Posts Tagged with local

A Trio Of Bloody Mixes – Fit To Taste

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

We love Bloody Marys; so much so, we carry three very different Bloody Mary mixes from three very different makers. Here then, is each in a line up for easy comparison’s sake.

Bloody Mary Mixes

Starting from the left – Smoke Daddy, a local BBQ place brings a helping of their background in sauces to the mix. It’s a touch thicker than the other two, powerful with pepper and tomatoes. Great with meatier breakfast and lunch foods – always home with a side of bacon. Drink one down during a BBQ, or two the morning after a long night of BBQ. McClure’s take a note from their crazy-good pickles; lots of hot pepper and red pepper flakes coupled together with sweet/bright vinegary pickle flavor. We like this one paired with omelets, a stack of pancakes, or a breakfast sandwich. It matches everything we love about ‘bloodies’ with our unwavering love for pickles. Vintage Vine‘s locally packed and picked bloody mix is like drinking fresh squeezed tomatoes, tossed with vinegar and pepper. Heavenly with a salad on a summer afternoon, finger veggie sandwiches, or popped open for a picnic lunch in the park. Bloody Marys made with Vintage Vine mix are like drinking in the long days of warm vacation.

All are so different and so good – we had have the trio, because a Bloody Mary isn’t just a Bloody Mary, but a compliment to the end of long day or the start of one, the help define a time or mood in a way that only they can. Love bloody mix? Love these mixes? Leave a note below – we’d love to hear from you.

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April 2013 – Posting Thanks

Monday, May 13th, 2013

We try to say ‘thanks’ to posts every month. So here is our shout-out to those who mentioned us in April.

One of our super-friendly customers gave us some the the highest praise possible – building a dish based off of one of ours. In Rachael’s blog, An Eventful Life, she created a pimento and veggie scramble that makes us hungry to dig in.

Matt Kirouac, a prolific Chicago food writer, gave us another shout out in his post about ‘Picnic Pros’ – getting us super pumped to break out the basket and have a lunch in the grass. Thanks, and great as always.

And finally, we got a shout-out in a showdown between neighborhoods – between Lakeview (our choice) or Pilsen. Racked bridges shopping and style in a highly entertaining blog – so we’re quite humbled to be among those mentioned. Thanks guys!

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Southport Grocery’s Own Rye Bread

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

In the world of breads there are a few treasures, some truly fantastic cuts of doughy goodness that they’re impossible to ignore. We tend to think our rye bread is in that league; it’s part of the ‘multigrain’ subset, where rye pairs with wheat to create a aromatic and flavorful bread. Ours starts with a handful of simple ingredients and the bleeding edge of a sunrise.

Rye Ingredients

Just as with all our baked goods, it begins with the basics. For our rye, we use a splash of cider, brown sugar, and molassis to tease out some of the richer rye characteristics.

Rye 02-2

Time and yeast help create softness and breathe life into the loafs. After a quick score with a sharp and sure blade the lumps are ready for the oven.

Rye 03-2

Rye

It’s a real thing of beauty, adding flavor without shuttering out the sandwich laid between. Alone, it sparks full of mellow spicy flavor – great as a side of toast to sop up after a plate of Brisket and Gravy. Order ahead and take home a loaf, or chomp through some in the cafe – we know we will be.

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July 2012 – Posting Thanks

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

We’ve been headed to the way-back machine to pull up posts to say ‘thanks’ to those we missed in months past. We’re trying to catch back up to current months, and hope those who mentioned us don’t think we ignored them. We hear ya! So let’s get to the great posts, away we go!

A lovely gent put up his art in our store, Riggo bragged about this on his site. You should check out his amazing metal sculptures, really quite beautiful.

Two sisters came into our place and snapped a load of truly gorgeous photos. Many thanks to Allison and Ashely, who have a hip and very pretty blog Zucchero & Butter.

Anne came into our place with a City Walk card in hand, and gave us some love, so we’re sending some back her way. thanks so much, and keep up the great blog!

Pure Wow mentioned us in their article about Heritage Bicycle Shop; very chic blog and lovely writing – thanks!

The Chicago Reader did a story about sweet tasty nuts, Mama’s Nuts to be exact. They also mentioned we carried them (which we still do with pride). Big ups for the shout out and giving these lovely nuts the credit in which they are due.

The minimalistic, photo rich blog Dinner Was Delicious gave us a holler in their “What’s Good In Chicago” post for that month. Big thanks go to them for calling out one of Chef Derrick’s favorite dishes: the brisket and gravy.

In a show of force on the awesomeness of Heritage Bicycles, the spotlight was once again splashed on us in a post from ‘It’s Me, KP’ on them. Kick’n rad blog with a very cute style – keep it up Kelly!

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Co-Op BBQ Sauces – Struck Rich

Saturday, April 27th, 2013

Coop BBQ

It seems like the team at Co-Op have a mine where they just have to reach in and pull out gold; they make it seem so effortless. It’s hard not to love everything they do, from their staple hot sauces to their rubs and more. Now they bring the same hand-made “do you have more in the back because I finished this bottle” flair to portley bottles of BBQ sauce. Between creating their own miso with their own koji, smoking all their peppers, and listing the farms they partner with – it’s hard to not see it’s a ton of work. The proof, to coin the phrase, is in the sauce. The Maple Miso is a tomato and maple syrup match made in heaven, and the dosing of miso creates depth unlike any other; use it as a soaking sauce or potent ketchup replacement. Co-Op’s Blackstrap on the other hand is dense with sweetness alongside brush strokes of that home-made miso – makes for flawless slathered ribs.

Get yourself some of Co-Op’s newest line up: great BBQ sauce. Get them now, on our shelves and eager to sweep you off your feet. Can’t get enough of Co-Op’s sauces and want to give them a holler? Want to name your favorite Co-Op hot sauce? Leave it below!

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Our Chorizo & Eggs

Saturday, April 27th, 2013

Some things are better left unsaid sometimes. So just like our post on the chilaquiles(which this new dish replaces), we’re leaving this one short. Feast your eyes on our newest breakfast dish, the Chorizo & Eggs.

housemade chorizo, scrambled eggs, scallions, salsa verde, melina’s tortilla chips* with queso fresco & sour cream

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Tiny But Mighty’s Popped Corn – Popcorn Revolutionized

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

When perusing our shelves, you may have come acrossed a inconspicuous sack of shockingly small popcorn kernels. Heck you may even remember a post from us showcasing the myriad of corn we carry, with Tiny But Mighty Popcorn being the first listed. They are pretty ingenious little rascals, their small kernel disintegrates when popped, creating a fluffy perfection without the slivers in your teeth. Their corn is cultivated and grown, just for them, by select Iowa farmers and it’s that kind of laser-like dedication that is hard to miss. Well, they’ve gone and popped then bagged it up for you! Now you can take TBMP with you to the beach, to a friend’s movie night, or the perfect carry-snack. Grab a bag of their popped corn for a snack and some kernels to take home for later, best of both worlds.

We find it’s nearly impossible to not love Tiny But Mighty’s Popped Popcorn – get your hands on a bag today. Want to declare to us your desire to wade into an ocean of popcorn? Or just want to say you enjoy TBMP? Drop us a line below!

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March 2013, Posting Thanks

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

In March, we got some tasty blog-love from some of our favorite online syndications. So without further ado, some lovely pieces of journalism for your reading pleasure.

Plan B, a spanish blog of one woman’s travels, posted a really nice article about our place. Super pretty blog, and very straightforward when mentioning her favorite places. We’ll be checking back on our next travels for sure.

From Daily Candy, East Troy Honey was picked out for their luscious flavor profiles and being a local all-natural apiary. They talk up the honey in the way it should be, heck, we are in love too. So, thanks Daily Candy for calling out some fantastic honey (and us).

Later in the month, we spotted something in our Twitter feed: a post by Matt – from Serious Eats. A glowing review of our digs, an article we keep in our desk to brighten our day, we are humbled by such a work. We are at a loss to say much more but we thanks Serious Eats and Matt for the piece and of course the fantastic prose they lay down just about everyday. Keep up the great work.

Popping up just before April landed, the chicagoist pushed a great article on places to go before/after a Cubs game. We think our pancakes and breakfast preps for a long day afternoon of cheering too, they like the cuban for lunch before an evening game and we can’t argue there. Great detective work Amy, and thanks for the love – here is some back at ya!

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June 2012, Posting Thanks

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

We’re really behind in these. So we wanted to attack it from front to back – starting on either end and meeting in the middle. This is the first in a line. So without further ado, we wanted to say thanks for those who wrote about us nearly a year ago.

The month’s shining article was from the lovely folks at Daily Candy – a kind piece about our newest (at the time) addition, a preservationist. With the addition of Melanie to our team we cranked up our in-house canning, they took note, and we’re quite grateful for the note. Even the Eater picked up the story in a rundown of local happenings.

Maureen, from Chicago Now, wrote a great post about exploring our neighborhood. One of the ladies at Athletica mentioned our store as a great place to come for lunch. The piece said wonderfully nice things about us and our outdoor cafe. So, thanks Maureen!

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Our Focaccia – A Panfull Of Flavor Dimples

Friday, April 19th, 2013

In the quiet mornings were the ticking of stretching oven metal begats the sound of whirring overheads and shuffling clogs, in those times when dawn breaks after clouds of flour settle, we are baking. One of those pulled from our oven is our focaccia. It starts simple, with a few ingredients.

Focaccia Ingredients

After some kneading by hand and splayed on the table – it’s time for a stretch. Here the focaccia starts to come into fruition – it’s spread into an oiled pan and poked to create tasty flavor capturing dimples. Olive oil is spread across it’s soft cratered surface to keep the moisture inside for a soft, thin bread.

focaccia Stretching

foccacia done

It’s baked to a crisp brown exterior and chewy, soft inside. The flavor profile of the bread matches perfectly with our brie and tuna sandwiches, heightening and complementing the savoy flavors. A cousin to pizza dough, our focaccia is baked fresh in the mornings and sliced baked just for us and by extension – you! It’s just another great part of our growing made-in-house repertoire.

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