Snubbed No More: A Restaurant Gets Its Due
Marion Street Cheese Market gets recognition as "Best of" in 'Chicago Reader.'
How about that.
A few weeks after getting snubbed by the informed foodies over at LTHForum, Oak Park restaurants get their due in another publication. Well, it's one restaurant. But still.
Marion Street Cheese Market, downtown Oak Park's emporium of tasty local delights, gets the nod in Chicago Reader's Best Suburban Chicago restaurants in the west. Here's the complete guide, and here's part of what local food scribe David Hammond had to say about MSCM in the Reader:
"Wine and beer flights are well paired with cheese and charcuterie, affording tiny tastes of many good things, which is what this cafe is all about."
Now, it's worth pointing out that the LTH Forum is community-driven, meaning that anyone can join (for free) and make their pitch during nominations for their annual "Great Neighborhood Restaurants" list. Apparently, no one in the 11,000-strong community thought Oak Park restaurants were up to par.
But it looks like the Reader relied on a handful of area food writers to compile the essentials. Also worth noting: Hammond serves as a co-moderator of LTH Forum. Whatever. It's a tangled web, but the fact remains that MSCM is a good bet if you're looking for quality bites and good wine. In fact, the restaurant won a recent Patch reader survey for Best Wine List. A landslide, really.
Great market options, too. Artisan cheeses and meats, chocolates, wonderful wines and a diverse selection of local brews. And they've recently started selling handcrafted liquor.
You already know it's a good option. Do you need more validation?
Corine Graham
9:32 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
MSCM! (not "MCSM")
Casey Cora
10:15 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Indeed. Thanks, Corine. Good catch.
Carol Mattar
12:32 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
It would appear the "food writer" responsible for this area never set foot in Oak Park. Now it looks like MSCM is the only restaurant here. Very irresponsible reporting/editing on the part of whoever compiled the list.
Casey Cora
12:52 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
I suppose it's a good time to let readers know that we have an extensive directory, filled with listings that are ready for review. So if you've got a local favorite, why not let them know by rating and reviewing their business? Look for the "directory" tab up top....