City Provisions is not new to me, but its North Center location makes it a bit of a hike for anyone who works downtown. That means: It might be new to YOU! Plus, it has received a lot of praise and general street cred for people who know about it (ahem, TimeOut Chicago’s Top 100 list).
If you do have the occasion to be on the North Side around lunch time, this is your place. It doesn’t even matter who you are. If you like food that tastes good and is good for you, go here. (And the wait is pretty much non-existent when compared with, say, my other other downtown favorite, Publican Quality Meats.) The caterer-turned-retail lunch shop is a relatively no-nonsense deli counter with some of the most inventive staples in the city.
Also, its big, wooden shared tables, self-serve water station and cute jars of fresh flowers are pretty darn pleasant.
Have a taste for sriracha egg salad? (Happens to be JUST how I like mine.) Or a curried veggie wrap on whole wheat tortilla (shown)? There are usually soups and specials, too, and there are always cookies and other treats, a coffee bar, and Chicago-based foodie finds like honey, dressings and other accoutrements. City Provisions prides itself on the best ingredients that are local, organic and in season.
You will not find a $5 Foot Long here but you WILL find the best $12 sandwich you will have this summer.
1818 W. Wilson / North Center / Chicago