byNicole Bernardi-Reis
Any way you cut it, Midwesterners love their meat. And as the summer sun heats up city streets, Chicagoans are heating up the grills and making the most of barbecue season.
While most folks are content to fill their grilling needs with plastic-wrapped packages from the grocery store, there are still plenty of backyard chefs willing to make a trip to the local meat market. And, as hog butcher to the world, Chicago still provides plenty of options to its own residents. From lamb to lobster to good old steak, local butchers offer up an affordable variety of grillable goods.
Walk into Bornhofen's, on the city's North Side, and it's like walking into a time warp. The two old guys behind the counter, wearing matching aprons and white paper caps, are on a first-name basis with many of their customers, often confirming orders rather than taking them. This is definitely a neighborhood shop, and the familiar atmosphere is supplemented by thick cuts of porterhouse steaks, lamb patties and potato sausages. Bockwurst, a traditional German spring sausage, is a house specialty.
More centrally located, and a tad bit more expensive, is Lakeview's Paulina Market. That said, it's perhaps the best butcher shop in town, offering a wide variety of fresh and frozen meats, as well as a well stocked deli, and a cooler filled with pre-made dinners such as chicken pot pie and Leberkase, a German meatloaf. Want some venison, ostrich or buffalo steaks? Check the freezer. Have a hankering for some jerky? Check the deli - they've got virtually every kind. Just want to slap some burgers on the grill? No problem. The large and airy store can get crowded sometimes, so it's better to beat the rush and get in early for the best selection.
Gracing Lincoln Park since 1906, Gepperth's Meat Market mixes high-quality meats with a friendly atmosphere. Their one long counter houses juicy Black Angus steaks, ribbons of homemade sausages and some of the plumpest brats in the city. They also offer a small selection of seafood - shrimp, lobster and orange roughy - but its frozen. Then again, with mountains of lean baby-back ribs right there, why would you even consider anything else?
Thanks to the large German, Polish and Italian populations that settled here, Chicago is a sausage town. The barbecue favorite even has its own heading in the Yellow Pages, so seriously do Chicagoans take their wieners. Practically every meat market in town touts its own homemade version of brats, Italian or Polish sausages to char. Feeling adventurous? Paulina's apple pork sausage and Gepperth's spicy hot Italians are just the beginning. If you're a hot dog lover, visit the Vienna Beef Factory retail store to get the good old standby straight from the source. (Unfortunately many of the city's sausage factories only sell wholesale.)
Love a good dog, but keeping Kosher? Not a problem. Pull into the Romanian Kosher Sausage Shop in Rogers Park on a Friday afternoon, and you'll find the small storefront bustling with activity, as area Jews busily prepare for Sabbath. There's a wide variety of cuts, albeit more frozen than fresh. But the staff is willing to help you find exactly what you're looking for, including homemade kiske, a veal-based sausage made with corn meal.
If you're ooking to master the art of kebab cooking, head north for your kifte: A drive down Devon presents endless opportunities to purchase lamb, goat and a variety of other standard Indian and Middle Eastern cuts. Most of these places prepare the meat in keeping with Muslim tradition. Start out at Halal Meats, which is open 365 days a year.
Freshness is often the key to grilling happiness, and one of the freshest places around is the Fulton Market area. Tucked between new loft developments and wholesale meat packing plants are a few shops that sell to the public, like the Columbus Meat Market. Or try the Halsted Packing House - the family owned business specializes in custom cuts and small animals. Pork, veal, goat and beef are all available here, with everything but the cows slaughtered on premises. Be prepared for an olfactory assault, especially on super hot days. Still, there's something quite satisfying about determining how thick your pork chops will be, so long as you don't mind watching them cut from an entire pig.
Midwesterners may love their beef, but Chicago is a port town, which means plenty of fish-lovers. While the days of bringing home Lake Michigan's catch of the day are over, there are plenty of high quality fish shops to fill the void. Two of the most convenient places are located right in the center of the city. Plitt's Chicago Fish House offers both wholesale and retail services at its facilities, offering everything from fresh Mahi Mahi to shark daily. Lincoln Park's Burhops offers a similar selection, but often with more consistency. You'll find plump ruby red tuna, firm fleshy salmon and steak-like sword fish, among other aquatic delights. Start your evening with some calamari salad or crab, from the well-stocked deli.
Bornhofen's, 6155 North Broadway, (773)764-0714
The Paulina Market, 3501 North Lincoln, (773)278-6272
Gepperth's Market, 1964 North Halsted, (773)549-3883
Vienna Sausage Retail Store, 2501 Damen, (773) 278-7800
Romanian Kosher Sausage, 7200 North Clark, (773)761-4141
Halal Meats, 2907 West Devon, (773)743-1200
Columbus Meat Market, 906 West Randolph, (312)829-2480
Halsted Packing House, 445 North Halsted, (312)421-5147
Chicago Fish House, 655 West Fulton, (312)993-3474
Burhops, 609 West North, (312)642-8600
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