I don't know who this Rich guy thinks he is, but sooner or later he's gonna find his deli overrun by dirt-cheap hipsters. The reason: large quantities of booze at insanely low prices that are imported from eastern European countries (think of the potential for irony!). Rich's Delicatessen (equal parts deli, liquor store and grocery store) is the kind of place you could accidentally spend hours in, with shelves crammed with exotic and ethnic foods that may or may not look appetizing and words that you may or may not comprehend. A neighborhood jewel for food explorers, Rich's nonetheless has one major selling point: cheap beer.

The dirt poor alcohol drinker can get real tired of the usual Natty Light and PBR choices, so Rich's eastern European imports will look like candy for the weary skunky beer drinker. Golden Pheasant from Slovakia, Slavutych from Ukraine, and Tyskie Okocim from Poland prove that malt liquor is best when unpronounceable (even when sober). The big daddy of them all may be Russia's Baltica brew, a 51-oz. giant at 8 percent alcohol by volume, at a cost of brace yourself – $1.89. Even American brews find their way on the shelf, with the 24-ounce of PBR seeming cheaper than usual at $1.29.

Alcohol aside, baked goods and deli meats are another reason to give Rich's a shot. Local Chicago bakeries supply the bread, including Levinson's on Devon offering poppy seed bread and various cakes at affordable prices. The deli in the middle of the store will be crowded midday, with meat-loving locals pining over a variety of sausages. Once again, the recommendation is to do a little experimenting, but perhaps the Grillowa, a lightly smoked meat that's a steal at $1.99 per pound, is a nice place to start. Either way, it's the perfect place to enter with $10 and leave with handfuls of food you never realized existed.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Andy Seifert