FUNGI FANTASIA

It's hard not to geek out about mycology with a visit to Windy City Mushroom. Way beyond the buttons or cremini most of us know, this fungi "farm" way down in the southern reaches of Chicago's Ford City grows lesser-known beauties-- from Lion's Mane, to Reishi, Chestnut, Maitake and Black Pearl King Trumpet oyster mushrooms.

Located in a 50,000 sq.-ft. WWII-era warehouse, Windy City Mushroom is building a exotic mushroom empire, with plans to add farms in the Southern and Western United States. I had the pleasure of writing about and photographing the fruits of their current labors this week. Read the full story in Newcity magazine here.