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I have to say I don't go to a lot of farmer's markets in Chicago. Mainly because (especially after being a regular Haymarket shopper in Boston) most of them are inaccessible or sad. But I thought I'd check out Logan Square Market this morning, because it's close to the El and I was told Logan Square is pretty hip. This turned out to be a vicious lie, but the park in the middle of Chicago's Biggest Motherfucking Roundabout is nice.

So I came up out of the Blue Line near the roundabout and started walking south, but before long I noticed there was a huge crowd of people around some monument in the park. It's a sign I've now thoroughly urbanised that I can't resist a crowd. I pushed my way to the front and was faced, suddenly, with SURPRISE RAHM EMANUEL giving a press conference with the superintendent of police.

This is the second time I've run into our mayor without warning, and I have been laughing about it all day. The first time, I snubbed him without meaning to; this time you can see in the photo on my LJ he's giving me the cold shoulder.

Well played, Mayor, well played. When next we meet, it shall be on equal terms.

Anyway, after listening to him take questions about a new police initiative and make jokes about reporters, I headed down to the market. There were a lot of bakery and vegetable stands, a couple of organic-handmade-soap type stands, some food carts (omg portable crepe cart, lol) and an Ironic Folk Duo featuring a washboard and guitar. I almost bought a jar of apple caramel jam before discovering it was $9.

Open letter to the cheesemonger: get a bigger booth and more employees. If you hadn't spent twenty minutes slow-selling pesto cheddar to hipsters I might have bought some of that good-looking aged gouda.

It was nice to go to the market with a bit of spending cash, too; I've been a little low lately. This weekend I finally took my spare-change jar in to the bank, thinking I'd get five or ten bucks out of it, and was pleasantly startled to find I had $52 in change. So I bought some rhubarb for Rhubarb Crumble, a fried strawberry pie to snack on, and some origami paper from downtown. And I still have enough left over to order out dinner tonight.

I declare Sunday a success.

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I went to the Logan Square Market last week. Too many people, too many babies, and too many dogs. I like dogs and I like babies, but they both take up a lot of space, and can cause real traffic jams.

Everyone was mostly sold out of things by the time I got there at 12:30- even the bacon sandwich guys were out of bread for the bacon sandwiches.

Someone needs to open up a drinks stand, because it was almost impossible to get something liquid while there. They had run out of spring rolls and it was a thirty minute wait if you wanted some.

I would up just cutting my losses.

I've heard that from a few people, that it's too busy and difficult to get to stalls or buy stuff. I didn't find it overly difficult except at the cheese stall -- maybe because it was colder than usual? I was there around 12 - 1 and had no real trouble. I agree with you about the drinks stand, though.

Last Farmers Market I went to was just outside of Ottawa, and featured Bacon-onna-Bun (with cheese for extra Heart Attack), locally-made gelato, meringue cookies, and jewelry made out of silverware, and that's just the things I bought! Although I was tempted by the emu oil, pretty flowers, and locally produced elk and lamb sausage. No cheese, though, so that's a point against them. :)

Ooh, which Farmer's Market near Ottawa did you hit up? I usually head down to the Parkdale Market for my produce, but that is really all they have this time of year

The Carp Farmers Market! It was pretty big and just plain pretty! :) I could've spent the entire morning there!

Ah city life.

One of these days I'm going to find a farmer's market that actually sells interesting things. Out here we seem to be unclear on the concept.

I suppose it depends on how you define interesting. I mean their basic function is to get food into the hands of consumers without a middleman, so in that sense they're not necessarily meant to be interesting, and stuff like craft stalls and soap stalls and such are a bonus. On the other hand, some people find shopping that way very interesting!

Well, the last 'farmer's market' I went two had three stalls. Two selling wave petunias and flats of impatients and marigolds. And one guy who had potatoes, tomatoes and pineapple. Which is not exactly local.

We're more of a grocery store/farm stand culture, and I just drool over posts by people who have markets that sell...oh, asparagus, cheese, meat, bread and baked goods, heirloom tomatoes instead of red beefsteak, etc.

Yeah, three stalls where two of them are flowers is not interesting by ANYONE'S definition :D

Heh, I've no idea how Illinois' licensing laws would work it out, but I was just purchasing a few bits of produce from my own local greenmarket and spotted one of the Long Island wineries introducing the locals to their wares.

Om nom crepes! I think I once encountered one of those portable crepe carts in Central Park by Columbus Circle. Seriously good stuff. (Also, eating a freshly made crepe al fresco was a nice picnic.)

I had no idea roundabouts could even do that!

When they get to be as big as the one at Logan Square, all kinds of unexpected things can happen...

Portable crepe carts are a venerable tradition in French street food. With good reason, after all what could be better than a piping-hot crepe smeared with Nutella and folded into a paper cone?

And I know what you mean about one good farmers' market spoiling you for lesser ones. The Jean-Talon market in Montreal has ruined me for anywhere else in the city.

We almost literally bumped into the Mayor on our way there - the four year old liked his tie.
The Farmer's Market is within walking distance of our house, but we rarely attend because it's Just. So. Slow. To. Buy. Anything.

I didn't find it that difficult to get around or buy stuff (except for the cheese), but then I'm one person and I can imagine with a four-year-old and a partner it's a bit more complicated. :D

Are you a dairy and nuts eating kind of person? Stewed rhubarb with Greek yogurt and walnuts is SO GOOD.

Oooh, rhubarb and yoghurt, I hadn't even thought of that. And I do love Greek yoghurt.

Haha, next time he is going to show up at one of your events as a guest speaker or something.

Portable crepe carts are SO GREAT. You're walking along and BAM, surprise deliciousness.

Man, that is a LOT of small change. How big is your jar?!

In conclusion, fried strawberry pie.

It wasn't that much change, which is why I was so surprised -- I think it must have been mostly quarters. My "jar" is actually a piggy bank I got as a gift a year or two ago, it holds about as much as a regular sized mason jar would.