Presto Mediterranean Cafe

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  Presto is one of the few consistently good places in the market...quick fast, hot and delicious.

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  Posted on 02.06.13 John B.

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  Downtown is a world of Mediterranean food options - and these are generally the cafeteria style, get in line and have stuff glopped onto a plate type establishments.  Presto is a little different - first off, being in the Market, it doesn't have the room to play that kind of setup.  Secondly, the plate options definitely taste more authentic.  Thirdly, the felafel here tastes much better than at the bigger fast food type joints, so I always go back for that.  
  
  So if you find yourself at Ogilvey and in need of a quick meal, you definitely can't go wrong with Presto.  If you're downtown in general, and within distance, you should check this place out, as it's a solid food choice to get you through the day.

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  Posted on 01.02.13 Eduardo M.

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  So happy that I stumbled upon Presto at the French Market.  It's around the corner from "Raw".  Based on the name, I wouldn't have guessed that this was a Mediterranean place, but it was indeed.
  
  I told the guy that I wanted something vegetarian after not seeing a veggie plate pictured (they do have a falafel plate with rice pictured, but I didn't want rice).  He showed me the small sign where you can select 4 or 5 "salads" for around $6.  I selected hummus, baba ganoush, spicy chick pea salad, dolmas, and Jerusalem salad.  It came with a warm pita and tahini sauce.
  
  The guy working there was really nice, and the food was the perfect amount for lunch (disclaimer: I eat big lunches!).  The counter where the food was looked very clean, and the food appeared and tasted fresh.  My only one tiny complaint is that the hummus had a lot of cumin in it.  I like cumin, but maybe not in hummus.  
  
  I'm really picky about Mediterranean food as it's one of my favorite types, and Presto definitely will be added to the top of my rotation list.  It's much better, in my opinion, than other options in proximity of Oglivy train station, such as Mezza or Jaffa Bakery.  
  
  Here is a link to the menu: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.frenchmarketchicago.com%2Fdl%2Fpresto_menu.pdf&s=05555361a604543b449720909bd47df5ba8082ee18cf7cb36068c1079d0fe810" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.frenchmarketc…</a>

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  Posted on 06.08.12 Julie B.

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  Presto is a hidden gem of the French Market. The two guys running it are super friendly and very accommodating to picky eaters.
  
  I had the beef tenderloin, medium rare. It was cooked absolutely perfect, tasted wonderful, and left me pleasantly full such that the patisserie down the aisle wasn't even interesting on the walk out despite being a big attraction on the way in.
  
  I was encouraged to try the homemade hummus, and I'm glad I did. It was really quite good.
  
  Best of all, the prices are quite reasonable. I will definitely come back for lunch or dinner.

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  Posted on 06.28.11 Tim Y.

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  I had dinner with a friend at Presto recently, and my meal was excellent.  I had the falafel plate, and it came with rice and hummus (it usually comes with a cucumber salad, and they were nice about substituting for me). Dinner is definitely not a peak time anywhere at the French Market, so I was happy to see that our meals were prepared fresh for us.  Everything was really tasty, the prices were reasonable, and the guys who worked there were really, really nice.  I highly recommend Presto for anyone looking for a good casual Mediterranean place downtown, and I'll definitely be back!

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  Posted on 06.27.11 Liz P.

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  I have eaten here a couple more times and I have to say I am still loving it. The chicken kifta is delicious and seems fairly healthy. Also, the people that work here are so nice!

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  Posted on 06.20.11 Suzy D.

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