One of my favorite food places

I've written about it before on other forums, and I know most foodies know about it, but nonetheless I again feel compelled to write about my favorite food place to shop -- Oakton Market, at 4817 Oakton in Skokie. Yesterday afternoon, since I had some lovely tomatoes left from my Saturday excursion to the Evanston Farmer's Market, I went off to Oakton Market to get the fixings for a good greek salad -- thus I picked up firm and bruise-free yellow and orange peppers for $1.99 a pound, among other things. And a dozen lemons, for some egg lemon soup, since they were also nicely priced (but not as big a bargain as the time they were selling limes at 40 for a dollar -- we had lots of guacamole and fish vera cruz that week. And when I'm looking for more Italian type produce, I can always find nice big bunches of basil and arugula there for cheap -- not the costly tiny packages you're lucky to find at other stores.) Then of course at the deli counter I was able to get good Kalamata olives and could choose from five different types of feta cheese -- the imported Greek variety being my favorite, but sometimes I get the French. I couldn't decide between a long loaf from the Georgian Bakery or an assyrian loaf from the Clark bakery, so I got both (the Clark street loaf was still warm.) I got some packaged walnuts and some of the store's greek yogurt (already had some of their greek honey at home) so that I was able to slice a farmer's market peach and serve it atop the yogurt, nuts and honey for dessert. Yum. I always come out of Oakton Market smiling, and not just because I know I'll eat well that night. The variety and quality of produce always impresses me, and within the international selection of frozen and canned goods I can always find some new intriguing item. The prices can't be beat, either. But what I really appreciate the most is the atmosphere -- I love watching people speaking so many different languages carefully pick out foods that they'll cook up in some delicious manner. It's not Treasure Island or Fox and Obel's -- this is a working class market, for the most part, patronized by folks native to the countries that the products they buy come from. I've had many great conversations there -- just a week or so ago I saw a man whose cart was filled with so many enticing items (cartons of fresh figs, breads, fish, leg of lamb, cheeses, olives, etc.) that I had to ask him what he was planning. Turned out he had relatives coming in from Lebanon and his whole family was coming to his house for dinner -- "You come, too!," he said. I wish I could have -- it must have been a great feast. Anyway, I appologize if I've gone on too long about a place many of you know well. But if you haven't been, go for the variety of food, and for the opportunity to see how food can make international citizens of us all. The world may be going to hell in a hand basket, but a trip to Oakton Market always makes me feel a little more hopeful about things.

Thanks ToniG,

By "Oakton Market" do you mean "Marketplace on Oakton" (same address, I can only assume so).

This is indeed one of the best places in the area to do cross-cultural shopping.

Marketplace on Oakton
4817 W. Oakton in Skokie,
847-677-9330
http://www.marketplaceonoakton.com/

Yeah, I miss that place. I used to work a block away, and it was a guaranteed find for dinner ingredients. Produce is always top-notch, frozen indian flatbreads, spices, etc.

These days, I'm going to Valli Produce in Arlington Heights, but they're a bit pricier, and their mix tends more toward the Italian and east asian than the middle-east and indian produce and groceries of Oakton.

The real baffling thing is that they share a shopping strip with Aldi. I can't see spending any money in Aldi except for, say, paper goods -- not a hit on their quality as much a "Why bother, with more variety next door?"

eatchicago wrote:Thanks ToniG,

By "Oakton Market" do you mean "Marketplace on Oakton" (same address, I can only assume so).

This is indeed one of the best places in the area to do cross-cultural shopping.

Marketplace on Oakton
4817 W. Oakton in Skokie,
847-677-9330
http://www.marketplaceonoakton.com/

The website is a hoot. Click on any of the departments and you can see actual pictures of items you might find there (no other explaination is given or needed).

Yes, sorry -- Marketplace on Oakton. I always call it Oakton Market and thus probably confuse others as well.