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Arista Foods
Rating Details »
Categories: Grocery, Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhoods: West Loop, Near West Side112 N May St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 239-2873
Holiday Sparking Wine Tasting!
Arista Foods would like to welcome you for a holiday wine tasting of sparklers from around the world! Tuesday, Dec. 15th 5:30-8pm
Announced 32 hours ago- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
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10 reviews for Arista Foods
When I want to get away from my cubicle and take a nice midday stroll, I head to Arista Foods. They have some nice gourmet items here, decent produce, some prepared foods, a salad bar (the person behind the counter asks you what you want and puts the salad together for you), and what looks like a pretty good wine selection.
Oh, and like others have said, this place is pretty random--I was able to pick up my shampoo here today that is primarily sold in salons...good to know?
I can't really complain about this place but there isn't anything that makes me feel like I absolutely positively must return. Because of its proximity to my work, I'm sure I'll be back though.
This is definitely the weirdest grocery store I have been to. Like everyone else has said, I went in and was the only person shopping in the store. The inventory on everything also seems kind of low--there are definitely empty shelves and the products they do carry are only 2-3 deep. The prices are fine--probably a little more than the larger stores, but not as high as I would expect.
They do have a good beer and wine selection, but as my fiance mentioned, this place is kind of like a grocery store in Europe--the food and produce selections are pretty few. I guess if you run out of eggs or need some sugar, and live around the corner, this is a good place to go if you don't want to run down to Dominick's or Jewel. I just don't know how this place stays in business--they are always empty!
A small "gourmet" grocery store serving what can only be a very small slice of the Chicago population, judging by the number of people in the store when I walked in (two). The alcohol selection is the first thing you see as you walk in; probably a wise move, since it's the best part of the place. Decent beer selection, though most of which you can get at Binny's.
They also have a pretty good selection of produce at the back. Their shelves are stocked with typical grocery items, condensed into a small space, but expanded to large prices. I would guess that's pretty typical for this area (Fulton) as well as the products they offer (a lot of organics).
The most questionable part of the store is no doubt the giant fresh food selection. While it is an impressive array of salads, sandwiches, and sauces, do the math: how many people come through here in a day, how many different items are being kept "fresh" here. It's very eyebrow-raising, especially since I was here at around 6pm and every dish was full. Needless to say I didn't have the guts to try the "caprese salad", which was a combination of cherry tomatoes and balls of cheese I can only hope are mozzarella. The applesauce also looked very off-color.
Good place to go if you're in need of something quick and you live like RIGHT next door, or if you want to pick up some Bell's Double Cream Stout, which like others said, is not available anywhere else in this area.
Pros:
Very adequate beer and wine selection, including champagne! *for you Bell's lovers out there, they sell Double Cream Stout. I haven't seen it anywhere else, and it's rarely sold in Chicago? I think. Anyway, it's here by the sixer. I picked up a 4-pack of Matilda, due to a recent craving...and was torn by all the lovely choices, packaging and offers that were pre-chilled. Nice break indeed from the random liquor store with Miller, Bud and just to shake things up...Coors.
Whole bean Intelligentsia Coffee by the pound. Expensive ($14/lb), but absolutely worth every penny. Ground at the store, nice 'n fresh to perk me up each morning...
Overall very clean, and no lines...since um, no one was there but me. A little weird on a Saturday morning, but whatever. Private parking lot...
Cons:
Prepped foods were very blah looking. This is not gourmet...or it shouldn't be. Spruce it up, yo!
Credit card machines were all broken. Yeah last time I paid for groceries in cash was....never.
In short: def a great stop for libations and some quick snacks for guests (cheese/crackers, and the like), but not somewhere for a big load of food for a few weeks. Beats a liquor store any day, but doesn't compare to my regular grocery shops (who are also indie, so back off!) in terms of price and selection.
But, hey...Double Cream Stout and some other Bell's offerings, GO!
It's a random little grocery store in a neighborhood with not a whole lot going on. I work around here and am really glad it exists, as I'm sure people who live around here are.
This place went through a slight renovation and now called Arista Foods.
Good beer and wine selection here if you don't have time to make it to Sam's. I like some of the prepared foods... all of the chicken salads are great.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/15/2007 First to Review
I definitely understand the other review on here. I am a big fan of gourmet grocery shopping, and… Read more »
I felt like that actor in the show The Twilight Zone; the one wandering through town, trying to make sense of the post-nuclear reality that he is the only one still alive.
The Internet allows me to express my dramatic side, and my trip here was downight creepy. The lights were on, the store was full of food, the muzac was playing, but there was no sight of humanity anywhere. I looked at the deli area. How could tuna be preserved in a place so devoid of humanity?
It's puzzling. It's an enigma. It's creepy. It's bananas for .79lb.
This is a cute loft-style place with a good selection of wine and cheese. All employees seem to be all happy yay wheee wheee and the deli definitely has the most handsome looking quiches ever. And by handsome I mean they're tall and basically wink at you when you stroll by.
Don't miss their salmon spread some heavenly D'amatos bread that is carried there. MmmmmmmmMmmmm Greatttt!
I agree with most everyone else with this place not really being "gourmet". It is a small grocery store in a great location for grabbing a quick item here and there. There really isn't anything too "gourmet" about the location. I had a calazone that I could barely get my knife through it that is how tough and not-so-fresh it was. The deli area (I guess that is what you would call it) was totally empty and this was relatively early on a weekend day that I was there. We also ended up buying some frozen dumplings which seemed weird too. The staff was definitely nice and friendly. There was no one else shopping in the store and I hardly ever see the place packed so I wonder what keeps it going enough for its selections to be fresh? The store is definitely clean and there is a parking lot! The selection is limited so I would keep your options open and hope you are not looking for something specific!
THIS IS THE SAME PLACE AS ARTISTA FOODS
i work right around the corner from this place and i often find myself popping in for lunch. the deli is my fav. i like the salad bar, a ton of stuff to choose from. the hot lunches are great, especially the soups. the only con i have are the lines to checkout at lunchtime. after work i like to stop by and grab a few beers for the evening, i love the beer selection, they even ordered in my favorite beer for me. yea like people have said the evenings are quiet in here but who likes battling with the masses in Dominicks
