August is the kind of local boutique grocery store you would find in a Meg Ryan movie - the store is charming, the owners are helpful and you feel cheery every time you leave. The only thing missing is Meg Ryan, even better. The small, bright space is filled with locally grown, seasonal produce, restaurant quality meats and fish, and even a line of homemade aprons. Carefully selected baking and cooking ingredients line the shelves, the cheese and charcuterie selections are an easy answer for entertaining unexpected weekend guests, and pre-packaged snack foods and cereal are kept to an eclectic minimum. more ›

There are a thousand reasons why summer dining in Chicago is so fantastic. One of the best being fresh, locally grown ingredients and it doesn't get any fresher than when chefs grow their own ingredients in restaurant or home gardens. An increasing number of chefs are doing so including some of our faves: Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill, Paul Kahan of Blackbird, George Djurovic of August Grocery, (just to name a few.) more ›