As you have all guessed by now (if you have been reading my posts, you are reading aren't you?) I have a real thing for the markets, indoor and out. Whenever I travel, whether an hour away, or a 14 hour international flight away, the first thing I like to do, once at my destination, is check out the local market(s). Be it a small roadside stand or ginormous indoor market like La Boueria Market in Barcelona, I think there is no better place to get your finger on the pulse of a place and it's people. And based on the streams of folks coming into the Chicago French Market since last Thursday, I would say visitors to our fine city will get a sense of us real quick.

No big box here baby, but real local food purveyors and artisans. Some with established presence at other markets and brick & mortar locales, and others for whom this is their first location. At the Chicago French Market we will have the opportunity to develop relationships with these folks, just like our parents and grandparents had relationships with the butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker...okay maybe not the candlestick-maker but for sure the egg & milk guy. They are all extremely knowledgeable and tremendously passionate about their products, and getting them directly to you, their customer.

Located in a 15,000 square foot piece of the Ogilvie Center (ya know, the old Northwestern train station for those of you still kickin' the 'old school' terms). This part of the city (the west loop hood) has been booming with an influx of new residents, but retail, entertainment and food options not so much. Well no more, with 25 purveyors in the market, residents and commuters (remember, major train station right above the market) will have a 'one-stop shop' option. Everything from beautiful fresh and organic produce, fresh seafood, meats and poultry, beautiful artisan cheeses, and wine to go with said cheese, freshly baked breads, pastries and baked goods, gorgeous handmade chocolates, and stunning fresh flowers all to help ready you for holiday entertaining. Feeling a bit peckish after all the sensory overload? So many yummy options to sit down and enjoy right there, or pack up to take home, or to the office: from a yummy green curry, to Bi Bim Bap, to tacos, to crepes, to fresh juices, to raw food options, to sandwiches, to fresh roasted nuts (which always smell so good), to OMG Belgian fries, wait are we in a market in Europe or in Chicago?

Now if you are like me and don't reside or work in the area, but are close to a Metra train, this is such a stress-free way to get to the market. Or if you are planning to really load up, there is free parking available for up to an hour, with a $20 purchase at the market, and in a city that likes to charge a lot for parking, this is a MAJOR plus.

So being that I did go into sensory overload at the market and too full to make dinner (yes, you can say Belgian fries) no recipe to share this week. So get your self to the Chicago French Market and find inspiration. And let me know what your favorites are at the market and what you were inspired to cook. Email me at moira@efete.net.