Euro-style eating, American-style appetites

The French think they're so sophisticated, what with their louche headwear, impressive work-life balance, and markets inexplicably devoid of bacon-flavored EZ Cheese. Embrace that sophistication (and buy your canned cheese elsewhere) at Chicago French Market.

Opening Thursday and taking up 15,000 sq ft of the Ogilvie train station MetraMart development, CFM is an armada of nearly 30 colorfully canopied vendors itching to provide you with all manner of fresh and local produce, meats, cheeses, breads and everything in between, except lightning, because of its short shelf life. The options extend well beyond meat/dairy/produce with snack-friendly vendors like Frietkoten, a Belgian-style fry shack from an Amsterdam native that pairs hand-cut fries with 20 different dipping sauces; 17 kinds of gourmet popcorn (chocolate-drizzled cherry, cheesy jalapeno) from Pop This; and Completely Nuts' trademark cinnamon-roasted almonds, cashews, and pecans -- as ever be wary of ravenous strangers trying to grab your nut sack. There's also more substantial fare like Buen Apetito, a traditional Mexican taqueria doing tacos, tortas and such, Korean fare from Bowl Square, and pho, banh mis and other Vietnamese street food from Saigon Sisters, also the name of Tia and Tamara's ill-fated Asian spinoff.

To appease your sweet tooth there's also dessert-esque action like bon bons and truffles from Canady Le Chocolatier and an array of cakes, tarts and the like from Vanille Patisserie, which are soooo sophisticated they suggest you go elsewhere to stock up on Nerd Ropes.