Get to New Publican Bread Store PDQ

SOAR Market Opens for Season in a Chicago Chillout

Jun 07, 2022

Willis Tower, Chicago’s tallest building, provides the backdrop to Publican Quality Bread’s first brick-and-mortar store, which officially opened Monday at Grand Avenue and Wood Street in the West Town neighborhood. Photo by Bob Benenson.

Publican Quality Bread’s first store opened on Monday at 1759 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. But the bakery’s reputation preceded the retail outlet by several years.

Head baker Greg Wade was already a young rising star for One Off Hospitality — the restaurant group co-founded by pioneer farm-to-table chef Paul Kahan — when I first wrote about him in advance of the master class he taught at FamilyFarmed’s 2015 Good Food EXPO. Four years later, Greg brought distinction on himself and Chicago when the James Beard Foundation selected him for its national Outstanding Baker of the Year Award.

*Greg Wade, Publican Quality Bread’s head baker and James Beard Award winner, on opening day tor the bakery’s first retail outlet. Photo by Bob Benenson.*

Greg earned the prize with his long-fermented sourdough breads, made with sustainably grown grain from downstate Illinois.

Publican Quality Bread’s business was built around providing the baked goods for One Off Hospitality’s restaurants and wholesale trade to a variety of retail outlets. It was previously located on Lake St. in the West Loop neighborhood, very near One Off’s The Publican and Publican Quality Meats, but a move became necessary after its original building was torn down for new construction.

The new location creates a bit of a Good Food nexus off the beaten path. It’s a few of doors down from Kitchfix, which makes healthy prepared meals for home delivery. (Kitchfix chef/CEO Josh Katt, who I know from his days participating in FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Accelerator, is a Local Food Forum subscriber).

The baking facility takes up most of the space in Publican Quality Bread’s building, with the small retail outlet up front. It’s mainly grab and go with just a few outdoor tables.

And while a grand opening is not the best example, it would probably serve you well to get there early to get the pastries and sandwiches that already are creating some buzz. By the time I dropped in mid-afternoon, the pastries were wiped out and there were only a few sandwiches left. But I did grab this loaf of toasted sesame sourdough that made the trip 100 percent worth it.

SOAR Market Opens with a Big Chill

OK, it wasn’t the prettiest June 7 morning in Chicago history.

I swear there’s a skyline in there somewhere.

Temperatures in the 50s for the season’s opening day at SOAR Farmers Market in downtown Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. Wind. People wearing parkas. Please tell me it was a bad dream!

Nope, just Chicago’s quirky weather, two weeks before the summer solstice. Read on to see what the forecast high is for the market next Tuesday.

Nonetheless, there was plenty of beautiful local food, some of which followed me home.

There are tiny carrots and sweet hakurei turnips from Lane’s End Farm (Lowell, Indiana), lemon balm (which I use to make herbal tea) from Smits Farm (Chicago Heights, Illinois), asparagus and sweet juicy strawberries from Lyons Fruit Farm (Fennville, Michigan), cherry tomatoes from Nichols Farm and Orchard (Marengo, Illinois), tofu salads with peanut sauce from Phoenix Bean Tofu (Chicago), and eight-year-old cheddar, which I plan to savor slowly, from Stamper Cheese (Chicago).

Some other scenes from my brisk walk around the market, which is open Tuesdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the plaza in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art. And that forecast high for next Tuesday? It’s 85 degrees.