Happy Father's Day from Lemon Tree Grocer!

Not sure about you, yet Father's Day is always a great holiday! Dads just want to grill, chill, and drink some brew (yeah sorry we couldn't keep up the rhyme) So, if you haven't set your grills in stone yet, then get over to Lemon Tree Grocer for our Father's Day Cookout!

Lemon Tree Grocer has an entire schedule filled with a bit of grilling education from Owner Tim Canning himself, a dunk tank to shut the trap of loud parents and children;), and best of all (think about those Monday night burgers that you all love so much) Niman Ranch will be not only supplying the grilled products...wait for it...Steve Heun the Niman Ranch Hog Farmer will be here to educate us as well!

This costs everyone a whopping nada, no reservations, and you get 10% off your spirits for the rest of the month!! (Who can argue with that) Aw yeah!

Last but not least, if you didn't have a moment (or you just plain forgot- we won't tell) to pick up a gift for pops; Lemon Tree Grocer has some great gift ideas you can sneak in and pick up while Dad is learning about open flame cooking!

Let's do this people; Sunday, Lemon Tree Grocer/Zest, starts at 10:15am, and don't forget: Happy Father's Day!!!!

Would You Like Some Extra Money to Spend at Lemon Tree?

So, we're really excited for every single one of our fans, and we want to thank you for all the support you have given Lemon Tree since we've opened. You are the reason why Lemon Tree was chosen by the Downers Grove Junior Women's Club as the Local Business of the Year!!!!

How does winning some extra cash for Lemon Tree Grocer sound as a thank you? We thought you'd like that, so here's the deal: we really would like to reach 2500 Facebook Fans, and we'd appreciate your help;)

All we're asking is that you share Lemon Tree with your local friends, family, neighbors, etc that aren't already fans of the Lemon Tree Grocer Facebook Page! This way they can be as informed as you are about contests, tastings, special events, giveaways, and more! We know our fans like to share, and so do we! So, lets continue to make Downers Grove the place to be!

We want to thank everyone in advance, and can't wait to give out some extra Lemon Tree cash to help you purchase whatever your heart desires!

P.S. We hope you like some of the pictures from our "Swine, Wine, and Hops Dinner" with Ari Weinzweig!

Memorial Day Goodies at Lemon Tree Grocer!

What are your plans for this Memorial Day weekend? Let's hope that this summer weather finally shines through and we can do all the fun outdoorsy activities we've been planning for the past month ;p

Whether you're heading to a friend's cabin, throwing a big bbq, sitting out by the pool, or just having a social gathering with some friends: you're going to need tasty food & beverages! What better place than Lemon Tree Grocer to fulfill these needs?

Make sure you stop by the deli and see Yuriy for the amazing deals we have on Boars Head meat, and you can even ask for your favorite sandwich prepared right then and there! Plus, we have super sales on grocery items (only this weekend) that Brittney would love to direct you to.

If you're doing any kind of barbecuing- you must see Meat Mike for the best meat in town to slap on that grill, and then you should definitely feed the sweet tooth by picking up some pastries from Anne (we know those pictures have you drooling).

Finally, who can have a fiesta without the booze? Don't forget to see Ryan if beer is on the brain, and Melissa if you want to stick your pinky in the air while swirling some tasteful wine around those gums!

If this sounds like too much for you- just cater the darn thing! Let Stephanie know you want us to do all the work while you sit back and relax.

See; we have unlimited options for you to enjoy that extra day of fun...See you this weekend!

Downtown Downers Grove Farmers Market

Who stopped by the opening of the Downtown Downers Grove Farmers Market last Saturday? We're hoping it will be a bit nicer this weekend than last, yet who's to stop you from purchasing items from your local amazing stores..

The Downers Grove Farmers Market is described as: "Open air seasonal community market offering more than 15 vendors selling fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, perennials, cheese, vinegars, bath/body oils, organic bread/baked goods, spices, crafts and many other items. This market is open annually from mid-June to mid-October."

Make sure to stop by the Lemon Tree Grocer tent, and say hello. We will have different items each weekend for you to purchase, so you will always be surprised! Also, keep us posted on the items you love, like, and want to see more of. We're always looking to keep you happy with the selections we have available at the Farmers Market & in our store!

See you this Saturday, May 14th for Round 2 of the Downers Grove Farmers Market! Oh, and thanks to @MayorTully for the great photo-op!

Win Mother's Day Brunch at Zest...

Who believes their mother, sister, wife, aunt, girlfriend, grandma, (whatever she is to you as long as she's a mom) deserves some extra attention and pampering this Mother's Day?

We at Zest certainly do; which is why we're giving away BRUNCH FOR TWO! The contest is really simple, yet you only have until tomorrow to get your entry in. Write a post on our Lemon Tree Grocer Facebook wall of why you think your mother deserves to Win. It can be anything your little heart desires, and the winner will be chosen by our fans with the most "likes"

So, if you can't think of exactly what you should give to your mother this Mother's Day; at least give her a compliment on our wall. Then, you may even come out with the Grand Prize! If not, at least you took the time to write how amazing your mother is for all of Lemon Tree's fans to see!

We can't forget......Happy Mother's Day!

Huge Produce Sale at Lemon Tree Grocer Now!

So, normally we blog about things that are really exciting like beer, live music, or strange fish! We give you Lemon Tree Grocer's most boring blog post yet: Huge Produce Sale that starts today and goes until April 24th.

The reason we just had to write about our Huge Produce Sale (like that advertisement we snuck in there;) is because it's kind-of a big deal right now. Plus, we always want to make sure our neighbors are saving as much money as you can!

So, just pay attention for the next 10 seconds while we tell you what fabulous deals we have going on right now at Lemon Tree Grocer, and then I promise you are dismissed. Plus, you probably will even want to come by and take part in this Huge Produce Sale!

Lemon Tree Grocer has asparagus, watermelon, cantaloupe, celery, green onions, tomatoes, and pineapple! Tell me you're not excited about any of those, and you would be a big liar!

Thanks for your attention to this matter, and we hope to see your fresh face soon with some produce in your baskets ;)

Fish at the Lemon Tree Grocer...or, Have You Ever Tried Escolar?

This next blog is taken from Chuck and Karen Keenley's gracious email they sent to us. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this; it truly means a lot not only to the people mentioned, yet the entire Lemon Tree staff.


Shoppers: next time you are in the store, go back to the meat/fish counter and ask for "escolar". Proving I am no know-it-all, the first time I heard the word I thought Mike and John, the 2 resident butchers, were mistaken...they must mean "escarole", a form of lettuce I do know something about having worked in a produce department about a 100 years ago.

No, they assured me, not "escarole" but "escolar", a variety of fish caught in the Pacific near Hawaii. Mike, who has been "right on" with his recommendations, told me to keep it simple (he graciously omitted the last word of that saying)- coat it with olive oil and grill it for 10 minutes. Hmm...I don't think I can mess that up!

Forward to 5:30 Saturday afternoon. I am sitting on my patio for the 1st time in who-knows-how-long, downing a couple of my favorite micro-brews, enjoying Karen's inspiration, collard greens with bacon, onion and a dash of vinegar, and savoring this wonderful fish that is moist and has a buttery flavor!

What to try next- it is a tossup between the marlin, the mahi mahi, and the escarole! We are not big meat eaters, but I can only imagine how good the steaks and chops are!

Shaun and Tim- thanks for bringing such great quality to Downers Grove!

Chuck and Karen Keenley

Lemon Tree Grocer brings the Official Thirsty Thursday to Downers Grove..

So, I'm sure you've got wind of this special thing we're trying to do here at Lemon Tree Grocer called Thirsty Thursday! Now we're doing wine tastings every Thursday for the winos and the last Thursday is dedicated to you beer drinkers!

We've got samples from Goose Island, Lagunitas, Windy City and more today. We also started off this week right with a Three Floyd's Gumballhead keg we tapped on Tuesday for Beer Geek Week! (2 year wait to get your hands on a keg of Gumballhead, can we say...Lemon Tree feels the love) Beyond the nice warm weather we hope is coming, this nonsense is only getting started! Lemon Tree also has Beer Club of the Month for those of you who have excellent taste in the beer you choose to consume.

Stop in and say hello to James the Beer man who has your BEER interests at heart..hehe Finally, here's to the first beer dedicated Thirsty Thursday; if you miss it you'll have to wait until next month...and by then you might be a little parched!

Zest...The New Lemon Tree Grocer Cafe!

So, who attended the lovely festivities and unveiling of Lemon Tree Grocer's new cafe: Zest on Saturday? Well, if you weren't there for all of the excitement you must be sure to visit sometime soon. The cafe expansion, new menu, fabulous entertainment, and a long list of specialty beeers you must try are on the horizon.

With over 700 entries to choose from we definitely had our hands full, yet Zest stood out among all. We then had 26 people who chose Zest as a name, so we had a drawing to pick the winner and....:Scott Collis was the winner winner chicken dinner!

We do want to thank everyone who participated, and obviously great minds think alike (reason why there were so many Zest entries). We couldn't have chosen the name without all of you, and are so excited for the many more events, LIVE performances, and fun evenings Zest will have!

So, who wants to see some pictures of this event? Say Zest!!!!

Ode to Lemon Tree Fans..

Who loved the Chicago blizzard we literally had 2 weeks ago? Maybe you had a day off work to drink a few 10 beers, made an amazing snowman (whom is now a puddle), or had fun shoveling out your parking space (which you decorated with your child-hood rocking chair in order to claim your spot) Then, how cold was it last week...20 below zero? So why am I wearing ONLY a long-sleeved shirt out today? huh...Oh we live in the Midwest I forgot;) Well, let's hope this sunshine is here to stay, and that nobody pissed the groundhog off enough to lie to our loving faces!

You all know what this means for Lemon Tree: closer to opening the patio up! Yes! Also, we have our newly opened cafe that everyone must experience. So, everyone wants to know when the winning name will be chosen: March 12th! You think it's going to be you who is $300 richer in Lemon Tree cash? Well, you will just have to wait until March 12th to find out!

This is a just the start to a great spring/summer/fall for Lemon Tree! You have all done a great job coming out of hibernation and supporting us all winter, and we truly do appreciate it. We'll continue to say it: we wouldn't be here without each an every one of you! We're lucky to have such a great town that continues to support us! Thank you Downers Grove!

Please, continue to share your opinions with us in the store, through Facebook, Twitter, and our blog! We want to know what YOU think we can do to improve YOUR experience. We also appreciate all the kind words, and have many more fun ideas for contests and giveaways coming in the near future.

On behalf of Lemon Tree; we hope the warmth is here to stay, and we hope to see you at the store soon!