Veg In: Peter Rubi Plants Flag in Chicago
Going Uptown with endless produce and oodles of zoodles
In This Issue
• Peter Rubi Store Brings Vegetarian Vibe To Town
• Pilot Light Hiring Agriculture Educator
Peter Rubi Brings Vegetarian Vibe To Town
While there is a bounty of local vegetables and fruit for you to buy in season at our Chicago-area farmers markets, it is exceedingly rare to find a grocery store focused almost entirely on produce and plant-based packaged goods. Peter Rubi is exception, building a following in their veg-forward store in southwest suburban Plainfield over the past six years.
Now owners John and Maria Graves are bringing their concept to Chicago with a new store, officially opening today in an Uptown neighborhood space (at 804 West Montrose) formerly occupied by the now-defunct Treasure Island chain.
John Graves was steeped in the produce world for decades, running an association for mushroom growers and then spending 20 years with Anthony Murano Company, a Chicago-based distributor. The spark for creating the wellness-focused grocery came with hardship: He survived a bout with an aggressive cancer after being told in January 2013 that he had only eight months to live.
I attended a pre-opening on Wednesday and, as the photo above illustrates, you are struck immediately by so…much…produce. Vegetables and fruit occupy display bins around the perimeter of nearly the entire store and large display cases at the front. The selection includes some less common items that reflect the Chicago region’s ethnic and culinary diversity.
A curated selection of plant-based prepared products are on shelves and in refrigerated cases; with the exception of a small selection of dairy cheese, everything I saw was either plants or plant-based. There is also an in-store kitchen that turns out grab-and-go foods such as dips, as well as zoodles (spiralized vegetables) in a variety of flavors.
We are Local Food Forum, so I will note that local is not the top priority in Peter Rubi’s sourcing. There is local produce, though…
… and a number of prepared foods from Chicago and the surrounding region.
And the name? According to the owners, they were inspired by Peter and Rubi, Italian immigrants who peddled produce across Chicago in the early 1900s.
The new store is near where I live, so I’m sure I’ll have some updates.
Pilot Light Hiring Agriculture Educator
Pilot Light is the Chicago-based, chef-driven nonprofit that helps schools integrate education about food into their students’ lesson plans. The organization is now planning to up the farm side of their education equation by hiring an Agriculture Education Manager.
Their posting describes the position as follows:
As Pilot Light expands, we are looking for an individual who has a background in food and agriculture to support the writing and development of an agriculture education curriculum. This individual will also work closely with partners in food, agriculture, and related fields to develop video content designed to provide teachers with an engaging teaching tool to complement lessons, while also providing career inspiration to students.
This person will report to Pilot Light’s Vice President of Programs. This position requires a high level of attention to detail, creative thinking, and communications and writing skills.
Click below for more information and to apply. And to learn more about Pilot Light, here are links to articles by Executive Director Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn that Local Food Forum published on August 9 and on August 23.