A Celebration Of Food

The Standard Market is a celebration of food imagined by four local people who are from the food industry.  They forged this idea through a proof of concept to obtain funds and open a unique type of grocery store. 

There were no food samples, which is unique in itself, they only accept credit cards, no cash and do not encourage tipping in their restaurant or grocery loading area.

There is a huge footprint, concrete floors, fantastic presentations of food, a wine bar, a restaurant and a full scale on-site bakery.

The presentation of food is wonderful especially as you walk in the front door.  This is not an organic food store although many of their purchases are from organic farmers and always what is in season.

Pink Lady Apples

I couldn't resist the salsa and guacamole display, however, I bought the guacamole on the right and it had habanero peppers in it, husband ate it!  Everything is made fresh daily and the guacamole had big chunks of avocado in it, next time I will go to the left.

The fresh squeezed juices are prepared on site.

Eggplants and Squashes

I do like those thick asparagus.

I did buy the green beans, so fresh!

Hot stuff!

Lots of fresh fruits

Potatoes that look like a work of art

There is a great wine and liquor area and even a wine bar where you can enjoy wine by the glass while shopping.

Multiple cases of cheese are right next to the wine, great combination!

Dinner every night as a carryout

Great fresh fish and also offered frozen

Lots of choices for the beef, bone in, no bone, choice, prime

The deli with homeade everything

The bakery is full service and on site.

The idea of this store is to make food shopping a colorful entertaining experience!

http://www.standardmarket.com/

 

Fallout

Camera in hand I headed out to take a few last photos of the fall garden.  I was pleasantly surprised to still see such color and interest even as we enter the month of November.

My Accolade Elm has turned a beautiful golden color.  This is the tree that lost over a third of its root system in the spring with the gas company digging to repair a pipe, hope it survives.

My neighbor's Red Maple stands out among the other still green leaved trees in the background.

Home Run Pink continues to bloom without clipping off the spent buds.

Rose hips have formed on Pink Meidiland rose.

Knockout Rainbow is stunning this time of year!

Home Run Red

Cinco De Mayo

Eupatorium Chocolate is always a pleasant surprise at the end of the summer.

The black potato vine has held up much better than the green ones, not as trailing but much hardier.

The display of seedheads on Panicum Northwind

Sedum Autum Fire in the alley garden

Sedum Vera Jameson in the alley garden

Echinacea Meadowbrite Mango

We harvested this lettuce for our Halloween dinner and it was delicious.

Solomon's Seal is a delicate beauty even in the fall.

I call them my Dinosaur Ferns but I know they have a Latin name?

These are the Autumn Ferns that I planted this summer in the bed under the Chanticleer Pear.  I have cut back the Lirope to plant bulbs.  The ferns must like it because they have doubled in size.

Hydrangea Unique

This specimen does not weather as well as Limelight but is certainly worth growing for its long panicles which can be cut at various stages of color and dried.  I think I will cut the rest of the flowers off for spraying with color for the holidays, maybe gold!

The plumes of Miscanthus Udine

Pansies by the veggie garden

Heuchera Southern Comfort
They will keep their color all winter.

Heuchera Carmel

The front resin planter has done well with the swiss chard in the background.

I have not done the mustard before but I like it for its dark coloring and height.

Rudbeckia Tiger Eye

I think Rudbeckia is my new favorite, blooms for an extended time into the fall and can take a light frost.

Plumbago is a great fall groudcover with blue flowers and leaves that turn a deep red.

I have lots of allysum that still looks great.  I will leave it until spring, shake it out and it will reseed all over.

Let The Show Begin!

I took a trip into Chicago with friends for a theatre tour.  I thought to myself what could be so interesting about theatres that I went to as a child, young adult and older adult that I had never noticed before as special.  Oh well, I figured the lunch would be worth the trip.

This is the entrance to the Oriental Theatre, built in 1926 by the Rapp brothers and run by Babalan and Katz.  It began as a vaudeville theatre went on to movies and stage shows to its present day of Broadway shows.

It is now known as the Oriental Ford Theatre.  After falling into disrepair it was completely restored in the late nineties and saved from becoming a shopping mall.

The Oriental is heavily adorned with an Asian feel, but also incorporates Africa and East Indian artwork.

Marble, brass and mosaic abound on the ornate staircases.  Ushers were even dressed as if they stepped out of history as Aladdin seeing people to their fifty cent seats.

An original sconce on the staircase

This is one of two large chandeliers hanging in the lobby.  One was auctioned off when the theatre went through bad times and later found in a farmer's barn in Kenosha, Wisconsin and restored to its original position.

The original vintage lighting was spectacular, note the monkeys supposedly the Rapp brothers depiction of Babalan and Katz.

In the main part of the theatre statues loom over the audience where we may have seen July Garland (then known as part of the Gum sisters) Fanny Brice, Al Jolson, George Burns and Gracie Allen, the Three Stooges and many more.

The new mayor has kept the city beautiful, one of the many planters that line the streets of Chicago.

A little sculptural interest along the way.  I know I have seen this artist's work before, I think at the Art Institute.

A couple of blocks later we arrived at the Palace Theatre now known as the Cadillac Palace also designed by the Rapp brothers and opened in 1926.

This theatre lobby is constructed of marble but does not have the same over the top ornamentation as the Oriental.

The Palace Theatre has also been restored to its original glory and is now host to many Broadway Shows.  It was the previous home to Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, Mae West and Bob Hope.

On to lunch at Lawry's Prime Rib which is also housed in a Historic building.

This is the four story McCormick Mansion built before the turn of the century.  It had twenty-five rooms including a ballroom on the fourth floor.  It was leased in 1935 to a casino which during prohibition did not last long.

Through the years the McCormick Mansion changed, lost two upper stories due to a construction accident and the front was redone to become the Kungsholm, a Swedish smorgasbord, with can you believe an Opera puppet show.

The puppets were about thirteen inches tall and operated from underneath to phonograph music and later tape tracks.  The Kungsholm was in existence from about 1940 to 1971.

It is now Lawry's Prime Rib (Lawry's Seasoned Salt) and it was one of the best lunches I have ever had!

In fact, it was one of the best days I have ever had.