Best Bakery and Cake Shops in The Wire

"Culinary wizard and Top Chef winner Steph Izard brings her innovative cuisine from The Girl and The Goat to a more casual setting at Little Goat. Especially on the weekends, you’ll find tables filled with young families ready for one of the best brunches in Chicago. Breakfast is served all day, and kids can choose from fluffy pancakes or delectable egg dishes."

"Stephanie Izard’s West Loop diner was always family friendly, but it’s become especially welcoming since Izard since had her son, Ernie. There are plenty of kid-friendly dishes, but the kids’ menu calls out favorites like pancakes and grilled cheese with harvati and American cheeses."

"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"

"How important are cookies to the ethos of this Lettuce Entertain You Lincoln Park favorite?. The huge display case is the first thing you see when you walk in the door. That is no accident, my friends."

"Source: Photo by Flickr user Richie Diesterheft used under CC BY 2.0. Touted as a ‘bakery heaven’ by many of its regulars, is Sweet Mandy B’s, one of the best confectionery stores offering delicious desserts in Chicago. The toasty aroma of baked sweetmeats, tantalizing smell of coffee, airy atmosphere of sugary joy, and picturesque interiors – Sweet Mandy B’s hits all the right spots."

"This Lincoln Park shop is sure to charm anyone with a cupcake tooth. The adorable old-fashioned charmer sells pies, cookies, and other sweet baked treats, but the cupcakes and cakes are perhaps the best in Chicago, coming in traditional flavors and creative seasonal varieties worthy of regular visits."

"This pastel-colored bakery is as pretty as the treats in their display case. Sweet Mandy B’s is all about sugar-coated nostalgia, with gourmet versions of old-fashioned desserts like banana cream pie, confetti cake, Rice Krispie treats, and snickerdoodle cookies."

"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"

"The Best of the Batch: Glazed Old Fashioned Donuts ($2.75) or Nutella Pocket Doughnut ($3.75). Stan’s yeasty doughnuts have become a Chicago staple in the past few years. Stan’s was one of the first specialty doughnut shops to open in Chicago."

"Stan's Donuts has quickly become a Chicago icon with decadent flavored donuts, cookies and delicious beverages. They are currently open every day for takeout and delivery."

"The macarons on offer at Vanille Patisserie give out an explosion of flavor when bitten into. Strawberry lemongrass in a popular summer flavor at these venues found across Chicago, including S Harper Ct. and N. Clinton St. at the Chicago French Market, however, there’s a whole variety of flavors available."

"Vanille offers many french pastries and cakes, but the best are their cupcakes topped with a macaron. The frosting is encased with a chocolate shell and hidden inside the cupcake is a filling. This will definitely cure your Parisian food fomo."

"With all the pretty pastel colors and exotic flavors—strawberry lemongrass, anyone?. —choosing a macaron from Vanille isn’t easy. Save yourself the stress and go for a box of 6, 12, or 24."

"Launched by a husband and wife duo, Sweet Spot Macarons was the first business to bring a macaron truck to Chicago, and maybe, as claimed, the world. Each macaron has a flaky shell holding together a chewy center of flavor. Now, the pair will even take requests on where they travel to next via their email address, hello@sweetspotmacarons.com."

"Pastry Chef Mary Winslow has been baking up wedding cakes for decades. If you’re looking for the best custom wedding cakes in Chicago, couples can choose from lace, basket weave, ribbon flowers, or other timeless designs. Or if you have something particular in mind, go with a custom design."

"Cake Sweet Food Chicago is the destiny of two separate companies born from the same passion. Mary Winslow began to take the cake by advancing a small area in a catering kitchen. But it wasn’t long before Mary found herself in a bigger kitchen with a bigger oven."

"Chicago’s Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral, by Chicago Station on the Red Line, was completed in 1875 after its predecessor burnt down in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Eagle-eyed visitors will be able to spot an overarching Tree of Life Theme in the building’s fittings. On arrival you’ll be confronted by the cathedral’s immense bronze doors, each weighing more than 500 kilos and cast to resemble planks of wood."

"Address: 735 North State StreetSaturday Mass Times: 11:00 am, 1:30 pm , and 3:30 pmA/C: YesCost: Unspecified but there is a cost, along with a cost for the musiciansParishioner?. NoTime for photos after: No photos are allowed on the altar before or after the ceremony. Photos in the courtyard are allowed if weather permitsCan you bring your own priest?"

"Architects:Patrick Keely, Henry Schlacks, Joseph J. McCarthy, Charles Murphy. Architectural style:Gothic Revival architecture. Cathedrals are those churches that are considered- as an official seat of Bishop jurisdiction."

"West Loop’s Union Park, located on 13.46 acres in the Near West community area, is the site for two of the city’s biggest music festivals: Pitchfork and North Coast Music Festival. The park has several large fields, often used for various outdoor sports. The history of Union Park is also quite remarkable—it’s the site of several political protests and demonstrations since the early 1900s, most notably the Great American Boycott and the 2006 Immigration Reform protests."

"Union Park is a 13.46-acres park created in 1853 and became well known between the 1920s and 50s for cultural and social events. Today, the park features a field house with a theater room with stage, and a building with a gym, fitness center, and locker rooms. Outside facilities include tennis courts, swimming pool, playgrounds, an athletic field, and more."

"Every restaurant in Chicago seems to be doing fried chicken these days but Belly Q serves it up Thai style with sweet chili and lime. Belly Q is known for its Asian bbq but also for its fusion of different flavors to create tastes that are uniquely its own. Chef Billy Kim invites diners into his industrial-chic restaurant, which formerly housed a pickle factory, that easily seats 200."

"Located in Avondale (and hence, a bit out of the way for those traveling without a car), Urban Belly offers a small number of seats in a surprisingly chic space. The most expensive noodle dishes – ramen with pork belly and udon with shrimp – are $13. Dumpling and rice plates like lamb and brandy or short rib and scallion are $7-8 each."

"Our kids weren’t sure about trying the Asian inspired cuisine. They aren’t the most adventurous eaters. But by the time we were done they all LOVED it and wanted to come back the next day."

"Close to both the Lincoln Park zoo and Lincoln Park, RJ Grunts is the perfect restaurant to park your stroller at after a day of running around. They have a stroller valet (and regular valet if you have a car) to keep everything safe while you enjoy one of their famous burgers with chips. They think about the little things here — kids’ meals come with unspillable cups, animal crackers and crayons on old-style cafeteria trays."

"RJ Grunt’s is the original Lettuce Entertain You entry, and its longevity means you might wait in long lines for its extensive weekend brunch buffet."

"At Blaze, you can completely customize your pizza and have it cooked in under three minutes. The build-your-own pizza options offers unlimited toppings free of charge, so if you’re really adventurous you can add every single topping on the menu. However you eat your pizza, you’re sure to have it your way at Blaze."

"Rick Bayless and company have kept their River North Mexican restaurants afloat during the pandemic: They’ve taken over the a back alley for patio dining for Bar Sotano and cordoned off the private dining room for a socially distant dining experience at Frontera Grill. In the absence of on-premise dining, Frontera, Sotano, and Topolobampo are offering to-go menus. Topolo is serving a five-course tasting menu."

"In a neighborhood like Old Town, which dons a certain whimsical gravitas when the sun sets, you will most assuredly find a restaurant like the Pump Room. Clothed in low-mood lighting and all the swagger and swing of the 1930s and 1940s with a modern twist, the Pump Room absolutely oozes moxie. But again, the food might steal the show."

"Adding to the fun vibe in the West Loop is the new(ish) Nobu Hotel from partners Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert de Niro and Meir Teper. Up on the 11th floor, The Rooftop at Nobu will be your go-to place this summer for Japanese-influenced small plates, like Nori Tuna Tacos, Black Cod Lettuce Cups, Wagyu Dumplings, and Rock Shrimp Tempura. Fancy a Lychee Martini?"