Where to buy Wisconsin cheddar cheese in Chicago (Western 'burbs)?

[TorontoJo]

Sorry for such an odd request. My mom, who lives in Westmont, has some overseas relatives visiting and they have indicated that they would like to buy some Wisconsin cheese. My mom seems to think that she'll have to drive them to Wisconsin for this, but I'm sure that there are local stores that carry some good quality Wisconsin cheese.

Western suburbs would be ideal, but she'll be downtown for a couple of trips, so if someplace like Fox and Obel is the only option, then that's fine, too.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. And as always, I'm happy to return the favor if you're ever in Toronto!

[nsxtasy]

You'll find a huge selection of cheeses, including many from the Dairy State, at reasonable prices, at:

Caputo Cheese Market
1931 N. 15th Ave.
Melrose Park, IL 60160
708-450-0469
www.wisconcorp.com/caputocheese.html

It's 14 miles northeast of Westmont, about a 25 minute drive.

In the city, the best place for cheese selection and quality is Pastoral, which has three locations (one in the Loop, one in the French Market on the west side of the Loop, and one in Lakeview on the North Side). www.pastoralartisan.com

All these locations are pictured on the map on the right of this page.

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Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine
2945 N Broadway, Chicago, IL

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine
53 E. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60601

French Market
131 North Clinton, Chicago, IL 60661

Caputo Cheese Market
1931 N 15th Ave, Melrose Park, IL 60160

[masha]

The Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park has a fine selection of cheeses (and is not far from the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio and Unity Temple, which may be on your mother's list of sites to show your guests anyway).

[nsxtasy]

FYI the Marion Street Cheese Market is about the same distance and time from Westmont as Caputo.

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Marion Street Cheese Market
100 S Marion St, Oak Park, IL 60302

[TorontoJo]

These are wonderful options, thank you so much!

[LikestoEatout]

Woodman's Supermarket in North Aurora is part of a Wisconsin based chain. They have a huge selection of Wisconsin cheese to choose from. It's at the Orchard Road exit of I-88 and less than a half hour from Westmont via I-88

http://www.woodmans-food.com/

151 Hansen Blvd.
North Aurora, Il
630-723-3900

[nsxtasy]

Also note that a huge selection of Wisconsin cheddar cheese is available *everywhere*, including any decent-sized supermarket (Whole Foods, Jewel, Dominick's, Woodman's, etc). What you get at the cheese specialty stores is a greater selection of quality and artisanal brands, and often better freshness.

[markh]

No one mentioned cheddar until you did.

And your response leads me to believe you've never stepped foot in a Woodman's. It is NOT a "decent-sized supermarket". I'd guess that you could fit three or four "decent-sized supermarkets" inside a Woodman's. And from what I've seen on their shelves, I suspect that Woodman's (whose stores are primarily in Wisconsin) has a better selection of Wisconsin cheeses than anywhere else in the Chicago area. And that selection goes from low-end to high-end.

[nsxtasy]

>> No one mentioned cheddar until you did.

You're wrong about that. Maybe you didn't read the title of this topic?

>> And your response leads me to believe you've never stepped foot in a Woodman's.

You're wrong about that, too. I've been to several Woodman's locations (although only in Wisconsin, not the one in Aurora). Despite the large size of the ones I've been in, it strikes me as having a level of product quality and customer service similar to the typical Jewel or Dominick's, and a step down from Whole Foods. You can find a large selection of cheeses from low-end to high-end at Jewel and Dominick's too - for example, they sell Maytag bleu cheese, a high-quality cheese made in Newton Iowa, at my local Dominick's - but I instead buy it at Caputo Cheese Market, where the price is lower and the freshness is more consistent.

[Fowler]

Do your relatives know what kind of Wisconsin cheddar to purchase? Price and quality vary greatly. Just because a cheddar is from Wisconsin does not necessarily mean it is good.

[nsxtasy]

That's the point I was trying to make above. For example, Sargento is a mass market cheese brand you can probably find in any supermarket in Chicago. Their cheeses are made in towns near their headquarters in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and they make cheddar. It's not terrible, but if I were buying cheese for someone from overseas, I'd get them a high-quality cheese from a small cheesemaker, not a mass-market packaged brand.

[Fowler]

I agree completely (maybe this will become a trend)? :-)

It would be a shame if they went home with Sargento cheddar thinking that is the best we have to offer. If they need or what specific recs I'm sure we would be happy to help out.

[nsxtasy]

I hope so. ;)

There are quite a few recommendations for specific Wisconsin craft cheeses, including some cheddars, in the discussion at www.chow.com/topics/756335

I know you'll get great recommendations from the knowledgeable staff at Pastoral, and I assume the same is true at Marion Street. Caputo, not so much; Caputo is more like a warehouse type place, where they have large quantities and low prices. Their staff may know a bit about their cheeses, but it's not where I would go if you need advice about how various cheeses differ.

[Fowler]

I thought of something else as well. Make sure your relatives know the rules for transporting cheese into their country. I would hate to see them spend a lot on fine cheese only to have it taken away while going through customs.

[TorontoJo]

Thanks for the additional information. My relatives went to Caputo today and stocked up on a LOT of cheese from all over, not just Wisconsin.

And no worries about the transport issue. They are masters of the "bury food in the luggage" technique. The stuff my mom used to bring back from Taiwan still boggles my mind.