| About
Us
Please stop by and experience
our exciting array of specialty food groceries and a
charming café serving modern comfort food at
3552 N. Southport (just south of Addison). In the middle
of the burgeoning shopping and dining destination that
is the Southport Avenue corridor, Southport Grocery
& Café captures the quality-focused, yet
down-to-earth nature of its Lakeview neighbors. This
same balance occurs in the café’s kitchen, with
dishes that are at once modern and new, yet accessible
and comforting.
The Beginnings
My passion for
food began at an early age. “I still have my first cookbook
from when I was 5 years old. Some of my fondest childhood
memories are of sleepovers at my grandma’s house where
we’d just hang out in the kitchen and bake.” So after
over 10 years in Financial Services at CNA, I decided
to follow my passion for food and enrolled in the Cooking
& Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC).
“From the very beginning, even before cooking school,
I had thought of starting my own food business. When
I travel, I love digging around in fine food groceries
just as much as I like dining at new restaurants. Southport
Grocery and Café is a great blend of both of
these interests – interests that I think many Chicagoans
share.”
“I like doing things
that aren’t already done, and this combination of fine
food groceries and a café meets the needs of
people who love to cook as well as those who just love
to eat!”
The Grocery
While many specialty
grocers have an international focus, Southport Grocery
& Café fills an unusual niche by first concentrating
on domestic foodstuffs.
“It’s such an interesting time in American food production.
It’s very possible now to find high-quality specialty
products and artisanally produced foodstuffs right here
in the U.S.” And I admit that finding a passionate producer
or artisan is almost as important as the product itself.
“I really enjoy the hunt of finding things that are
good AND domestic. The best part of that search is finding
a company where the owners are just as excited about
being found, as you are about to taste their product.
That energy and momentum really carries through to our
enthusiasm in the store.”
The Café
With focus on quality,
it goes without saying that the café
menu changes seasonally to reflect the best products
available. Plus most menu items are available for carryout.
So whether you like to
cook or just eat, I look forward to meeting you.
Lisa Santos
Owner/Chef
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