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Top ten places to buy pizza making ingredients in Chicago
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Well, yes, you can buy pizza ingredients in any grocery store. But, what if you want to make the the most extraordinary and delightful pizza ever? All ingredients are not created equal. You may be able to purchase what Jewel says is Italian sausage, but it may be hard to distinguish it from their Polish sausage. And, although you may find fresh basil in a little plastic box at any Dominick’s it may be flavorless and extremely expensive. While none of the stores mentioned are one stop shops, the quality is worth the extra trip.
1. Bari Foods, (1120 West Grand) This little powerhouse makes the best Italian sausage in Chicago. The store is packed with imported Italian ingredients and they make wonderful hot giardinera.
2.Conte di Savoia, (1438 W Taylor) Italian deli/grocery is located on Taylor Street between the University Bari Foods of Illinois and the West Side Medical Center.
3. Isola Imports, (4525 S Tripp) Large assortment of imported Italian cheeses many from small family owned farms. These are cheeses that you will never find at a large American chain store. They also have an extensive stock of imported sauces, condiments and Italian staples.
4.Trader Joe’s (Lincoln) Trader Joe's is a weird jewel of wonderful items. I tried to buy the ingredients to make a pizza there but they said that yeast was out of season. However, I did find wonderful aged Parmesan cheese, organic Roma tomatoes, fragrant fresh basil and organic wine. Wine is a requirement of the cook, not the pizza.
5.Tony’s (6708 Northwest Highway) Northwest side neighbors can’t live without Tony’s. There is an excellent selection of all things Italian-meats, cheeses, produce, music and decor.
6.Valli Produce (400 E. Golf Road, Arlington Heights, IL, 60005 (847) 439-9700
Just like Caputo’s this place started out as a produce stand . Valli has evolved into one of the areas best places to find imported and specialty foods.
Besides having the most exotic produce department, it also has a huge selection of premium olive oils, a deli with imported cheeses and cured meats, a butcher department with fresh sausages and meats. Valli offers products not only from Italy and Greece, but also from India, Spain, Asia, Poland, the Middle East and Latin America. Valli has more items to put on a pizza than any other market in the Chicago area.
7.Caputo’s (2560 North Harlem Avenue, Elmwood Park, IL)One of Chicago’s most popular ethnic groceries. The place is brimming with imported and specialty Italian items and has a great produce section and a butcher section with fresh Italian sausage.
8. Panozzos (1303 S Michigan Avenue) New and super clean, family run deli has a fab collection of imported cheeses and cured meats, olive oils. Their goal is to make everybody a least a little Italian.
9. Tonninis (6950-52 Windsor Ave, Berwyn) Old time Italian deli is owned and run by the former manager of the famous DAndrea Italian Market which had been around since1938. This new place keeps up the tradition of making their own Italian sausage fresh daily, homemade sauces and imported cheeses.
10. Green City Market (South end of Lincoln Park between Clark and Stockton) Chicago’s only year-round farmers’ market promoting local, sustainable farmers, and producers. There are about fifty different farms represented here each week. Two of my pizza favorites are: Tomato Mountain which not only has locally grown, organic tomatoes but they also put up their own homemade sauce in jars so you can stock up for the winter, and Twin Oaks Meats with fresh, natural Italian sausage with no preservatives. They use their own recipe and make it all from scratch. It comes in Hot or Sweet and both can be purchased in bulk or links
For more info about pizza: Chicago Pizza Examner
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