian, and Pakistani ingredients and foods.

The fresh produce has a nice selection of exotic herbs and vegetables. The freezer case have vegs, breads and a wide assortment of pre-made dinners/entrees. There is a section with all these savory Indo/Paki snacks sold in bulk so you can buy as much as you’d like. Also, a wide assortment of Basmati rice and you can usually find a buy one get one offer. If you are looking for any kind of spice, pickle, curry paste or a just jar of chutney try these guys out.

Open 7 days a week, but the parking on Devon sucks so visit Fresh Farms next door or Sukhadia’s Sweets and Snacks across the street while you are there to make it worth the trip.

Isaacson & Stein

800 W Fulton Mkt
Chicago, IL
(312) 421-2444

Purveyor of fresh and frozen fish who sells directly to stores and restaurants, but has a store for the public. Come early in the day, bring an ice chest and take home the best fish you can find in Chicago. From whole red snapper to fresh mussels, these guys have a huge assortment of fresh and salt water seafood with prices that are hard to beat. Open Mon-Fri and they provide free ice to chill your purchase.

Viet Hoa Plaza

1051 W Argyle Street,

Chicago, IL

(773) 334-1028

My friend Izzy turned me on to this place almost 25 years ago when this neighborhood was scarier. You can find canned & dry goods, frozen items like noodles and pot sticker, fresh meats, poultry, fish, vegs, and cooking & serving ware. The prices are very reasonable and the variety is impossible to beat. They have every kind of dried noodle, sauce or seasoning an Asian recipe could call for. I suggest you browse the aisles and discover a whole new world of ingredients.

They have a parking lot, but good luck getting in there. Open 7 days a week.

Northwestern Cutlery

810 W Lake St

Chicago, IL 60607
(866) 985-5153

As the name implies they sell cutlery or knives here, but that’s only half the story. They also sharpen knives which is great if you don’t know how and want a sharp knife. I’ll bring my entire collection here and they do it while I wait. On top of that they sell commercial kitchen equipment and clothing so if you need a quality cutting board, or saute pan check them out. They also sell used knives and are a great bargain.

Only open Mon-Fri, but call first to make sure they are there. They have parking next to the building.

Penzeys Spices

1138 West Lake St

Oak Park, IL

(708) 848-7772

This is my favorite place to check out & buy spices. They have samples of all the different spices, herbs and blends that they sell. The prices are just a fraction of you pay for a supermarket brand name. Buy glass jars or reuse your own like I do and save a ton of money.

Visit them online at Penzeys Spices and have spices delivered to your door or order a catalog that comes out every season and includes great recipes.