Marion Street Cheese Market: Eat, Drink, Shop and Be Merry
For many Chicagoans, a relaxing day may include drinks or coffee with friends, or a tasty meal, maybe a bit of shopping, or even a cooking class, and at the Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park, the decision is easy – you can do all of the above.
Just a short drive or train ride west from downtown, the market offers an alluring blend of café, specialty food shop, beer and wine bar and stylish hangout.
Hundreds of cheeses are there for the tasting, and delicious meats and deli items are sold to-go. You'll find coffee and pastries, gourmet chocolates, and cooking supplies — along with more than 60 beers and countless wines.
The café offers breakfast (items such as skillets and crepes range in price from $9 to $12), lunch (soups, salads, sandwiches and pasta from $5 to $12) and dinner (pizza, seafood, vegetarian and meat dishes up to $19) as well as cheese and charcuterie selections pairing cheeses and meats from around the world.
Gourmet coffees, hand-made pastries and chocolates are also available as sweet after-meal treats or on-the-go indulgences.
If all of these options aren’t enough, the Marion Street Cheese Market also offers cooking classes for the culinary-curious. Every Monday a class is offered on topics ranging from cheese to cooking to chocolate at a fee of $30. Specialty classes with beer and wine tastings are also frequently available; students must be 21 or older.
An impressively-large space spanning 4,200 square feet, the market’s deli/restaurant seats 60 and the wine bar 30. The design is a mix of modern and eclectic with a decidedly European air.
While stylish, the market is also highly eco-conscious and environmentally friendly, with countertops of recycled glass, chairs made from seatbelt remnants, and energy-efficient equipment.
When in doubt on how to spend a day, the Marion Street Cheese Market is a good bet for all sorts of interests and appetites. Stop in for a cheese tasting, stay for a crepe and glass of wine, and don’t forget to peruse the shop on your way out.
Posted on Feb 28, 2011 by D.J. Siegel
