The International Home and Housewares Show kicks off this Sunday in Chicago. I'll be there to scour over 2,000 exhibitors (pshew!) from All-Clad to Umbra and bring the best back here.
Thanks to your suggestions, I've already set up a meeting with the guy behind the Garlic Twist. If there are other kitchen product vendors you'd like me to look for, please post a comment. And if you'll be there too, maybe we can meet up?
I'd like to review a Kitchen related store or two while I'm visiting Chicago. Does anyone have any suggestions of cookware or specialty food stores in Chicago?
The Chopping Block has a lot of great kitchen stuff, in addition to cooking classes. They have locations in Lincoln Square and at the Merchandise Mart. I've only been to the one in Lincoln Square, but it's a great little store.
www.thechoppingblock.net
The Spice House in Old Town has a huge selection of spices and herbs. They have a line of spices based on Chicago neighborhoods, which make great gifts.
http://www.thespicehouse.com/
Pastoral in Lakeview specializes in artisan cheese, bread and wine. They are really friendly, and the store is lovely.
http://www.pastoralartisan.com/
It's supposed to finally warm up here this weekend (upper 40s!). Enjoy your trip.
For high end cookware, The Chopping Block (http://thechoppingblock.net/) and The Wooden Spoon (http://woodenspoonchicago.com/) are good, but not terribly convenient to McCormick Place. You might check out Northwestern Cutlery (http://www.futurechef.com/)--ugly Web site, but great selection of knives and professional gear. Woks N Things (2234 S. Wentworth) in Chinatown is good place for, well, woks.
For specialty food, Fox and Obel gets lots of attention and has nice things, but it's pricey. Fancy cheese can be found at Pastoral in Lakeview and The Cheese Stands Alone in Lincoln Square. The best produce seems to be at Stanley's on Elston. There are also many great ethnic groceries and specialty shops. If you're willing to trek up to the far northside, you can find Indian on Devon, Vietnamese on Argyle, Middle Eastern on Foster, Swedish on Clark just north of Foster, and there are plenty of others around town.
Thanks so much for your suggestions. I can't wait to check out these places. What's the best way for getting between some of these shops -- the L?
woks n things is amazing, and just 3 blocks from the chinatown stop on the red line.
click on my name for a great site to plan your travels using the bus or el.
Yep, the L and busses are how those of us without cars get around.
The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) has a trip planner that can help you find the best public transportation route from A to B: http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/
Be warned, there is significant construction going on on the Brown Line (which goes to Lincoln Square), which means delays and closed stations. So check the CTA Web site for details before venturing out that way without cab money:
http://www.transitchicago.com/
Definitely the L. The Brown Line can get you to The Spice House (Sedgwick), Pastoral (Wellington+1/2 mi walk) and The Chopping Block and The Cheese Stands alone in Lincoln Square(Western).
If you make it out to Lincoln Square, Bouffe and Delicatessen Meyer (4750 N Lincoln Ave) are also worth a stop.
http://www.bouffechicago.com/
Others have already mentioned Pastoral, I'm glad to see, but here's a little more info about it. It's a wonderful artisanal cheese, bread and wine shop in the Lakeview neighborhood. A beautifully renovated tiny storefront with a high tinned ceiling, shelves filled with wines, jams, olive oils, mustards and other delights, and a long case of amazing cheeses. They also make fabulous sandwiches. pastoralartisan DOT com
Just off Michigan Avenue, P.O.S.H. sells hotel silver and restaurant china and dinnerware, along with glassware, accessories, flea market finds and their own custom china. poshchicago DOT com
Loads of other ideas, but this is a good starter kit, along with the other suggestions.
Chris:
At the show, OXO has some great new items coming out. Mario Batali for Copco has cool new colors and products in his Italian Kitchen line. Check out Tovolo for their new Standz line; very cool. See if you can get Cuisinart to show you their Stand mixer. It is coming and will be a potentially huge competitor to KitchenAid.
Dennis, thanks for the inside track on the show. . . very interesting. Will you be there?
Terry, Joanna, Mary, and J, thanks for your suggestions. I won't have a car so public transit will be the way for me to get around to these places.
POSH Chicago looks interesting . . . I've been wanting to do post about Hotel Silver. I'll email them now to introduce myself and see if I can meet them on Saturday.
Yes Chris, I will be going. I haven't been for two years. The Housewares Show used to cater only to big players. However, over the last couple years they seem to have made an effort to focus more energy on smaller retailers. So I'm gonna give it another go. It is a huge show...you will have no trouble finding so many cool things to write about. And it'll be tv chefs galore.
When we go back to visit Chicago we always go to Devon to shop and eat.
Mysore Woodlands has very decent southern food (I was very infatuated with the different kinds of dosai they feature).
Patel Bros. is the biggest of the grocery stores on Devon.
I always buy some sweets at Ambala, which are fresher and better then Tahoora. You can ask for a taste of anything before you buy it. The snacks are crazy good at Kamdar Plaza (again, you're able to try before you buy, just ask). We always buy spicy chakri and spicy sev and then some kind of nut.
There's a cookware shop I'm blanking on the name of where I bought things like an iddli steamer and a little tiny frying pan for doing tarkas. There is also a made to order pan place I can't remember the name of but I think they advertise in the window.
regards
trillium
yummmm...mysore woodlands is my favorite! (i live a mile away)
chris: not sure what city you are coming from, is there any sort of cuisine that you can't get at home that you'd like recommendations for?
J, I'm coming from New York City.
Dennis, I'm glad some readers will be there. Looks like Rocco DiSpirito and Paula Dean will be there. I'm up for checking out their demos.
FYI, AT: Chicago did a post on P.O.S.H. a while back.
If you have a spare moment you should stop by booth S1684. Gorgeous bamboo.
The housewares show was certainly a BUZZ with energy and passoniate foodies. The Breville booth proved to be quite interesting:- Australian history, innovative products such as their blender they were demoing to a host of young, hip talented, team. The energy and excitement around their new Keurig parternship was all anyone could talk about. At last a breath of fresh air in small electrics.