Pete's Fresh Market

Since opening in 2014, the shiny Near West Side location of this local chain has proven a flower in a former grocery store desert. Over in the produce department you’ll find a wide range of affordably priced fruits and vegetables, fresh-squeezed juices and tasty grab-and-go options like cucumber rounds dusted with Tajin seasoning. There’s a nice range of housemade salsas (we’re partial to the seriously fiery avocado version), a bakery department that stocks breads from local outfits like D’Amato’s and Sanibel and a selection of Indian and Middle Eastern imports that’s a cut above that of the typical Chicago grocer. And the prepared foods section augments increasingly de rigueur supermarket offerings like sushi and pizza with more interesting ones, like stewed oxtails, flaky feta pies and a variety of tamales.