Scent of Chicago, Garrett's Popcorn

Walking by a Garrett's Popcorn shop is like walking into a movie theater. You can say you're not hungry and you don't want any popcorn, but as soon as you smell the notoriously delicious fragrance of Garrett's, you'll probably change your mind.

Strolling down the Magnificent Mile, I saw the sign for Garrett's at 625 N. Michigan Ave., and not long after, a group of women walked by me and said, "Do you smell that? It smells delicious." They immediately changed their route and headed inside the restaurant.

And it's true. You can really smell the popcorn from outside-caramel popcorn from the CaramelCrisp®, cheese popcorn from the CheeseCorn™, plain and buttery popcorn, and "The Chicago Mix"-a mix of cheese and caramel popcorn. What makes the smell of Garrett's Popcorn stand out is the lack of fat and oil used to pop the snack food. There's a noticeable difference, and it tastes a lot different too. The cheese will stain your hands so please keep napkins. Although I'm not a fan of caramel popcorn, I am in the minority because most people I know who get Garrett's Popcorn usually get the caramel selection or the mixture. I'm a huge fan of the butter popcorn because it's not greasy, and it has the right amount of butter.

In 2002 and 2005, Oprah Winfrey selected Garrett's Popcorn as one of her "Favorite Things." And like Oprah, Garrett's Popcorn has been a part of Chicago's history.

Garrett's was created in 1949 on 10 W. Madison St., in the Chicago loop, and now has several locations-625 N. Michigan Ave., 600 E. Grand Ave., 4 E. Madison St., 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, 26 W. Randolph St., 2 W. Jackson Blvd., and two locations in O'Hare Airport. There's also one location in the New York area, but Garrett's popcorn has been a staple in Chicago.

The popcorn tin ranges from $25 to $189. Popcorn bag ranges are $2.30 to $22.

It's a Chicago favorite. When you come to visit, see if you can walk away from the inviting popcorn aroma.

Additional Notes: This entry was published by the Chicago Fragrance Examiner. To check out her fragrance reviews, visit the Examiner link.