Chicagoist: A Sunday at Pete's Fresh Market

martinesyms

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:07:25 -0600

pete's is rad! we go there all the time. a must for pilsen people. they have bob's red mill muesli and the yogurt i like. so i'm pretty much set.

martinesyms

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:07:11 -0600

pete's is rad! we go there all the time. a must for pilsen people. they have bob's red mill muesli and the yogurt i like. so i'm pretty much set.

popied

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:40:19 -0600

There are many other locations too. 1. 4343 South Pulaski Rd Chicago, IL 60632 Phone: (773) 927-4300 2. 5724 South Kedzie Ave Chicago, IL 60629 Phone: (773) 925-6200 3. 4700 South Kedzie Ave Chicago, IL 60632 Phone : (773) 523-4600 4. 5838 South Pulaski Rd Chicago, IL 60629 Phone : (773) 581-0600 5. 3448 East 118th Street Chicago, IL 60617 Phone : (773) 646-6400 6. 2526 West Cermak Road Chicago, IL 60608 Phone : (773) 254-8400 LOVE love love this store for everything

leomemorial

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:10:24 -0600

cool. i have to ride in from midway, as we're neglected out here. this looks like it's comparable to whole foods, but cheaper...

retrotrash

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:03:01 -0600

I was just here on Saturday because I live right down the street and I've already been to the 4 OTHER GROCERY STORES in the neighborhood so I thought I'd give it a try. There selection of produce is amazing and so pretty to look at. The prices are pretty average for the neighborhood but definitely fresher and a bigger selection. I got a package of blueberries for 99 CENTS! unfortunately, I don't eat a lot of meat besides fish and I tend to not eat much bread either, so I couldn't really take advantage of the meat/deli or bakery. and I gotta admit, for the staples (milk, eggs, bread, pasta, beans) I'd rather go to Aldi or the local, albeit smaller, grocery a block away. It's just cheaper.

Chuck Sudo

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:26:25 -0600

ingrid: Pete's, like many Certi-Saver stores, does occasionally carry some organic produce from local organic wholesaler Greenness Goodness. they sell to everyone from Whole Foods to Fairplay, and keep produce wrapped separately so as not to come in contact with other, non-organic produce. AS far as the deli and seafood are concerned, I can't be entirely certain. Being bilingual helps, in that you can ask the counter folks in both English and Spanish, but from what I've asked all they can tell you is that it's fresh that day. Maybe a manager can go into more detail. But you should try it out.

Ingrid

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:21:54 -0600

I spend more than $200 a week at Whole Foods. And that does not include lots of snacks or meat. Maybe one bag of chips and 3 meat/fish meals for the week...the rest would be tofu, which is dirt cheap. I still can't believe it when I come home with just 4 bags of groceries that I just forked over $200 for!! This is just for myself and one child. It's outrageous. I mean, $13 for a whole chicken!!! Up to $13.99 for a pound of salmon!! But I justify that because it's hormone and antiobiotic free, and blah blah blah. Is the meat at Pete's good quality? I mean, does it have hormones and all that? Is it dyed yellow like Perdue? Is the produce organic? Can you get, say, salmon there that is not farm raised? I haven't tried it yet but there is www.freshpicks.com which delivers organic produce, meat, dairy and bakery goods. They use all local farmers and products which is a concept that I like. So you're going to get mostly seasonal produce. I haven't done a cost analysis on them though, but from what I gleaned they seem pretty pricey as well. When I think of what I spend on just two people I just wonder how people with larger families feed them if they want to be organic and healthy. I mean...how in the heck can I save money AND be organic and healthy?

curmudgeon

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:13:25 -0600

This is a great store! Like Chuck, I've visited several and have never been disappointed. I make a special trip there for ECKRICH Jalapeno Loaf. Makes a great sandwich on a bollilo.

morydd

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:48:37 -0600

@herstory: Yes! They have very good seafood. It's fresh and the price is good. They also have a real meat counter. Pete's has been one of the best things we have found since we moved to the south side. My wife is one of those people who refolds sweaters and realligns product on the shelves when she goes to stores. At Pete's she doesn't get to do that because the employees bet her to it. :) I've also noticed that the employees seem to be generally in a good mood. Which makes shopping there even better.

Chuck Sudo

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:46:07 -0600

They do have fresh fish at Pete's. I've also picked up some quick seafood cocktails and ceviche for gatherings.

peteypants

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:13:27 -0600

thanks for the tip. pete's fresh market sounds incredible. it reminds me of similar markets that are all over texas. i don't live in the area, but it sounds like it's worth the trip. it's pretty cool of them to name the stores after me, too.

ChicagoMetsFan

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:12:21 -0600

I'm looking for a good place for fresh fish. Do they have any there?

herstory

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:45:46 -0600

Pete's Fresh Market is the best - if you can make the drive, you'll think twice about Whole Foods prices - the value is outstanding (and the parking lot is a whole better, too!)