Best French Bakery in Hillside

"This coffeehouse and restaurant has such stellar options for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner that it’s tempting to spend the whole day at Beatrix. In the morning, order the chia cereal bowl, the light and fluffy lemon pancakes, or opt for something in their tempting pastry case. During dinner, you’ll find plenty of options where vegetables are the star of the show, like the asparagus and pea risotto made with farro or the eggplant steak."

"Stephanie Izard’scontemporary West Loop diner’s open all day, and most kids will be thrilled that they can order breakfast at any time. The dark chocolate chip crunch pancakes with chocolate malt butter, Fat Elvis waffles with bananas, peanut butter-butter and bacon maple syrup or gooey, house-made Cinnabons should put them on happy street."

"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."

"A post shared by Summer House Santa Monica (@summerhousesm) on Dec 6, 2018 at 11:55am PST. It’s easy to forget the frigid temperatures when you’re inside Summer House Santa Monica, a California-inspired restaurant in Lincoln Park. Each day comes with an assortment of holiday cookies, from reindeer to mittens."

"Get a taste of California without leaving the city or even having to sit down through dinner. These cookies are always available alongside other sweets at their Market counter."

"After the world fell out of love with cupcakes a few years ago, a bunch of boutique donut shops started opening around Chicago. Firecakes in River North was one of those spots and has thankfully managed to stay around. They have great seasonal specialties (like a gooey meyer lemon or apple-spiced), but our favorite is their vanilla iced."

"One of Chicago’s Many Great Donuts: Tahitian Vanilla Iced ($2.95). I’m not going to decide if it should be “donut” or “doughnut” so be prepared for me to write it interchangeably."

"Restaurants Bakeries Lower West Side. Kristoffer's is synonymous with tres leches cake—more specifically, one of the best versions of the delicacy in all of Chicago. The family-owned business in Pilsen makes the milk-bathed sponge cake in seven flavors—from vanilla and coconut to chocoflan and caramel."

"Kristoffer’s Cakes is known for their iconic homemade tres leches cakes, which is the item that put them on the map. Their vanilla tres leches cake comes with white or chocolate frosting, and is known for its excellent crumb and springy texture. (It’s a family recipe that the owners have kept secret since the bakery opened over 13 years ago.)"

"A landmark in Pilsen, Kristoffer’s Cafe & Bakery has been serving coffee and Mexican desserts for years. Though the original owners have gone on to open a cafe in McKinley Park, the customers continue to flock for the bakery’s famous tres leches cakes. They’re a favorite among chefs, including Rick Bayless."

"Edgewater & Rogers ParkIf you couldn’t tell from the name, Lickity Split Frozen Custard & Sweets serves frozen custard, sundaes, candy, and other local treats in enchanting old-world digs. You could go “my way” with your choice of flavor and one topping, or opt for a mix of cupcakes and custard in the Crazy Cake concrete. Even better is the “OMG,” a concoction of frozen custard, brownies, hot fudge, and peanut butter that’ll have you exclaiming its moniker with every bite."

"Lickity Split is a retro-style sweets and ice cream shop in Edgewater that makes its own frozen custard fresh every day. There are only three flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and a specialty flavor that rotates every few weeks), all of which are fine on their own. But you need to order one of the concretes - i.e. custard blended with mix-ins."

"A post shared by Lickity Split Chicago (@lickitysplitchi) on Dec 28, 2018 at 11:11am PST. This old time ice cream shop in Melbourne serves coffee, locally sourced pastry, retro candy, and frozen custard. People with a sweet tooth should definitely come here to grab a creamy and delicious cupcake or a scoop of their favorite ice cream."

"The Poetry Foundation Library is another attraction that you can’t find anywhere else in Illinois. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find it anywhere else in the US. There are only a handful of poetry libraries in the entire world, but the good news is that the Chicago version is one of the best."

"Chicago's Poetry Foundation is all about the study of poetry. It was the first place in the city of Chicago to focus only on poetry as an art form, which was the dream of Poetry magazine's Harriet Monroe. The foundation's goal is to heighten public and cultural interest in poetry."

"We love this sophisticated home of Poetry magazine for its underplayed elegance and hushed presence among bustling River North. It’s not shouting, “Look at me!. ” in any way or trying to be the biggest or tallest; it’s just quietly doing its job."

"Intuit: The centre for intuitive and outsider art is the only non-profit organization in the United States that presents intuitive, outsider and contemporary self-taught art. The Henry Darger Collection holds a permanent spot in this gallery, which also features a permanent collection containing more than a thousand artworks. There is a study centre at the gallery: Robert A. Roth Study Center, which conducts educational programs and is open for the public."

"Now open This unique museum, dedicated to work by self-taught artists, has reopened to the public. Intuit has taken several new precautions, including directional signage, reduced touch points, and enhanced sanitation. They’ve even re-installed their exhibition Outsider Art: The Collection of Victor F. Keen to increase spacing and allow more distancing."

"Forget a Tiffany necklace, this massive stained-glass masterpiece at the Chicago Cultural Center is thought to be the largest Tiffany dome in existence."

"At the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, You’ll find thousands of artifacts, books, posters, photographs, maps, and manuscripts, ranging from military medals to swords, that tell America’s history through the eyes of the citizen soldier. Take a tour any day of the week (free with admission) or wander collections ranging from WWII and Korean War training comics to medical research files on topics like early ambulances and Civil War nurses. Pritzker Military Museum & Library, 104 S."

"The Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago is dedicated to highlighting and studying military history. Founded in 2003, the museum now has more than 115,000 objects, 67,000 books, and 9,000 photos. The collection includes rare military memorabilia, glass negatives, posters, artwork, and videos."

"Museum admission is always free for anyone with an active military ID, the Chicago police and fire departments and children under 18. General free admission days for 2020 are:. April 6 – Centennial of WWI"

"Ongoing weekend programs at the museum include workshops for kids to learn about identifying rocks and minerals or learning how to make jewelry. Collections include gemstones, fossils and an ornate castle. Online activities include virtual jewelry classes and rock identification classes."

"Motor Row Brewery is located in Chicago’s historic Motor Row neighborhood|Courtesy of Motor Row Brewery. Frank Lassandrello, the head brewer of Motor Row, learned the tricks of his trade while at college in Vermont, creating home brews with his roommate. It wasn’t until 2007 that Lassandrello partnered with his son and purchased a space in Chicago’s historic Motor Row neighborhood to start his own legitimate brewery."

"German influence meets Midwestern hospitality at Motor Row Brewing. Located in an historic landmark warehouse building, Motor Row Brewing takes you back in time to when the neighborhood was home to Chicago’s auto industry. It offers extended seasonal releases (including a series of easy-drinking Belgian-style ales, perfect for summer), plus collaborations and experimental one-offs."

"Michigan Ave. (between 24th and 23rd streets), the brewery is the highest-rated brewery in Chicago, boasting 4.5 stars out of 80 reviews on Yelp."

"Logan Square/Lincoln Park Known for their inventive takes on the brewing process and the eccentric flavor combinations in their beers, Off Color is on the rise thanks to the relentless pursuit of excellent from its founders: former Goose Island barrel-age brewer John Laffler and Dave Bleitner, formerly of Warrenville’s Two Brothers. While the brewery has only been around since 2013, it raised its profile with the recent unveiling of The Mousetrap tap room in Lincoln Park. Highly regarded for their focus on brewing forgotten styles of ales, stop into The Mousetrap and try some of their latest (and weirdest) small-batch specials.Must-try beer: Brewed with grain and sugar to create a hazy, golden body, their popular Apex Predator farmhouse ale pairs superior drinkability with a dry finish and fruity bite."

"Another Chicago staples, Off Color was founded in 2013 by John Laffler (formerly of Goose Island Brewery) and Dave Bleitner (formerly of Two Brothers Brewing). As you might expect, the pedigree of the founders is obvious in Off Color Brewing’s mature and technically excellent beers, which lean toward European styles. While the beers are serious, the branding is fun, leading to a very silly and unique taproom experience at both the original location and The Mousetrap, located on the North Branch Canal just west of the Old Town neighborhood."

"Off Color Brewing's taphouse, Mouseroom has a beautiful indoor and patio for you to enjoy their signature drafts, canned beer, as well as seasonal and foedre aged specials. Seating is on a first-come-first-served basis, so head on over or place an order for pick-up or delivery here."