Eat And Drink In Oak Park, Chicago: Oak Park Farmers' Market, Marion Street Cheese Market And Sen Sushi Restaurant
Barely 11 miles from downtown Chicago, historic Oak Park–Frank Lloyd Wright's early stomping ground–has long been a destination for architecture enthusiasts. Make a day of it by adding these gastronomic stops to the itinerary.
Oak Park Farmers' Market
Fortify yourself for your FLW walking tour with a trip to the bustling Saturday farmers' market. It's a market to rival any within city limits, with an added perk: fresh doughnuts (75 cents each). Lines can stretch up to 50 deep, so go early, grab a pint of Michigan cherries and enjoy the live bluegrass while you wait. 460 Lake St. (closed first Saturday of the month); oak-park.us/farmersmarket
Marion Street Cheese Market
This picnicker's heaven stocks charcuterie and cheese, house-made chocolates, wine and growlers of craft beers from its five taps ($25). There's a park nearby (across from the Hemingway museum), but there are plenty of reasons to grab a seat in the year-old cafe–especially the weekend brunch menu. Airy waffles come stuffed with bananas and pecans or peaches and ham ($9). Or try the watermelon-feta-arugula salad ($8) and the house-cured trout with eggs, pickled onions, capers, potatoes and herbed cream cheese ($12). 100 S. Marion St.; 708-725-7200 or marionstreetcheesemarket.com
Sen Sushi
Less than one month old, this sleek shoebox of a sushi den sticks to the standards and does them well. End the day with a roll from the lengthy makimono list and a sampling of the 28 nigiri or sashimi options ($2 to $4.50), including creamy sea urchin. Appetizers like homey fried tofu in dashi broth ($6) and delicate, thinly sliced hirame (flounder) topped with homemade ponzu sauce, sliced jalapeños and sriracha ($9) are meant for sharing. 814 S. Oak Park Ave.; 708-848-4400