This is one grocery store where it’s OK to eat the food. This cute spot has a cafe in addition to a store, which allows customers to relax and eat before shopping (Mom always said not to grocery shop on an empty stomach!). The brown and blue cafe is trendy but comfortable with a menu of light, healthy eats.

Starters include ginger carrot bisque and baby spinach with pears, parmesan and cider vinaigrette. For lunch or dinner, we like the roasted thyme chicken with marscapone mashed potatoes. There’s also a great grilled brie on ciabatta with garlic-braised tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms. Desserts don’t disappoint, especially the banana ravioli with vanilla custard sauce.

Restaurant
Southport Grocery

Type of Cuisine
Modern Comfort

Food Address
3552 N. Southport, Chicago

Phone
(773) 665-0100

Hours
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Friday and for breakfast and lunch only on Saturday and Sunday.

Average Dinner Tab
$12 per person without drinks

Reservations
Reservations are not accepted.

Credit Cards
All major credit cards are accepted.

What our reviewers said:

• Nick recommends it for mimosas all day long, and says the décor is so cute.
• Robert liked the concept and thought it was a great bang for the buck.
• Jill said she’s looking forward to going back to try the cupcakes.

Recipes
Vanilla Vinaigrette

Sweet treats for adults this Halloween

Friday, October 27, 2006 | 5:57 PM
By Steve Dolinsky
October 27, 2006 (WLS) — ABC7’s Hungry Hound spans the globe in his search for sweets– from American cupcakes to Australian donuts and scones.

Why should the kids get to hoard the sweets over Halloween? Adults not only have sweet tooths, they’re often somewhat more refined. Two brand-new bakeries offer everything from home-spun cupcakes to the best scones in town.

Who doesn’t love a cupcake every now and then? They certainly put a smile on people’s faces, and that’s the mantra at the brand new Swirlz Cupcakes in Lincoln Park.

“I think people come in and they’re very pre-disposed, but they’re open to try new things; and we’ve done a lot of sampling,” said Margot Chapman, Swirlz Cupcakes.

Ten flavors are on hand everyday; five of which stay the same, including chocolate, vanilla and red velvet. Everything is baked and frosted in-house; there’s also one flavor each day that’s gluten-free - that means no wheat, oats or barley - and an additional sugar-free option. Chapman says despite the popular flavors, customers still want to try something new.

“So people come in and they’ll say ‘I really want red velvet, it’s very nostalgic from my childhood, but I’m gonna try the pumpkin.’”

Over in Humboldt Park, there are several flavors from “down under” at the brand-new Tipsycake on North California, where a custom cake designer is expanding her modest operation.

“We’ve been making custom cakes and pastries for about a year-and-a-half; now we have a small retail storefront, which we’re encouraging people to come in and place orders,” said Naomi Stepanek, Tipsycake.

Original birthday, baby shower and other special-occasion cakes are always on hand, but check out the tiny, focused retail counter up front: brownies, cupcakes and rugelach are worth picking up, including some of Stepanek’s favorites from back home.

“We have lemingtons, which are the Aussie’s equivalent of a doughnut.”

Sponge cake is layered with raspberry preserves…rolled in tons of coconut. For an early-morning treat, do not miss the fantastic scones. They come with the requisite fruit preserves and clotted cream, and Stepanek says they are one-of-a-kind.

“Because they’re made by an Australian, that’s the one recipe that I stick to, and only I know the recipe because it’s all about the texture, and what you put in it and how you make it.”

Two other alternatives for excellent baked goods: the cupcakes at Southport Grocery are out of this world and just about anything from Bittersweet Bakery in Lakeview.

Swirlz Cupcakes
705 W. Belden Ave.
773-404-2253

Tipsycake
1043 N. California Ave.
773-580-8113

Southport Grocery
3552 N. Southport Ave.
773-665-0100

Bittersweet
1114 W. Belmont Ave.
773-929-1100

(Copyright ©2008 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Cut Down to Size

Small Stuff We Love
August 11, 2006

Big news, kids. There’s actually a lot more than the devil in the details.

To wit: some small stuff that we’re sweating big time this summer.

Little Thing #1: Curbside Service at Kiehl’s. There’s no parking on Armitage and you’re fresh out of face wash. What’s a girl to do? Call ahead and give them your credit card number. They’ll ring you up and run the goods out to your car (907 West Armitage Avenue, at Fremont Street; 773-665-2515).

Little Thing #2: Sprinkle Vials at Southport Grocery. Take your pick of sprinkles (solids, shapes, or rainbow) at the cash register and decorate your cupcake how you want, when you want (3552 North Southport Avenue, between Addison Street and Cornelia Avenue; 773-665-0100).

Little Thing #3: Bangle Bags from She-Knits. Just the right size for cell phone, keys, lipgloss, and poop bags — for when you have to walk the dog (Mint Boutique, 2150 North Seminary Avenue, at Webster Avenue; 773-322-2944).

Little Thing #4: BugBam Wristbands. Waterproof, sweatproof, and all-natural bug repellent in the shape of a “cause” bracelet. Because doing away with mosquitos is one cause we can certainly get behind.

Little Thing #5: Twiddledee Jewelry. Earrings and necklaces made from vintage beads and glass in sweet little combos that include owls and crocheted baubles (Hanger 18, 4726 North Lincoln Avenue, at Leland Avenue; 773-275-3349).

And since none of these things will set you back as much as a big-ticket item, your bank account will thank you.

And that’s no small change.

DINING

This time, it’s personal
Readers spoke, Phil listened–and ate lots more flapjacks

By Phil Vettel
Tribune restaurant critic
Published March 9, 2006

Back in January, I wrote a story evaluating some of Chicago’s top pancake chains, from Walker Brothers to Lumes Pancake House.

I wasn’t surprised that a few of you wrote in to suggest a few places I had overlooked.

“You totally missed [fill in the blank],” went a typical e-mail. “Their pancakes are perfect.”

“You must try [another restaurant],” went another. “It has the best pancakes around here.”

I figure anybody who takes the time to read my stuff must have something on the ball. So, based on the most glowing testimonials, I set out once again. As in the original story, I focused on multi-unit restaurants–though one reader’s impassioned e-mail moved me to add one independent to the mix.

Remember: These are the places you recommended.

(And please feel free to write in with more of your favorites. Just understand that I’m a little pancaked-out for the foreseeable future.)

Egg Harbor Cafe

Location visited: Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard; 630-792-0724

Other locations: 11 others in the Chicago suburbs; www.eggharborcafe.com

Comments: There are only two pancakes on the menu of this 20-year-old suburban chain (not counting the Swedish pancakes, a different animal). The Signature pancakes are made with a whole-wheat batter, though they don’t have an appreciably different texture than that of regular pancakes. The same batter goes into the blueberry pancakes. Both are decent enough, but no great shakes; I much preferred the excellent French toast that my son ordered on one visit.

Flapjack rating: Two spatulas

Kingsberry Waffle House & Restaurant

Location visited: 3345 Vollmer Rd., Flossmoor; 708-922-1799

Other locations: Mokena, Oak Forest

Comments: This family-run breakfast-lunch spot looks like a house of Pancake Worship because its vaulted ceilings and sun windows bathe the restaurant in light. Wall murals depict naive-style pioneer scenes, including one in which a woman carries a plate of impossibly large pancakes. At least they seemed impossibly large until my order arrived. Big, airy buttermilk pancakes cover the whole plate, and come with whipped butter and warm syrup in ceramic pitchers. The complimentary fruit is a friendly touch.

Flapjack rating: Three spatulas

Cracker Barrel

Location visited: 1855 W. Diehl Rd., Naperville; 630-778-6699

Other locations: Hundreds, in 41 states; www.crackerbarrel.com

Comments: The readers who said I missed out on this one were so right. Amidst down-home (some might say corny) country atmosphere sit some of the fluffiest, golden-brown pancakes around. And they’re served with warmed, 1.7-ounce bottles of pure maple syrup (sugar-free syrup available). Toppings include apples, blackberries and peaches; I especially liked the wild-Maine blueberry pancakes (with blueberry syrup) and the pecan pancakes. The syrup and the pancake mix are available for purchase in the attached Old Country store.

Flapjack rating: Four spatulas

Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe

Location visited: 1783 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville; 847-247-7777

Other locations: Algonquin restaurant opening in summer; www.nextleveldining.com

Comments: Owned by the same company that owns Seasons of Long Grove and Dunhills in McHenry, Wildberry has space for 220 diners in a warm and wood-trimmed interior divided into four distinct areas. Owner George Archos says his people worked for a year perfecting their buttermilk-based pancake batter, which is a little thinner than some of the fluffiest flapjacks but has a wonderful, almost malty flavor. The cranberry-pecan pancakes are really good, the cranberries’ tartness offsetting the sweet pancakes perfectly. There’s a coffee kiosk by the front door, handy for grab-and-run weekday commuters and weekenders waiting for an available table.

Flapjack rating: Four spatulas

Southport Grocery & Cafe

Location visited: 3552 N. Southport Ave., 773-665-0100

Other locations: None; www.southportgrocery.com

Comments: This cute-as-a-button shop combines a comfort-food cafe and a grocery store of upscale foodie items, not to mention carryout and catering services (some devotees stop in for the cupcakes alone). Chef/owner Lisa Santos also makes sinful, bread-pudding pancakes (the batter has pieces of bread in it) topped with homemade cinnamon-sugar butter and vanilla custard sauce; and buttermilk pancakes studded with her homemade cornflakes, stuffed with vanilla-roasted walnuts and topped with wild-berry yogurt. The bread-pudding pancakes are a pure sugar rush; you need to order a side of bacon just to balance things out. The buttermilk ‘cakes are less sugary and more textural. Organic maple syrup from Wisconsin tops ‘em both off.

Flapjack rating: Five spatulas

———-

pvettel@tribune.com

T+L Reports: A New Wind Blows In Chicago

Now that Lincoln Park and Wicker Park have been discovered, North Southport Avenue is drawing the city’s edgy style mavens up to Wrigleyville. Named for the hearththrob in the eighties cult classic Sixteen Candles, Jake (No. 3740; 773/929-5253) is a paean to emerging clothing designers such as James Coviello and Pegah Anvarian.

· Live organ music is a prelude to the independent and foreign films screened at the 1929 Music Box Theatre (No. 3733; 773/871-6604).

·The citrus-stuffed French toast with blueberry compote at the Southport Grocery & Café (No. 3552; 773/665-0100; brunch for two $25) can satisfy any sweet tooth.

·Denim addicts get their fix at Krista K (No. 3458; 773/248-1967), a shop with velvet curtains and more than 20 brands of jeans—from Chip & Pepper to Meli Melo.

· Order a plate of bangers and mash along with a Guinness at the Irish pub Mystic Celt (No. 3443; 773/529-8550; dinner for two $20).

· At Coobah (No. 3423; 773/528-2220; dinner for two $60), an endless stream of bossa nova music is the backdrop for exotic pan-Latin dishes (try the shrimp piri-piri).

· Jalapeño-dusted Mexican maki is just one of the inventive sushi rolls prepared at Rise (No. 3401; 773/ 525-3535; dinner for two $40), a mod Japanese joint with a rocking sake lounge.

—AMY TARA KOCH

Eclectic Delights at Southport Grocery & Cafe

by Janine MacLachlan

I first stumbled upon Southport Grocery and Café in search of special ingredients for a dinner party. I was so taken with the relaxed atmosphere and interesting menu that I stayed for lunch and have been going back ever since. This attractive blend of specialty food store and casual dining spot is a neighborhood delight, brightly lit with walls shaded Hershey bar brown and a wispy pale blue called cumulus cotton.

The place was crawling with moms and kids at lunch time, happy kids drawing with crayons on the white butcher paper at a long row of tables for two and a communal table for eight. And a few hipsters taking a late lunch. And me, enjoying a glass of Fleur de Carneros Pinot Noir, a wine I fell in love with several years ago and have a hard time finding these days. This lighter version of the popular grape variety is a lovely lunchtime wine, and drinking a bottle in the restaurant costs the same $20 you’d pay to take it home. I felt only slightly like a scofflaw, deviating from the suggested wine to go with my tuna sandwich ($8) with olives, roasted red peppers and feta on a bold ciabatta bread.

A Menu Built for Personalization

Southport Grocery and Café has something for everyone. While most people order from the menu, one group bought a box of Vosges chocolates and a bottle of bubbly, then sat down to enjoy it at the café tables, which delighted owner Lisa Santos, who wants patrons to enjoy the space, and the food, in flexible ways. Children frequently choose a snack from the grocery section while the rest of the family orders from the menu.

The portions are flexible. Starters and salads come in tasting portions for those who want just a little something. Many might opt for coffee and a cupcake ($2), the house specialty, at least in my opinion. While I’m typically a chocolate fan, vanilla is my choice here. And the staff isn’t above showcasing the baked goods to get what they want. On one visit my dining companion and I were bribed with the sour cream coffee cake ($3) as we were invited to move to another table to make room for a larger party. The request was made so graciously, and the coffee cake so delicious, it made me willing to move anywhere they wanted.

The menu offers breakfast and lunch, and evolves with the seasons, with pumpkin pancakes leaving until the fall, replaced by buttermilk pancakes ($7) with roasted vanilla walnuts, corn flakes, wheat germ and fresh berries. Other breakfasts include four variations of omelettes ($8), including spinach and tomato with Bravo Farms sage white cheddar. A house-made crunchy chai spice cereal ($7) with vanilla vinaigrette is on my list to try next.

For lunch, I like the ginger carrot bisque ($6) and the cod sandwich ($9) topped with citrus-pepper mayo and tempura vegetables, pretty to look at and scrumptious to eat. But I find a lot of tablemates stumped by the sandwich varieties ($7-$9), including veggie selections like grilled brie or cucumber, tomato and greens with herb cream cheese and provolone.

Stocked with Food Exploration

The grocery shelves are stocked with culinary delights, including local delicacies such as Terry’s Toffee, Urban Accents spices and Gary Poppins popcorn, as well as food and drink from far-flung areas, like pasta from Italy. Santos has chosen products well, including Traderspoint Creamery yogurt ($5.50 a quart), a pourable, flavored yogurt made from organic, grass-fed milk from an Indiana dairy, available at Chicago’s Green City Market in summer but surprisingly scarce in the off season.

I spotted cookie dough to take home and bake for hot-from-the-oven cookies or enjoying by the spoonful straight from the container, and cinnamon sugar butter for cinnamon toast with your morning coffee. Many custom-made condiments are on the café menu, as well.

The final word

Owner Santos, the creative force behind the recipes, the grocery selections, even the Hershey-bar walls, left the insurance business to enter food 24/7, and she’s served up an interesting menu with a good value that appeals to the neighbors, particularly those with children. The kids menu lists half a dozen items for the younger set, including a crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich, grilled cheese and buttered noodles (all $4). Maybe the kids weren’t happy just because of the crayons.

Janine MacLachlan is a freelance writer, cooking school owner and farm groupie who seeks out restaurants that focus on well-raised food. Her website is www.rustickitchen.com.

“Gourmet shop features fine edibles and baking supplies, plus a separate cafe with breakfast and lunch menu.”

View the entire Best of Citysearch Chicago 2005 list here.

Tastefully packaged condiments, pasta, herbs, and the like are displayed on chrome shelves, a banquette of white tables lines a wall, and down-tempo ambient grooves play at a conversational level at this upscale food shop. Owner Lisa Santos focuses on high-quality domestic products, supplemented by a few gourmet imports.

The grocery section sells a variety of honeys, some flavored with star anise and chili, imported pastas, and homemade granola. Among the vinegars, one can find a $49.95 Fini aged balsamic and right below it a French white-wine vinegar priced at $2.50. The store also has a small selection of reasonably priced wines and microbrew beers and a cooler of gourmet cheese and butter, plus carryout items like sandwiches and ginger-carrot bisque.

Then there’s the cafe, which features a stick-to-your-ribs selection of what Santos calls “modern comfort food.” Her interpretations of standard comfort foods are decidedly nonstandard. Her grilled cheese sandwich, for instance, is Brie, spinach, and mushrooms on ciabatta with a couscous-fennel-apple-walnut salad; it costs $8. Also on the menu: a hearty thyme-roasted half chicken served with macaroni and cheese for $12, and Santos’s version of meat and potatoes — beef short ribs slow-braised to such succulence that they dissolve at the nudge of a fork, accompanied by mascarpone mashed potatoes (also $12).

The children’s menu offers such mother-approved standbys as buttered noodles and PB & J with the crusts cut off, both with sides of applesauce and steamed veggies, served on ceramic TV trays.
–Kathie Bergquist

January, 2004

Most child-friendly: The motto at Southport Grocery & Cafe is “modern… simple.. fun.” This long storefront with a big picture window and a sidewalk cafe offers simple, fresh food and an extensive children’s menu.