Garrett Popcorn Shop (Randolph) - Chicago
The flagship Michigan Avenue store, from which long lines of tourists and locals queued for decades, lost its lease in spring 2008; the founding family sold out in 2005; and the new owners have opened shops in — gasp! — New York City; but Garrett's popcorn is still a hometown Chicago favorite.
Locals particularly love "The Mix," that oddly compelling combination of savory, salty CheeseCorn and sweet, crunchy CaramelCrisp.
Nobody knows who first decided to toss these two seemingly opposing flavors together, or when, but it's been an addictive hit ever since. Even the ever-dieting Oprah Winfrey called it one of her favorite things. The company uses specially grown corn, air-popped, with proprietary secret recipes for its buttery caramel and rich liquid cheese coatings, supposedly unchanged from the original Garrett formula. You can mail-order it in tins, but it's at its best freshly made and hot from the bag.
The flagship Michigan Avenue store, from which long lines of tourists and locals queued for decades, lost its lease in spring 2008; the founding family sold out in 2005; and the new owners have opened shops in — gasp! — New York City; but Garrett's popcorn is still a hometown Chicago favorite.
Locals particularly love "The Mix," that oddly compelling combination of savory, salty CheeseCorn and sweet, crunchy CaramelCrisp.
The flagship Michigan Avenue store, from which long lines of tourists and locals queued for decades, lost its lease in spring 2008; the founding family sold out in 2005; and the new owners have opened shops in — gasp! — New York City; but Garrett's popcorn is still a hometown Chicago favorite.
Locals particularly love "The Mix," that oddly compelling combination of savory, salty CheeseCorn and sweet, crunchy CaramelCrisp.
