Eat And Drink In Oak Park, Chicago: Oak Park Farmers' Market, Marion Street Cheese Market And Sen Sushi Restaurant
Go for Frank Lloyd Wright's early works, stay for the food
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