Last week Adelaide and I made a quick trip to Chicago. We stopped by to say hello to some former co-workers, spent time with family, and did some much-needed shopping at my favorite store.

The highlight of our trip, though, was perusing the most beautiful grocery store I’ve ever seen. Standard Market in Westmont, IL, a suburb of Chicago, is like a Whole Foods on steroids. If you live close by or are visiting the Windy City, make a trek to this place. The minute I walked in the door I felt a zen-like sensation akin to walking into a spa or a five-star resort. The perfectly stacked produce, the freshly baked bread….even the fish counter was remarkable. This is one thing Northern Michigan does not offer (although the summer farmers markets come close).

Read on for more fabulous photos of Standard Market.

The exterior of Standard Market looks like a contemporary farmhouse (an enormous contemporary farmhouse).

Food, glorious food!

The takeout selection.

Wow, someone spent a lot of time with the carrots. I want that job.

Gorgeous olives.

Even the ground beef is pretty.