food and drink, shopping
It was Saturday morning and my husband needed a ride to the Michigan Av. area. I needed groceries, rare for me to try this on a crazy weekend. A perfect time for a trial run at the brand new "River North " Trader Joe's in the heart of a parking "neverland."
A bonanza! The second floor one hour free parking lot was practically 
empty. I doubt this will continue for long at this super central location at 44 E. Ontario but an early morning arrival might very well help.
What is it about Trader Joe's? My daughter-in-law introduced me to it some years ago in Seattle and I've been a devotee ever since. Many people I know are puzzled and haven't caught the bug.
The key is that you must take some time and look around carefully for the first few visits. Don't go for the produce which generally arrives on Sundays (!) and is passable but not great except for avocados and bananas.
I buy lots of different things and despite a recent disclaimer in the New York Times, I'm convinced that Whole Foods is way more expensive. Hummus, unsulphured dried Grannysmith apple rings, uncrystallized ginger, some basic cheese, balsamic vinegars, Niman Ranch already prepared ribs, carne asada, white tea, "Volcano" very dark coffee, passion fruit sorbet.
A special cheese is the fresh goat chevre shown at right, the result of many years of TLC from Laura Chenel "that some call the best in America", according to a recent article in, again The New York Times. She's made and labeled this particular 8 oz log 
for Trader Joe's. Recently she sold her company to a French firm that vows to maintain her standards.
Consider re-embracing some frozen foods. The french green beans are usually better than anyone's fresh ones. I combine artichoke hearts with edamame or garbanzo beans, all frozen, and add some parmesan and olive oil. Additonally there's lots of exotica here from far away places such as Thai vegetable gyoza (handmade dumplings) and Tandoori naan from India. That's the big puffy bread I've only found at restaurants heretofore.
The selection of dried fruit is vast and most offerings are preservative free. The nuts nearby are swell and reasonable. Great crackers and chips...I recently bought baked "soy crisps"... just keep looking around; there are treasures galore and soon you'll find your personal favorites. One of mine is dark chocolate from Ecuador with a yellow wrapper. Try the frozen spinach pie with filo for a light dinner or a smaller version for hors d'oeuvres.
There's a "grab and go" section of already prepared foods and even though I've cooked faithfully from scratch for years, there are definitely plenty of temptations here.
This particular store is neat as a pin and the staff is, as always, very helpful and pleasant even if they feel lousy. Didn't check the wine but it looked plentiful.
The brand new Trader Joe's, 44 E. Ontario. If you're driving, enter on the west side of Rush Street; you'll see the sign for the Sheraton Hotel lot. 312.951.6369.
(see Sue Lowenberg's pencil topped table at left), handmade felt accessories, a wide assortment of unusual jewelry, inexpensive silk scarves, lamps made from vintage tin containers, clothing, original designer handbags and more, more, more.
