chicago city markets

Centropolis · #1 Posted **Nov 5, 2015, 5:50 PM**

i've been to eataly and some market-like areas, but what is the equivalent in chicago of say the reading terminal market in philly? i know that eataly is based on places like the reading terminal market, but whats the closest thing to that in chicago? i mean if there's something else thats sort of a glossed up thing like eataly, that's okay too.

i know there's lots of seasonal things, like christkindlmarket, etc.

whats the chicago french market like?

i guess i've never done my homework on this. what's left of maxwell street?

urbanpln · #2 Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 4:58 PM**

I don't know if it exist. The French Market was an attempt by Mayor R.M. Daley to create a market similar to Reading Terminal Market. It's similar, but doesn't have as many vendors. There are other upscale markets (Dose) that move to different venues throughout the City. It focuses on higher end food and products made locally, but has a $10 admission. It's kind of a yuppie market. You would have to go to their web site for dates and location (dosemarket.com). Most of the farmer markets have ended. The Logan Square FM was pretty entertaining (music, food, and good people watching), I'm sure there are others that are just as good, but as I said earlier they have ended for the season.

The City was and probably is still interested in creating or initiating the creation of a year round food/produce market. The Fulton Market area was one of the priority areas identified as a possible location. Last year the Department of Planning issued an RFP to solicit a consultant to study this idea. I don't know where they are on this initiative. I left the Department in April.

Justin_Chicago · #3 Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 5:40 PM**

We also have Little Village's 26th street for Mexican, Devon Avenue for Indian, Argyle Street for Vietnamese and Latin City (http://www.latinicity.com/) for those who do not want to venture far.

ithakas · #4 Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 5:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbanpln

I don't know if it exist. The French Market was an attempt by Mayor R.M. Daley to create a market similar to Reading Terminal Market. It's similar, but doesn't have as many vendors. There are other upscale markets (Dose) that move to different venues throughout the City. It focuses on higher end food and products made locally, but has a $10 admission. It's kind of a yuppie market. You would have to go to their web site for dates and location (dosemarket.com). Most of the farmer markets have ended. The Logan Square FM was pretty entertaining (music, food, and good people watching), I'm sure there are others that are just as good, but as I said earlier they have ended for the season.

The City was and probably is still interested in creating or initiating the creation of a year round food/produce market. The Fulton Market area was one of the priority areas identified as a possible location. Last year the Department of Planning issued an RFP to solicit a consultant to study this idea. I don't know where they are on this initiative. I left the Department in April.

I think Dearborn Station's interior arcade would be a perfect place for this, similar to Cleveland's West Side Market.

Centropolis · #5 Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 6:24 PM**

i'll have to check out latin city, looks like it just opened. i am actually rather under-informed about central chicago, as i generally am wandering all over the southside, down to hegewisch, and the far northwest side. i'll be hitting the west loop pretty hard in a few weeks, my hotel is over there.

urbanpln · #6 Posted **Nov 6, 2015, 8:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin_Chicago

We also have Little Village's 26th street for Mexican, Devon Avenue for Indian, Argyle Street for Vietnamese and Latin City (http://www.latinicity.com/) for those who do not want to venture far.

Those are all unique shopping street/districts, but are not like Reading Terminal Market, and Latinicity is more like Eataly. The closest thing we have to RTM is the French Market adjacent to the Ogilvie Transpo Center.

ardecila · #7 Posted **Nov 8, 2015, 2:17 AM**

Public markets nowadays each have a different balance of groceries vs. prepared foods. There is nothing really like Reading Terminal Market or Cleveland's West Side Market in Chicago, in the sense of fresh produce, meat, spices, etc. The French Market is really just a high-end food court. Interestingly, this is also true going back in time.

I asked the same question a few months ago - turns out pre-WWII Chicago was so segregated between the various immigrant groups, all speaking different languages, and so sprawling that a centralized public market didn't make sense. New York didn't have one either. Neighborhoods grew up around small private grocers, who bought produce wholesale at the South Water Market, an on-street market that ran along what is now Wacker Drive.

Today the wholesale produce business has relocated to the South Branch of the river around Damen, while the wholesale meat business remains in the West Loop along Fulton Street (although this is getting gentrified away).

There is a new privately-owned place called Local Foods near Elston and North... basically a collection of small vendors selling high-quality produce, meats, cheeses, etc. I haven't checked it out yet but I've driven past. It doesn't have the grand architecture of most public markets but I hope it succeeds.

Via Chicago · #8 Posted **Nov 8, 2015, 7:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcp

The French market is pretty good..smaller than reading, but a good crowd every time I've been there.

except theres nothing really french about it, outside of some pastries. i guess pastoral is always a good bet for sandwhiches (although theyve raised their prices), and fumares once in a blue moon for montreal pastrami (decadent but cant do it too often). everything else is kind of meh.