Best Bakery and Cake Shops in Cook County

"Part of renowned Chef Stephanie Izard’s Goat concept, the Little Goat Diner is a retro diner that serves all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual and cozy setting. Drawing inspiration from global influences, the menu features classic dishes with creative twists such as Spanish omelets stuffed with cheese, pickled peppers, and masa chips, okonomiyaki (Osaka street food with pork belly), and parathas burritos with Indian flatbread, sunny side up eggs, and avocado bean salad. There are also the regular favorites such as bagels, biscuits, pancakes, and waffles along with heartier dishes such as bowls of goat chili heaped with sour cream, cheddar, and tortilla strips."

"Little Goat is a perfect interpretation of modern-day diner with swivel counter seating, tufted leather booths, and mid-century lighting. And one glance at the menu is bound to spark smirks here, thanks to names like This Little Piggy Went to China (a sesame-cheddar biscuit with eggs and Sichuan pork sausage). Leave it to "Top Chef" winner Stephanie Izard (also behind Chicago favorites The Girl & the Goat and Cabra) to ensure the food is every bit as fun and flavorful as their printed descriptions."

"Chips drenched in cheese and sour cream and covered with bbq pork, beans, peppers, and avocado. It’s food porn heaven. Just don’t forget to share them, so you leave room for the rest of the meal."

"With all the fantastic Chicago diners available in the Windy City sometimes it’s nice to change it up a bit. Lincoln Park’s Summer House Santa Monica will transport you to sunny California with its bright and breezy dining room. If you’re looking for an instant mood boost, this is it."

"Never again choose between a chocolate-chip cookie and a Rice Krispie treat. This slightly salty and super-fudgy cookie is studded with chunks of the classic bar. The whole thing is massive, yet you’ll find yourself refusing to share."

"Description: Summer House Santa Monica will transport you to the warmth of California. Try the Avocado Toast with perfectly poached eggs & house made bread!. Location: 1954 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614"

"A post shared by Chicago Food Reviews by Chris (@312foodreviews) on Dec 18, 2018 at 4:31am PST. Can we all agree that the frosting is the thing that makes sugar cookies worth it?. Thankfully the sugar cookies at Sweet Mandy B’s are topped with the same delicious buttercream that adorns the beloved cupcakes on Mandy’s menu."

"In all our years of baking cookies, we can’t believe we never thought of this. Even if you have no qualms eating raw cookie dough on your own, rest assured, Sweet Mandy B’s has made the filling of this next-level sandwich safe to eat (aka eggless)."

"Pastel frosting and rainbow sprinkles may make you write this one off as kid stuff, but the bakery’s exemplary buttercream is plenty grown-up—lush and never tooth-achingly sweet. $3.25 for a four-inch version, 1208 W."

"Stan’s embraces the vintage vibe of a classic donut shop, with a modern spin. They’ve perfected the classics (glazed old fashioneds, cinnamon sugar cake donuts, massive apple fritters) and added in some of their own creations (peanut butter pockets, croissant-donut hybrids, and gluten-free options). Find the one closest to you here"

"Stan’s Donuts are next on our list of the best desserts in Chicago. Stan’s Donuts is a classic choice for desserts in Chicago, and they’re seriously delicious too!. In fact, if you ask any local Chicagoans they’ll probably have heard of Stan’s Donuts!"

"It’s the foodie’s food court, offering a little something for everyone. Aster Hall includes 16 one-of-a-kind menus from the likes of Small Cheval, Doughnut Vault, Sushi Station, Green Street Smoked Meats, Chicago Char-Dogs and more. Order your food from the touch screens on the fifth floor and then head up to the welcoming, trendy décor of the sixth floor."

"A Chicago institution, adored by the seafood-loving citizens of this town, Eddie V’s certainly delivers on the “prime seafood” part of its name. Sourcing its seafood from locations as far afield as Nantucket, New Brunswick, and the South Pacific, this is a place to try seafood at its best. As you can see from our picture, the dish of Nantucket Scallops with Gnocchi is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach."

"Eddie V’s Prime Seafood is one of the most expensive venues for dining, but it is also one of the most upscale in the entire city. This is a high-end seafood restaurant that offers elegant fine dining in an upscale atmosphere in the restaurant/dining area of the establishment. The menu offers a good variety of seafood and steak offerings."

"By law, no building in Chicago can be built on the lake side of Lake Shore Drive. However, one developer found a loophole and built Lake Point Tower, one of the tallest residential buildings in the world. Up at the top, on the 70th floor, Cite’ serves up excellent French-inspired American haute cuisine."

"The french-influenced restaurant does fare a little on the pricey side, but the views of Navy Pier at night are incomparable to any other nighttime aerial view. The popularity of bookings spike on the nights when Navy Pier has fireworks."

"Dine among the Stars at Cité | Join us in our Sky Lounge |HAPPY HOUR 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM MONDAY - SUNDAY!"

"A neighborhood restaurant close to McCormick Place, Café Bionda has a welcoming atmosphere and serves portions so huge that diners frequently go home with a doggie bag."

"Restaurants Hot dogs Grand Boulevard. Founded by local musician Bobby Morelli and his daughter Brooklyn, the Hot Dog Box operates out of a shipping container in the Boxville Marketplace, located right off the Green Line in Bronzeville. Following in the footsteps of creative encased meats purveyors like Hot Doug's and Chicago's Dog House, the father-and-daughter duo is known for it's speciality sausages, such as a filet mignon steak dog covered in bourbon BBQ sauce and a pickle mignon steak paired with truffle peanut butter sauce."

"You’re probably ready for a hot dog, but are you also ready for an adorable story to go with it?. The Hot Dog Box was co-founded by Bobby Morelli and his nine-year-old daughter, Brooklyn. And just like this isn’t any old restaurateur team, this isn’t any old hot dog stand, either: You’re in for a gourmet sausage experience, such as the Bronzeville Bourbon Steak Dog, whose filet mignon frank is topped with veggies, bacon, bourbon barbeque sauce and sport peppers."

"The Hot Dog Box owes much to the gourmet slingers of Chicago’s past, including encased meat master Doug Sohn. At the same time, this tiny space in Bronzeville is blazing its own path with tubular creations such as a filet mignon sausage. Bobby Morelli and his 9-year-old daughter have teamed up to breathe some life into the city’s hot dog scene."

"Dogs briefly shuttered at the end of 2018 but has returned to the delight of many. Everything on the straightforward menu is freshly made — from the stellar Chicago-style dogs to the burgers and fries — and that commitment to quality is the reason why the lines during lunchtime are frequently out the door. The house specialty “Joey dog” is a fan favorite; it’s topped with fries, garlic-wasabi aioli, and Tabasco sauce."