A Sunday at Pete's Fresh Market

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Mar 10, 2008 2:15PM

We're pretty lucky to live within a short train ride to the South Loop, where we can choose between Jewel, Dominick's, Whole Foods and (on Sundays) the Maxwell Street Market. Sometimes, though, even Jewel and Dominick's can be too pricey. Which is why we're glad to know about Pete's Fresh Market. It's one of our secrets, and today we're sharing it with you.

If you're a fan of Cermak Produce and live on the South and West sides, you'll be able to find a Pete's Fresh Market nearby. We've shopped at five of their six locations and are simply astounded by the amount of fresh produce, baked goods, meats, seafood, ethnic specialties and other fresh prepared foods available. Another thing we love about Pete's is that, for a store that carries a fair amount of Certi-Saver products, they're pristine. We've never walked into one and not seen a floor buffer in operation, someone restocking produce like a house of cards, or a bagger wiping down the checkout conveyor. It's an attention to detail that one normally doesn't find in an independent grocery.

Moreover, the cost is unbeatable. We loaded up on fresh produce, chicken breasts and sandwich meats, our bill barely cracking $40. We have enough food to last us a couple weeks, at least. We've uploaded some photos as a tour of Pete's Fresh Market on flickr, so you can get a sense of what is available.