LINCOLN PARK — A culinary-themed bookstore is preparing to open this spring on Halsted Street.
Inspired by a trip to Paris, owner Esther Dairiam wanted to open a bookshop that focused on food.
Read It and Eat will feature not only local and imported cookbooks, but books on food science, food history, travel books and food-based novels.
Dairiam plans to open the shop in April in the former Starfruit Cafe, 2142 N. Halsted St., if all goes according to plan.
During a culinary tour throughout Europe two years ago, Dairiam and the group visited a Parisian cookbook shop.
It was unlike anything she had ever seen.
"The idea inspired me and I took the last two years to decide what my concept was going to look like," Dairiam said.
Read It and Eat will also feature a test kitchen.
The kitchen will host cooking demonstrations, cooking classes and other food-based events.
The twist is that all classes in the store will be tied to a book or cookbook that the shop carries.
Dairiam, who works as a management consultant, said most of her experience with food is simple.
"I have a background in eating a lot of food," she said with a laugh.
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