Public Service Post of the Week:

An assessment of selected grocery stores on the north side of Chicago

Only since my move to Chicago have I realized the variety of grocery stores in a typical metropolitan area. With such a huge choice, how does one decide? Do you find your favorite store, get the discount card, become a loyal customer, and shop there for every need? Or, do you pick and choose stores based on the items needed and the conditions surrounding the shopping trip? For me, it's the latter, partly because there is no one store that carries everything I want and is convenient for those rushing-to-pick-something-up-for-dinner times.

Jewel, 5516 N Clark: Crack Jewel. This store is probably the closest to my apartment, but is also one of the crappiest grocery stores I have ever patronized. The produce section is gross and small, and the fish counter is to be avoided. Trust me. Yet for some reason it's really crowded. To prevent the pilfering of grocery carts, there is a gate along the front entrances, so that you cannot take your cart to the car. You must leave your cart, with all your freshly purchased food screaming "steal me! steal me!" at the front of the store while you get your car. Then you have to fight traffic and park in front of the store to load everything in. If it weren't for the location and the self checkout lanes, I would never shop here. It's the one you go to when you need something for dinner or forgot the mustard for your hot dogs.

Jewel, 2940 N Ashland: The Old Favorite. This was, for a time, my grocery store of choice. It's big, plenty of parking, you can take your cart to the car, and the quality and cleanliness are above par. But everyone else in Chicagoland likes it too, so it is really crowded at peak hours. Plus, it's pretty far -- too far if there is rush-hour or Cubs game traffic. Load up on staples and get some good produce, but during off-hours only.

Jewel, 3400 Western: Leetle Lot. This Jewel is pretty nice. It's a newer building, so it's clean, well-lit, and big. They even have these scanner calculator things that you can sign out to keep track of what you are buying as you wander through the store. But the parking lot is way too small, so you spend half your time avoiding people, carts, other cars, and inevitably poorly controlled children. Not worth the hassle.

Dominicks, 5233 N. Lincoln: Suck-fest. The only thing going for this store is that everyone knows how awful it is so no one goes there. It is never crowded. But the store itself sucks. Avoid except for last minute dinner necessities.

Dominicks, 3350 Western: No People, No Problem. This is the compromise. It's not as nice as the Jewel next door, but the parking lot is huge and it is never crowded. Lately, my store of choice. Worth the drive for big shopping days.

Whole Foods, 3300 N Ashland: Hippie Spendy. Great store. It is crowded, the parking sucks, and hippies everywhere, but it is so wonderful. Produce: incredible. Meat and fish counters: huge selection of free range and organic products, and knowledgable butchers/mongers. Prices: painful. This is the making a fancy dinner and want the best ingredients store.

Trader Joe's, 3745 N. Lincoln: Budget Friendly, Menu Happy. Trader Joe's offers a great selection of store-brand products that are high quality yet super cheap. The fresh produce is iffy, but the freezer section can provide a bounty of $2-$3 lunches for work. Coffee: yummy. Wine: so good yet cheap you can throw yourself a party. Alternate Trader Joe's trips with your staple shopping from regular grocers, and a happier person you'll be.

Now before you get yourself all in a huffy, I know that I have left out the many smaller ethnic grocers and markets. Del Mar on Broadway had good produce and latin foods. The Asian market on Broadway not only has your standard scary "Are those really eyeballs?" Asian market fare, but also hides a really cheap yet surprisingly tasty Vietnamese restaurant. But I'll leave that exploring up to you.