Superior Nut and Candy is offering Holiday Gift Packs

Whatever the occasion – holiday party, home entertaining, family, friend and employee gifts – there's something for everyone at Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., Chicago IL, 60661; 312-575-0306) this December.

 

Superior Nut and Candy is offering Holiday Gift Packs from $4.95 to $20.95 or you can design your own.   Choose from freshly roasted nuts or add in chocolate covered nuts, raisins or your favorite treat.  Perfect for corporate, hostess gifts or just a small thank you to recognize the people in your life.  Don't' forget your teachers or postman.

Shop Oh Olive! for all of your unique gift baskets, corporate gifts and more

Shop Oh Olive! for all of your unique gift baskets, hostess gifts, wedding favors, corporate gifts and more. Oh Olive! offers beautiful baskets and complimentary gift wrapping.

 

Sugar, spice and everything nice for your holidays.  Treat yourself and your friends to Galena Garlic Spice Blends, special 5 for $30, a $5 savings.

 

Also on special during December, buy your favorite ultra-premium olive oil and a dipping spice blend and save $2 on your purchase.

 

Holiday Mulled wine with Bisschopswijn Mulled Wine & Cider Spices. Everyone can enjoy the recipe by using this amazing spice blend to flavor apple juice, cider, or cranberry juice and serve hot.  Recipes included with purchase, $12.95. Bisschopswijn spices steeped with fruit juices, wine and brandy make a delicious, fragrant hot drink for the holidays.

 

 

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine recreates their 'Love Sandwich'

It's a love sandwich at Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine!

 

Pastoral is so excited Oprah chose its Truffle Cheese Trio for her Favorite Things 2013 list, that it is recreating her famous 'love sandwich,' featuring roasted local turkey breast, Sottocenere truffle cheese, lemon artichoke pesto, red onions and field greens, all served on a fresh baguette.

This one-of-a-kind sandwich is available for a limited time only!

Early Bird Shopper Alert

Beginning the week of Thanksgiving and lasting through the end of the year, Pastoral will be open for retail sales weekdays at The French Market starting at 8 a.m. for all you early bird shoppers. Lunch service will continue to start at 10 a.m. Pastoral is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays, closed Sunday.

 

Introducing... Little Goat Catering!

Introducing... Little Goat Catering! 

 

Whether you're planning a luncheon or hosting a meeting at your office, let Little Goat Bread cater your event. Chose from many of Little Goat Bread's menu items, including sandwiches, chips, salads, bagels and cream cheese, pastries, and cookies. Fill out the inquiry online at littlegoatchicago.com/bread/catering, or just give them a call at  312-600-9601 to place an order. Please make sure to place your order at least 72 hours in advance. Email catering@littlegoatchicago.com with general questions.

 

Coming soon... the Sloppy Goat.

A squish squash bun piled high with savory sloppy goat and topped with a tangy rosemary slaw.

 

 

Lillie's Q has a unique gift set that is sure to bring a smile this season

Whatever the occasion – holiday party, home entertaining, family, friend and employee gifts – there's something for everyone at Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., Chicago IL, 60661; 312-575-0306) this December.

 

Looking for a great gift for the barbecue fanatic in your life? Lillie's Q has a unique gift set that is sure to bring a smile this season - a box of six homemade sauces ($50, box included). Select all six of its homemade mouth-watering varieties or build your own gift box with any 6 flavors as you like.

Don't forget the fresh flowers and Poinsettias for this very special holiday season

Les Fleurs has created a Christmas Wonderland at the Chicago French Market and would like to do the same for you.  Come see its creative decorations including a beautiful Christmas Peacock Tree and  Platinum Christmas Tree staged by a fireplace, all for sale.  Let Les Fleurs create an exquisite custom gift or pickup a beautiful handmade glass ornament from Poland.  Many of Les Fleurs gift items are unique one of a kind. For the Francophile in your life, pick up a glitzy Eiffel Tower ornament, and of course, don't forget the fresh flowers and Poinsettias for this very special season. Orders can be made by calling  312-463-1111.

 

 

Lavazza Espression offers Limited Edition Holiday Espresso Cups this December

Lavazza Espression

Eggnog Latte:

A nostalgic blend of eggnog, espresso, and steamed milk, topped with a light dusting of nutmeg

$3.40-$4.20

 

Peppermint Bark Mocha:

Decadent Italian drinking chocolate infused with peppermint bark and crowned with whipped cream

$3.95-$4.95

 

Limited Edition Holiday Espresso Cups

Brew up some holiday cheer with Lavazza's limited edition espresso cups!

Add a pound of your favorite espresso or a Lavazza Espression gift card for a perfect present for any occasion! $9.95

 

 

Fumare Meats & Deli will be featuring two European specialty items this December

Fumare Meats & Deli wants to bring back "Old World" traditions and will be featuring two European specialty items this December. Swedish Potato Sausage (Potatis Korv), is a fresh sausage made with ground pork and beef that is mixed with potatoes, onions, salt and pepper, $7.99/lb - This sausage is traditionally eaten during the Christmas season. Fumare also will be featuring Fresh Polish Blood Sausage, $5.99/lb - Blood Sausage is one of the most popular food items across the world and is an unusual butcher's delicacy made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler, such as pork or other meats, which gives the sausage its dark color.

 

City Fresh Market "Party Trays" will help make hosting holiday parties easy.

Whatever the occasion – holiday party, home entertaining, family, friend and employee gifts – there's something for everyone at Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., Chicago IL, 60661; 312-575-0306) this December.

 

City Fresh Market "Party Trays" will help make hosting holiday parties easy. Choose from Fruit, Veggie or Cheese; trays are custom made and priced accordingly.

 

City Fresh Market also has added a variety of homemade cakes, only $29.99 each, as well as cake by the slice for $3.99 each.  All cakes are shaped in City Fresh Market's signature square shape for easy cutting and to insure that everyone gets a similar piece.

 

City Fresh Market Fishmonger Eric is ready for all of your holiday fish needs. The fish market offers a variety of fresh seafood, including live lobster, and fish and daily specials.

 

Abbey Brown Soap Artisan has introduced three new Chicago Neighborhood soaps

Abbey Brown Soap Artisan at the Chicago French Market has introduced three new Chicago Neighborhood soaps, just in time for holiday gift giving. Featuring three neighborhoods, West Loop, Gold Coast and West Town, soaps are a wonderful gift to keep on hand and to use as stocking stuffers. Neighborhood soaps are creatively wrapped and offer some of Abbey Brown's most popular scents. Neighborhood soaps are priced at $5 each. Also new for the season is its Chocolate Mint soap priced at $8.50.

Chicago French Market Harvest Festival – October 10-12

Save the dates October 10-12. The Chicago French Market embraces the cooler weather, fall leaves and harvest ingredients with its Market Festival, October 10-12. Come embrace the season by tasting the best harvest offerings such as Pumpkin Spice Soup and Thanksgiving Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Spicy Monkey; Candy Apples from Superior Nut and Candy; Red Apple and Cranberry Pear Balsamic, Autumn Harvest and Pumpkin Patch Teas, or Butternut Squash Sauce from Oh Olive!; Harvest Kale Soup from Fumare Meats and Deli; American Craft and German Oktoberfest beers from Frietkoten, and Pumpkin Pie Soap from Abbey Brown Artisan Soap, just to name a few. The festival culminates with a full day of entertainment and special tastings Saturday, October 12.   

Delightful Pastries Back to School Specials

 

Nothing says back to school better than a lunch box filled with wholesome goodies and tasty snacks. Delightful Pastries at the Chicago French Market says no lunch box is complete without one of its fabulous brownies ($3.50 each). Whether it be the Paradise (a brownie filled with layers of pecan and caramel, topped with bittersweet chocolate ganache), Fudge (amazing brownie combining an all butter crust and Belgian Callebaut chocolate), or Triple Decker Peanut Butter(brownie topped with peanut butter and delicious chocolate), your child will be the envy of the class.

If you’re not into chocolate or have nut allergies, try Delightful’s Lemon Bar (made of all-butter-crust with freshly squeezed lemon juice) or their Cranberry Orange Squares (sweet cookie dough made with fresh cranberry and orange filling, topped with cinnamon streusel), always a crowd pleaser. 

Can’t decide? Don’t despair. Delightful Pastries also offers a sampling brownie tray ($25/40 pieces) a perfect gift for the class to start the year out right. The temptation may be too great. (We suggest that you also pick up extras for yourself and to share with office colleagues.) 

Looking for healthy choices, perfect for you and your kid’s lunch? Delightful Pastries also is the creator of wonderfully fresh homemade sandwiches and soups all made from scratch using family recipes. "Even the sauces in the sandwiches, such as homemade horseradish sauce, are made in-house daily. We believe that every customer deserves the best quality food just like how we make them at home,” says co-owner Robert Hawryszczuk. What this means is that all Delightful Pastries sandwich ingredients are freshly prepared without preservatives or other fillers.  

“If you can imagine a sandwich where the homemade bread is just-baked, the meat is local and all natural, the bacon is lean, thick-cut and locally cured, and where the ham and pork cutlets are from a local Polish butcher, then you have a good idea as to why our sandwiches have so many fans,” says Delightful Pastries co-owner Nico Hua. 

Chicago French Market sandwich favorites include The Polish ($8.25), with Polish ham, Swiss cheese, homemade horseradish sauce, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, tomato and field greens, served on a fresh butter croissant; The Thanksgiving ($8.25), hand carved turkey breast, Swiss cheese, homemade horseradish, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, cranberry sauce, tomato and field greens on a fresh butter croissant; The Fusion ($8.25), shrimp salad, mayonnaise, spice, pickles and field greens on a fresh butter croissant, and The Three Piggly Wigglys ($10), made with Polish ham, lean crispy bacon, pan fried schnitzel and pickles, served on an “everything” bun. Peanut butter lovers can’t resist He Lives! ($8.25 with peanut butter, grape jelly, lean crispy bacon, banana, house secret sauce, all served on a fresh butter croissant.

Bello Tea is having a huge tea sale on all teas!

If tea’s your bag, come to the Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., Chicago IL, 60661; 312-575-0306). September is your month. Enjoy a 10% discount on 4 oz. or 15% off on 8 oz. of any loose leaf teas. It’s the perfect time to try new teas such as Masala Chai, Earl Grey dela Crème or Caffeine-free Rooibos Chai or Coconut Almond Rooibos.

Abbey Brown Glass Diffuser Sets are back in stock

After a brief hiatus, Abbey Brown is pleased to announce that the highly demanded Glass Diffuser Sets are back in stock. Available in seven signature scents that will uplift, calm or balance an office or room of your choice, available for $30 or add a soy Signature Candle for only $12 more.

Rush Hour Music with Jenny Bienemann at the Chicago French Market

 

Thursday,September 5

Rush Hour Music

4-7 p.m.

Jenny Bienemann

As a songwriter, guitarist, and live vocal looper, Jenny’s music has been described as falling “somewhere between winking innocence and worldly detachment,” garnering comparisons to Suzanne Vega, Imogene Heap, and Michael Hedges.  She has opened for Dolly Varden, Sons of the Never Wrong, and Sloan Wainwright among many.  Her three albums receive national and international airplay, and her most recent recording was the recipient of an Illinois Arts Council grant.

Playing at the Chicago French Market has special meaning. Her album, GIRL FRIDAY, was recorded live at the Ogilvie Transportation Center in 2011. Breaking new ground in performing songs built upon layers of vocals, enabling her songs to nestle within a choir of harmony voices, her performances gained a reputation as one-of-a-kind, can't miss experiences. GIRL FRIDAY branded her as an unabashed innovator. 

Stop in before your commute or walk home to enjoy several original songs performed by Jenny  Bienemann. The Oak Park native’s sound, a combination of lyrical song-work paired with jazz guitar, creates a relaxing and fun concert.

Da Lobsta Comes to Chicago French Market This September

The Chicago French Market announces its newest vendor, Da Lobsta, opening this September as a quick service lobster roll eatery, joining other Da Lobsta locations in the Gold Coast. Da Lobsta was conceived by restaurateur J. Wolf.

At Da Lobsta, Wolf and his team currently serve authentic New England sandwiches with a twist, taking the East Coast concept of chilled Lobster Claw & Knuckle meat (Blue Crab and Shrimp can also be substituted), strip of mayo and warm garlic butter drizzled on top of a New England Style toasted. Daring to be different, the original can also be changed up with Indian, Asian, Mexican, and Greek varieties.

Think the American Dream on a bun.

Not to be confused with sushi (seriously, there are a few of those!), Da Lobsta brings the standard lobster roll to another level by offering homemade, customizable sandwiches at a reasonable price, without requiring dine-in service. None of the frou-frou, just straight good eats.

Wolf concocted the idea out of his love for visiting Maine when growing up, as well as his interest in the eclecticism of food culture he found when living in Los Angeles. As a child, lobster rolls became one of Wolf’s favorite dishes; seafood always seemed to hit the spot. When he moved to the West Coast later in life, he discovered his beloved sandwich on a food truck cruising around town, and would frequently find himself driving 45 minutes out of the way just to get a bite.

At the same time, Wolf was operating The Glendon Bar & Kitchen in Hollywood, a high end dining spot mixing American and California cuisines. He began to experiment with the idea of creating a restaurant on a smaller scale, offering high quality products with his own unique twist and less of an emphasis on dining.

Suddenly, something clicked with his past and present obsessions.

Wolf eventually moved to Chicago, leaving behind The Glendon to pursue his new idea with his favorite foodie pleasure: the lobster roll. He decided to add ethnic variations to the mix as a way to diversify the standard, and suit the assorted feel of his new home.

While in Maine, a lobster roll is a working man's sandwich sold on the side of the highway or pier. In big cities, they’ve been turned into gourmet items. Many fancier versions pack in dozens of ingredients and cost significantly more, but don’t taste better than the original. Wolf wanted to avoid a similar result and created new renditions of the lobster roll, while tapping into the simplicity and authenticity of the original.

The result was Da Lobsta.

Chicago French Market August Specials and Features

Abbey Brown Soap Artisan

 Abbey Brown Soap Artisan, the Chicago French Market vendor that creates handmade natural Olive Oil soaps, soothing body oils and relaxing bath essentials, is now launching a men’s line called Terra Firma.  Terra Firma will debut featuring 5 soaps with matching soaks (bath salts). 

The new soaps will feature masculine scents including Coastal, Territory, Zone, Ground and Terrain.  All products are created and packaged with men in mind and will offer larger bars made with natural oils and great packaging designs.

For the month of August, Abbey Brown Soap Artisan will be offering a 10% discount when you purchase one soap bar and matching soak from the new men’s line.   

Lavazza Espression

Lavazza Premium Espresso will be offering the Blendissimo® as its feature drink for the month of August.

This unique coffee-based frappe features a cool blend of espresso, vanilla gelato and caramel and is topped off with whipped cream.  The Blendissimo® also is available in the following combinations:  Mocha, Orange Mocha, and Hazelnut Mocha.

 In conjunction with the Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival, Lavazza Premium Espresso will be hosting the “Falling in Love with Coffee” promotion, August 24 - September 6.  Use your MasterCard to purchase a Kilo of Whole Bean Coffee and receive a limited edition Lavazza Coffee Tin.

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine

If you plan on doing some summer entertaining, remember a few of the delicacies from the 2^nd Annual Pastoral Artisan Producer Fest to include in your spread.  New products from the fest are now available for sale at Pastoral.  Take home a few servings of locally produced fresh goat cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery in Urbana-Champaign.  Cheese maker Leslie Cooperband creates a super creamy goat cheese with notes of lemon and wildflowers called Fresh Chevre.  It’s sure to please your guests. 

Add artisan charcuterie from Creminelli Fine Meats in Salt Lake City to your menu.  Cristiano Creminelli learned his craft from his father and grandfather in Piedmont, Italy. Now you can enjoy their specialty meats like Calabrese, a mildly spicy Calabrian-inspired salami with a nice garlic undertone or Milano, an everyday salami with a mild but slightly peppery flavor profile.

Lastly, pull all these artisan treats together with some remarkable spreads and Tapenades.  The Gracious Gourmet in Bridgewater, CT will help you do just that with Fennel Blood Orange Tapenade. Slowly caramelized fennel and red onions mixed with Kalamata olives and blood oranges create this Sicilian inspired tapenade. Also available is the Spiced Sour Cherry Spread, a mix of whole and pureed sour Morello cherries, tart dried cherries and spices simmered in red Burgundy wine.