Jiggety-Jig

Spring brings many things- new life, sun tans, brunches in sidewalk cafes... and other, less pleasant things depending on your neighborhood.

Ahh... the first of spring... and such a distinct fragance- each one of them...

With all this, comes the farmer's market- something most of us with a 40-hour work week aspire to attend, but prefer to sleep in on Saturday. I am not at all a morning person, but Mom used to drag me out every weekend, bleary eyed and bushy-haired, because she needed someone to carry the 50 pounds of produce she was about to purchase. So, in reverence of tradition and torture, I have taken it upon myself to grump out of bed in the dawn hours to attend these gatherings as often as possible this year.

Chicago's locally famous Green City Market, located in Lincoln Park, is going into its 16^th year. And while you still have to make a stop on the way there to pick up a cup of coffee, you can find everything else you could realistically hope to find at an open-air farmer's market. From craft cheeses to baked goods to the requisite fresh produce- all the bounty of rural America in one urbanized location- without the cow patties. 

Just say no.

This trip was mostly about the plants- I won the prize of a small garden plot in the community lottery and needed an assortment of greenery to fill it with. Snapping into an elk-meat sausage stick (yes, that is a thing, and it is delicious), I set about filling a tray with collards, strawberries, various herbs, tomatoes and assorted random flowering plants. I've tried my hand a making things grow in the past, and while I managed to kill the weeds I was cultivating on my porch- I have higher hopes for this round.

Then, we kill the Batman.

With my new “babies” in tow, I perused the stalls, looking for something I might take home to snack on with what little cash I had left. For about $5 I was able to purchase some spring radishes from a small organic farmer and a sizable chunk of chard and bacon foccocia from the Crumb bakery booth and was on my way- all before 10 am.

What a haul!

By noon, my garden was full of lush greenery, and I had worked up an appetite. Remembering an French-style appetizer I had at Maude's Liquor Bar, I went for something simple- oven warmed foccocia, the radishes and a homemade provencal herb** butter with gray sea salt and a splash of balsamic vinegar mixed in.

A cool weather vegetable, radishes are deeply entrenched in culinary traditions the world over- wasabi, kimchi, horseradish sauce, pickles, salads and those strange “flowers” on vegetable party trays.

...Seriously, does anyone actually eat these things?

While most seem to prefer only the root portion, the whole plant is edible- the leaves having a refreshing but spicy bite to them that matches well with the milder sweeter spring radish and a savory, creamy herb butter. Simply grab by the root end, scrape the leaves across the butter and pop in your mouth- no knife needed.

The foccocia wanted for nothing- bright and buttery with a pieces of salty bacon and a slightly sweet caramelized chard, it almost completely disappeared while I was preparing the butter. All washed down with a good cup of strong coffee, the perfect light lunch for one of the first warm days of the season.

** Herbes de Provence- a blend of herbs often including savory, thyme, marjoram, lavender, sage, terragon, oregano and rosemary, depending on who you ask. Great with vegetables, fish, pork and poultry- and I love using it on just about any savory dish I make.

  

Diving In

Argyle Street from when the drive-bys were in Model-T's.

To me, there are few places on Argyle that truly embody the spirit of Uptown quite like one of my favorite greasy spoons- Benny's Grill. Run by “Judy” and “Benny,” (mostly Judy) a Vietnamese immigrant couple, this tiny dive is all that remains of what was apparently once an extensive restaurant heralding from the Jazz Era, when Uptown was the entertainment center of the city and Al Capone ran the world of organized crime from The Green Mill jazz club. The fare is modest but eclectic- burgers, fries, fluffy pancakes, coffee served hot and strong... and if that's not your fancy, there's always the fried rice that you can wash down with a diet Coke.

The patrons are regulars- retirees, hood rats, vagrants and die-hard lovers of an amazing fried pork chop breakfast. Judy serves it up with a smile or a dishes it out with a smackdown- no hustle is tolerated and the rude are often sent packing. But if you behave yourself, and come in on the right day, you get to meet the kinds of characters who make this neighborhood unique from the safe harbor of Judy's patience, or simply enjoy a good meal in peace.

The food is mostly prepared on a griddle that seasons everything that touches it in the way only a well used, old griddle can. If you don't know what I'm talking about- invest a few years of cooking in a good cast-iron skillet and you'll figure it out. I promise you'll thank me later.

There are dozens of not-to-be missed diner delicacies on the menu, but on my latest visit I had a craving for a patty melt and fries. Rye bread, juicy beef, grilled onions and a slice of good old American cheese served alongside the perfect fries- crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, not too greasy or overcooked. And yes, it was 4 in the afternoon, but if you can't go to a dive diner and have a solid cup of coffee, why go?

What, you were expecting
fancy plating?

Now this is a burger.

My partner in crime went with the staple Benny's burger. Nothing special or out of the ordinary, no truffle oil, foie gras or secret ingredients. This is simplicity at its best; beef, tomato, onion, cheese, condiments... All the essentials, none of the scmaltz- as a good burger should be. It's something we forget in a world of Kuma's Corners, M Burgers and fast food chains.

I could go on and wax nostalgic for my love of this place (I once made t-shirts) and how these often overlooked mom-and-pop dive diners are part of our American dining heritage and should be held in a certain place of reverence in our minds. Well, I guess I just did that. But my point is, for all the exotic and fancy food out there these days, sometimes it's good to explore the understated and basic- you'd be surprised what you discover.

Benny's Grill

1005 W. Argyle St., Chicago, IL 60640