Fox & Obel

A while ago, Steve from Victorian Pantry told me about a little market-cafe-restaurant place in Chicago called Fox & Obel that I should go to the next time I was here. Well, the 5k about a week ago was the perfect opportunity to stop by.

Right here ---> please imagine a picture of the outside of Fox & Obel with the sign taken on the corner of the street. Because I spaced and forgot to take it.

Immediately upon entering the market area I'm reminded of the scene in You've Got Mail where Meg Ryan's character is shopping in what I figure is their neighborhood's version of this store, swerving around food signs and displays to keep from being seen by Tom Hank's character. There's pretty much a wide variety of different things, like the shelf dedicated to mineral waters I've never even seen before.

Once in the cafe section I order a single espresso and a dried cranberry-white chocolate-macadamia cookie.
The espresso was incredibly smooth, and still strong, but not bitter at all. Pretty much one of the best espresso I've had in my span. Back in the day I tried a SBUX espresso and I had to swallow it like when parents gave their kids castor oil. In retrospect, I really didn't need to do that to myself.
Way back in my day, my mom would occasionally buy me a white chocolate-macadamia cookie from a Mrs. Fields stand in the mall. Those cookies remain one of my favorite to this day, although I never really eat them anymore, nor have I once made any. Pretty much the memory associated with it is what makes it more special than other cookies I've eaten, but it's why I always order anything with white chocolate and macadamia nuts if I see it in the display. (Oh, the cookie was good, though chewy not by the ingredients but by intentional underbaking.)

This is their raw (I think) gazpacho, which tasted like a light salsa, but more soupy. Pretty good. I didn't taste any of the bread until the next day, and even then it was decent.

I'm going to leave you to look at the remaining pictures I took until you lose your focus or quit out of boredom. I didn't get to take as many pictures I'd have liked to, or put very much thought in the angling of said pics I didn't snap, because I forgot to charge the camera and the battery was running low, so I hope you enjoy those I did take.

Still inside the cafe



Spices -- I love the containers they use



The most incredible collection of olive oils and vinegars






Entrees


KONA! I noticed it didn't specify the grade


If I could have just one last wish, it'd be for a piece of tasty fish