Fasta Pasta Opens at Chicago French Market; Frietkoten Now Serves Belgian Beers
Chicago French Market, located in the West Loop/Fulton River District, opened its newest vendor July 6, Fasta Pasta, adding to nearly 30 individual vendors found at the market

CHICAGO, IL, July 31, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., 312-575-0306), located in the West Loop/Fulton River District, opened its newest vendor July 6, Fasta Pasta, adding to nearly 30 individual vendors found at the market. The new vendor joins added options at Chicago French Market, including the addition of Belgian beer, now served at Belgian fry shack Frietkoten.

Fasta Pasta's Made to Order Fresh Pasta
Fasta Pasta, a new, European-inspired fast-casual booth, allows the customers to choose their pasta and sauce from a daily variety. The meal is cooked to order and served fresh in a recyclable container in less than two minutes, perfect for eating right away, or taking back to the office or home.

Customers begin by choosing pasta, like Fusilli, Campanelli and Whole Wheat Penne; or choose a premium pasta, from a selection that includes Beef Tortellini, Mushroom Ravioli and Gnocchi. Sauce choices include Marinara and Alfredo; or for a low extra price, premium choices include Vodka, Sweet Red Pepper Basil or Bolognese. Complimentary topping choices include Parmesan and Fresh Basil. For protein lovers, premium additions to the pastas like Meatballs and Chicken are also available. Customers have already been returning to Fasta Pasta to try the many different combinations that enable them to create their "own" special pasta.

"We couldn't be more excited to bring our new concept, Fasta Pasta, to residents, commuters and Chicago-area folks," says Scott Suckow, president of Really Nice Restaurants, developers and operators of Fasta Pasta. "We look forward to serving fresh, fast and great-tasting pasta
to Chicago French Market customers."

"Fasta Pasta adds to our already diverse group of food offerings at Chicago French Market," says Sebastien Bensidoun of the Bensidoun family, co-owners and operators of Chicago French Market. "Not only can our visitors find fresh produce and ingredients for home cooked meals from Chicago French Market, but customers can also enjoy a variety of made-to-order meals from our dozens of vendors."

Frietkoten Now Serves Belgian Beer
Frietkoten, the traditional Belgian fry shack at Chicago French Market, now serves Belgian beer Monday through Saturday to complement its traditional, hand-cut Belgian fries.

The seasonal, well-balanced selection features beers on tap: Avril Biere de Table and Debuisson Cuvee Des Trolls, Blond Ale. Beers are also served by the bottle and include Christoffel Blond, Blanche du Bruxelles, Witkap Pater Abbey Single Ale, De Koninck Belgian Pale, Urthel Saisonniere and many more, including three organic brews.

Drafts are served in a 12-oz. glass and are best paired with Frietkoten's traditional Belgian fries, served with a choice of one of Frietkoten's 20 different sauces.

"We are happy to announce the launch of our beer sales at Frietkoten," said Frietkoten owner and Netherlands native Jeroen Hasenbos. "Our well-balanced beer menu has something to offer every palette, and will change regularly based on seasonal offerings and customer feedback."

Frietkoten brings Amsterdam's traditional "fry shack" experience to Chicago, with hand-cut Belgian fries served in a paper cone and distinguished by a crisp outside and soft potato inside.

Chicago French Market is a European-inspired market offering an array of local produce, meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheese, wine, chocolates, pastas, artisan-made goods, flowers and a seating area for customers. Chicago French Market's nearly 30 vendors stay open year-round, six days per week, and is located within the new MetraMarket development at 131 N. Clinton St. (between Washington and Randolph Streets). For more information, visit www.chicagofrenchmarket.com.

CHICAGO FRENCH MARKET INFORMATION

Location: 131 N. Clinton St. (between Randolph and Washington Streets)
Chicago, Illinois 60661

Phone
Number: 312-575-0306

Hours: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Closed Sunday

Parking: Covered, ground-level parking is available. Parking is
complimentary for one hour or less with purchases
totaling $20 or more at Chicago French Market vendors.

About Chicago French Market - A Bensidoun Family Market
Chicago French Market is Chicago's first and only year-round, European-inspired indoor market, a convenient new option for on-the-go commuters, community residents, area workers and tourists alike who seek high quality foods and artisan goods, dining options and memorable gifts. The 15,000-square-foot Chicago French Market is located at 131 North Clinton Street and is the anchor tenant for MetraMarket, an accessible, one-stop destination that provides not only cultural and culinary experiences, but also life's essentials and convenience products.

The Bensidoun family, Chicago French Market operators, managers and co-developers, is the largest operator of open-air markets in Paris. The family members are fourth generation market operators. Thousands of vendors sell goods at the more than 80 markets throughout the Paris metropolitan area, including Marche Raspail, one of the largest certified organic markets in Europe. In 1996, the Bensidouns decided to expand outside of Europe to develop French Markets in the United States and chose Chicago
for their U.S. base of operations. The Bensidouns now operate sixteen seasonal markets in the U.S., thirteen of which are located in Chicago and area suburbs. All of the Bensidoun's markets bring a sense of local community found in the markets of Europe, and provide customers with a place to gather, socialize, purchase quality goods at reasonable prices and meet directly with knowledgeable artisans, farmers and purveyors. For more information, visit www.chicagofrenchmarket.com.

About MetraMarket
MetraMarket is an accessible, one-stop destination that provides not only cultural and culinary experiences, but also life's essentials and convenience products. The 100,000-square-foot street level development is connected to Ogilvie Transportation Center's bustling suburban commuter concourse and spans two city blocks bound by Lake, Canal, Washington and Clinton Streets. MetraMarket's other tenants include a 14,000-square-foot CVS/Pharmacy and a 2,045-square-foot Espression by Lavazza Italian cafe both now open. MetraMarket is a collaboration between developer U.S. Equities Realty, Metra and the City of Chicago. For more information, visit www.metramarket.com.

About U.S. Equities Realty
U.S. Equities Realty is a leading full-service commercial real estate firm headquartered in Chicago. The company serves as a strategic real estate advisor to clients throughout the United States and Latin America, providing development, program management, build-to-suit and construction oversight services; asset management, leasing and repositioning; tenant representation, consulting and advisory services; and financial and investment services.

One of the company's distinctions is its vision to transform or reposition underutilized areas into thriving urban destinations that benefit the community's local economy, create jobs and expand entrepreneurial opportunities for new local businesses. As a pioneer developer on the forefront of change, U.S. Equities has helped to transform other underutilized transit centers including Denver Union Station, Chicago Union Station and LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, plus 30th Street Station and MetroMarket at Suburban Station in Philadelphia. U.S. Equities has also overseen the development of other transformative projects in Chicago including Millennium Park, Stony Island Plaza, John Hancock Center, One Financial Place, Spertus Institute and Willis Tower (previously Sears Tower). The company is committed to sustainable development in all of its endeavors, and assesses sustainable alternatives in all of its business practices and services. For more information, visit www.usequities.com.

For more information on Chicago French Market, interviews, media tours and high-resolution images: Contact Cindy Kurman or Catherine Patterson at (312) 651-9000 or kurmanstaff@kurman.com.

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