Plentiful produce and more -- Caputo's, Addison

You know what I love, much to many people's bemusement? Grocery shopping.

I really enjoy big grocery stores and supermarkets, where the produce stretches for yards and I can find interesting, exotic and familiar foods that inspire me. I enjoy cooking, too, and sometimes inspiration will hit right there in the middle of the aisle.

So I was thrilled to discover, first in Algonquin and now in Addison, the Caputo's family of stores. They go by a couple different names -- the one in Addison is Angelo Caputo's Fresh Markets, while Algonquin features the Joe Caputo and Sons Fruit Market -- but they are all very similar stores with similar features.

The first thing you see when you walk into a Caputo's is their enormous produce section. They have all sorts of fruits and vegetables you'll never see at Jewel or Dominick's, all at great prices. (They also have fantastic homemade pico de gallo and guacamole in the cold case, at least at the Addison location!)

The second big feature of the store is a large meat/deli/bakery section that stretches across the back. I have not yet tried any of the deli products, but I hear they are delicious, especially the Italian cured meats. We have gotten some great cuts of beef from Caputo's.

The third big thing about this great store is the dizzying array of ethnic products -- tons of imported and fresh-made Italian goods, more kinds of cheese than you can count, plus Mexican, Polish and Asian imports. They even have imported French and Irish butter!

This store can get pretty crowded, so I try to go during off-hours. But it's a great place to get some inexpensive produce, a fresh loaf of bread, some tasty deli treats, and so much more.