Logan Square Farmer’s Market

Milwaukee Ave and Logan Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60647

You cannot beat Chicago in the summer. Like many other great neighborhoods in Chicago (and there are many) summer time becomes a time of the year to showcase what these communities have to offer. And they do it outside. Among Logan Square’s many different festivals and events one event is a summer staple—The Logan Square Farmer’s Market. Yes, this market is an almost enchanting way to spend your Sunday mornings in the summer while you do something good for yourself, our region and for your social status. After all, there’s no better trump card than telling your friends that you do your shopping in a REAL market.

Aside from providing you with the sights and sounds of open air markets that are sometimes over-celebrated in America in an attempt to embrace the easy and romantic aspects of European culture, this market also manages to make us feel better by being socially responsible. I’m talking about locally grown food, which is far more sustainable than food at your produce store. Yes, locally grown food will be a greater benefit to you and our society in the future than ‘organic’ (whatever that trendy buzz word means). Why? Well, to explain without sounding like a crazy conspiracy theorist, the price of oil is going up. We all know that. Food is an oil-intensive commodity. In the future, it will cost much, much more to ship food over the distances that we currently do. Growing food locally is one way to cut down on that cost, making our produce cheaper in the future. By buying into this system now we are encouraging a food production system that will avert a food crisis in the US. Pretty cool, huh?

Now that we understand the economics on locally grown foods, let’s see what tasty things we can buy here so we can pat ourselves on the back. This market has plenty of locally grown foods. Some say they are organic, so if you’re into that kind of thing, you’re in luck. The foods that are offered are seasonal. This being the beginning of the summer, there are lots of greens. Kale, Swiss chard, collard greens and asparagus. Very healthy and hearty vegetables that we all should be eating on a daily basis.

Since it is June, we are right in the midst of Strawberry season. This market has some of the best strawberries I’ve ever had here. Small, juicy, tart and extremely flavorful. These put your store-bought strawberries to shame and I am not exaggerating (I NEVER exaggerate). That may have been a slight exaggeration.

Aside from produce, there were other products you could take home, like locally grown honey. There was a great selection of different types, based on the types of flowers that the bees had pollinated. It’s rather impressive how honey can have different flavors based on that. I recommend sampling a few and tasting the different floral scents. If you’re a cheese lover (and I can think of one in particular) there is a cheese stand. We all know how this goes. Sample a few and then buy yourself a baguette at the La Boulangerie stand and you’ve got yourself a tasty lunch. (Again, we want to do the easy and romantic aspects of European culture).

Yes, La Boulangerie has a stand in the market, where they are serving a selection of breads and crepes. The wait is a little long, but it is an extremely popular destination at the market. There are several other food options throughout the market, making this a great spot to have lunch. One in particular I would point out is a stand that advertises organic Italian food. You better believe there were girlsin thrift shop sundresses and big, plastic, tacky, neon sunglasses were flocking to this one. In spite of it possibly being considered ‘fancy’, which would be frowned upon by this crowd, it is marketed as ‘organic’, thus being ‘acceptable’. And rightfully so! I enjoyed their Zeppoles. These were different from the ones that are served at Ciao Napoli. They were coated in cinnamon and sugar, which I found to be very enjoyable.


The Logan Square Farmer’s market offers all the locally grown foods that we all should be consuming during the summer months. Truth be told, it’s sold at a premium. Even if it’s just to grab a crepe and people watch, it’s surely worth your time.

Getting down to Brass Tax:

Date Place? Sure. You could make it work.
Friend Hangout? Yes.
Recommended Dish: Crepe
Price Range (2 People): +/- $30