Help me find delicious Chicago-made drygoods.
March 9, 2010 11:22 AM Subscribe
What are some excellent packaged food products made by companies in or around Chicago? I want to sell them in the little grocery store I manage.
I just spent the weekend in San Francisco and was impressed by how many of the fantastic, delicious products I ran across in corner stores there were local creations. I want my store in Chicago to be more like that.
We already carry Metropolis and Bridgeport coffee, various Chicago Soydairy products, Upton's seitan products, olive oil and kalamata olives bottled by a neighborhood restaurateur, delicious granola made by a woman up the street, and Veteran tamales.
We try to carry stuff that's neat, delicious, and cheap, but I'd be interested in knowing about higher end stuff too.
I just spent the weekend in San Francisco and was impressed by how many of the fantastic, delicious products I ran across in corner stores there were local creations. I want my store in Chicago to be more like that.
We already carry Metropolis and Bridgeport coffee, various Chicago Soydairy products, Upton's seitan products, olive oil and kalamata olives bottled by a neighborhood restaurateur, delicious granola made by a woman up the street, and Veteran tamales.
We try to carry stuff that's neat, delicious, and cheap, but I'd be interested in knowing about higher end stuff too.
Best answer: Nice Cream ice cream (SO DELICIOUS). Green River soda. Rare Bird Preserves (NOMNOMNOM).
posted by Lieber Frau at 12:37 PM on March 9, 2010
posted by Lieber Frau at 12:37 PM on March 9, 2010
Sweet Baby's Ray's barbecue sauce is made in the Chicago area, and it's the best bottled sauce I've had. (But it's distributed to supermarkets around the country, so I don't know whether it counts as a truly "local" item.)
posted by pluckemin at 12:40 PM on March 9, 2010
posted by pluckemin at 12:40 PM on March 9, 2010
I see you said "dry goods" in the subject line. Can you clarify? Do you mean non-perishables?
posted by Lieber Frau at 12:40 PM on March 9, 2010
posted by Lieber Frau at 12:40 PM on March 9, 2010
Best answer: Argh, Sweet Baby's Ray's.
Also, Bobtail ice cream! And to go with the Vienna beef hot dogs suggested above, fluorescent green relish.
posted by pluckemin at 12:43 PM on March 9, 2010
Also, Bobtail ice cream! And to go with the Vienna beef hot dogs suggested above, fluorescent green relish.
posted by pluckemin at 12:43 PM on March 9, 2010
Best answer: Lemonheads, Atomic Fireballs and the like from Ferrara Pan Candy. Frango Mints. El Ranchero Tortilla Chips with Salt. Hecky's Barbecue Sauce.
posted by DrGail at 1:05 PM on March 9, 2010
posted by DrGail at 1:05 PM on March 9, 2010
Seconding Nice Cream, if you have a freezer. It is amazing!
posted by dizziest at 2:35 PM on March 9, 2010
posted by dizziest at 2:35 PM on March 9, 2010
And if you sell spices, get them from Spice House. I think they'll do custom packaging.
posted by dizziest at 2:36 PM on March 9, 2010
posted by dizziest at 2:36 PM on March 9, 2010
Response by poster: These are all great suggestions - thanks! And yes, by "drygoods" I mostly mean nonperishables, but I'm interested in dairy/frozen stuff too. Anything that will last more than a week, even if it has to be refrigerated.
posted by bubukaba at 6:02 PM on March 9, 2010
posted by bubukaba at 6:02 PM on March 9, 2010
Roundhouse root beer.
posted by SisterHavana at 7:10 PM on March 9, 2010
posted by SisterHavana at 7:10 PM on March 9, 2010
chef earl's dips & spreads.
you might also cheat and check the megalo whole foods. you know, the four story one on kingsbury. they stock tons of local manufacturers.
posted by patricking at 9:33 PM on March 9, 2010
you might also cheat and check the megalo whole foods. you know, the four story one on kingsbury. they stock tons of local manufacturers.
posted by patricking at 9:33 PM on March 9, 2010
Matt's (chocolate chip/oatmeal etc) cookies are made in Wheeling... which is pretty close. As they are delicious, I would call it close enough.
Stewart's coffee is roasted right west of Lincoln Park (you can smell it sometimes.
Blommar's chocolates of course, you'll likely have noticed them fragrancing the whole near west side, kennedy expressway and anything close to the river with eau du chocolate. They're not really on the scale of your store I think, but definitely there.
less foodie, but still within essential criterion: Wonderbread has a factory on 55th street but there's always Gonella Bakery (on milwaukee and Chicago)
Addtionally, there are places like Bobak's sausage factory and other local meat based entities... I'm not as familar with those.
There's definitely more around but I would have to ask my dad, a local flavor maven, and he's asleep.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 12:28 AM on March 10, 2010
Stewart's coffee is roasted right west of Lincoln Park (you can smell it sometimes.
Blommar's chocolates of course, you'll likely have noticed them fragrancing the whole near west side, kennedy expressway and anything close to the river with eau du chocolate. They're not really on the scale of your store I think, but definitely there.
less foodie, but still within essential criterion: Wonderbread has a factory on 55th street but there's always Gonella Bakery (on milwaukee and Chicago)
Addtionally, there are places like Bobak's sausage factory and other local meat based entities... I'm not as familar with those.
There's definitely more around but I would have to ask my dad, a local flavor maven, and he's asleep.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 12:28 AM on March 10, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bolognius maximus at 11:27 AM on March 9, 2010