Kanela Breakfast Club, Chicago IL

When going for brunch in Chicago N. Clark St. is generally a good call – M. Henry, Over Easy, Orange, Ann Sather, Big Jones…let’s just say Lakeview and Andersonville aren’t hurting for their eggs, pancakes, and bacon – but having already been to the big names and wanting an eclectic weekday breakfast experience this visit to Chicago would bring us to a relative newcomer – the Greek offerings of Kanela Breakfast Club. Owned and operated by Chris Lardakis and featuring both name and theme inspired by his upbringing and a love of cinnamon I’ll admit I’d heard mixed reviews of both the food and service at Kanela, but in the end the menu and coffee sourcing won me over and with the early opening hour of 7:00am both the location and time matched our day’s agenda perfectly.

Arriving early with street parking plenty available we made our way to the surprisingly large café after a drive past Wrigley and given the early hour the space was empty save for two tables – one with patrons and one with Lardakis himself sitting and chatting with staff as they prepared for the day’s service. Greeted pleasantly by our server, Tara S. at the door we were asked where we’d like to sit and with a four top in the middle of the room selected we sat – two of us in sturdy wood chairs and one in the booth. With the restaurant largely modern (think exposed brick, wood, tile) yet restrained save for a couple of crystal chandeliers and a small coffee bar to the right we were next presented with menus, offered coffee, and left to make decisions while light pop music played overhead.

With a strong cup from Julius Meinl with caramel notes and a satin finish brewed quickly (and refilled consistently without need for request throughout our meal) Tara would return to take our orders and to give us her opinions on what dishes she considers must haves. Inquiring as to whether two appetizers and three entrees would be too much she informed us that it would “probably be fine” as the chef focuses more on quality than quantity – but that this would be “quite a bit of food.” With orders placed we again sat back and chatted while Lardakis returned to the kitchen and Tara took to writing the daily specials on the chalkboard.

With the restaurant largely empty it would be perhaps ten minutes before our first dishes would arrive – in this case a favorite of both my aunt and myself in the form of “monkey bread” that really wasn’t much like pull-apart monkey bread at all, but rather a dense muffin loaded with smooth pureed banana, notes of cinnamon and walnuts, and a nearly soufflé-like top with a slightly gooey crumb. Served warm it was excellent, but at $4 perhaps a bit overpriced for a muffin.

Moving next to the dish recommended strongly by our server, my mother’s favorite item of the meal was the Bougatsa. At $4 and essentially the same size/weight as the monkey bread this flat pastry featured dainty crisp phyllo encompassing what was described as “lemon-honey custard” but what instead tasted almost like meyer lemon curd given its density and subdued sweetness. Complimented with fresh strawberries and a wisp of whipped cream it truly was tasty, though getting more than a bite proved somewhat daunting as mom seemed to be guarding it with fork and knife.

With appetites primed and plates cleared as coffee was refilled once again it would be a short while before our main courses would arrive and with the ladies selecting sweets I opted instead to go savory for the second morning in a row by selecting the duck confit hash with sunny side eggs, charred scallions, and a sauce described as orange truffle vinaigrette. Served not really as “duck confit hash” but rather as duck confit + hash, the fowl itself was excellent and paired nicely with the acidic yet earthy sauce while the potatoes were buttery, loaded with herbs, and slightly smoky from the inclusion of the crispy scallions. Completing the plate with two nicely prepared eggs topped with just a drizzle of olive oil all the flavors married nicely while a side of 9-grain toast with butter and strawberry jam proved quite handy for sopping up the runny egg and vinaigrette.

Having already established my mother’s love for lemon her selection of the Kanela French Toast with apricot and sweet lemon crème fraiche came as no surprise and while I’m traditionally not a fan of citrus I personally thought this the best dish of the morning largely because the golden brioche with a pillowy custard center was so exquisitely done that it may rank amongst the best textured French Toasts of all time. While certainly never one to shy away from a breakfast too sweet, an additional surprise in the Kanela French Toast was the light accents of the accoutrements – the crème only mildly kissed with lemon and the apricot compote a smear on the plate. Surely the addition of pure maple syrup didn’t hurt, but it also wasn’t necessary to make this dish shine.

For my aunt’s selection she surprisingly selected what has seemingly become Kanela’s most highly acclaimed dish – the Bacon Waffle with Chocolate Bacon, Bourbon Caramel, and Bacon Dust – and like the French Toast it was quite impressive albeit a little bit heavy handed. Beginning first with the bacon riddled waffle, it was a nice balance of sweet and savory with the bacon largely serving as exclamation points of flavor in the golden dough. Topped with grated bacon and two strips of slightly chewy pork dipped in chocolate and resting above drizzles of salty caramel and bitter chocolate I actually think the dish may have been better off without the bacon dust if only to mellow the salinity – but then again, the chocolate did a nice job of creating a balance so perhaps simply drizzling a bit of chocolate on the waffle itself would have helped instead as the drizzle on the plate simply wasn’t enough to account for the whole waffle.

With dishes cleaned and coffee again refilled Tara asked if there was anything else we’d like and declining we were given the check followed by a quick visit from the chef to ask us how everything had been. With our compliments (and the bill) paid we made our way to the sunny streets just about one hour after our arrival and with that proceeded to our noon tour of the Rookery not full, but content and glad to see that North Clark Street’s embarrassment of Brunch riches has grown by one.

Longman & Eagle, Chicago IL

With our early time of arrival noted and my love of Chicago’s Breakfast/Brunch scene well established the first breakfast (following appetizers from Doughnut Vault) of the trip would be of the Michelin Starred Variety – the daily brunch Service at Logan Square hipster staple Longman & Eagle. Helmed by Chef Jared Wentworth and described with nearly every ubiquitous foodie buzzword from “Gastro-Pub” to “farm to table” to “nose to tail” yet continually garnering great reviews from all who’d been there I have to admit that going in I was a skeptic, but at the same time the menu looked great and by going early on a weekday I figured we could avoid the scene – a scene we almost avoided twice because despite the use of a googlemaps we still drove right past the scantily marked restaurant twice before noting the simple “&” over the door and finding a parking space just outside.

With the weather mild and the doors open as tunes from Robert Johnston and Charlie Parker flowed into the streets we made our into the restaurant to find it largely empty – only two tables filled in the whole space – and wondering if they were even open for business yet we were greeted warmly first by the bartender and then by our waitress, a young lady named Gina who suggested we sit wherever we like. With the scent of pork heavy in the air and the bartender mixing up a whisky sour for one of the ladies at the table nearest the back door we opted for a nicely lit spot closer to the front and navigating heavily wooded and unfinished brick room there was unquestionably a slightly artificial feel to the space, but at the same time it wasn’t so much as to make it feel forced.

Seated now with menus in hand and water filled adult beverages were offered and declined with myself and my mother opting for coffee (Metropolis) that unfortunately reached empty far too many times for a restaurant so unpopulated while my aunt opted for Orange Juice – at $3 actually a bargain compared to other breakfasts in Chicago. With the menu rather short decisions were made and within five minutes of seating our orders were placed allowing us to sit back, relax, and listen to everything from slave-era chants to late 40s big band while we waited.

With a few more folks trickling in, mostly young men opting to sit at the bar and booze over breakfast, our first dish to arrive would be an appetizer shared by all and despite my mother’s insistence that she dislikes scones this was the second time in a row (the last at Bouchon) that she exclaimed the words “Best Scone Ever” as she took a bite of the house-made Cinnamon, Honey, and Apricot Scone topped with Clotted Cream. Beginning first with the scone itself – a heterogeneous biscuit dotted with pockets of butter, sugar, and dried apricots – it was marvelous, but what truly put this scone on another level was the smear of clotted cream and an ample drizzle of apricot tinged honey.

With the scone devoured and our coffees finally receiving a refill at my request it would be another short wait before our main courses would arrive and when they did each looked wonderful but only one actually turned out to be so. Beginning first with mine; Croque Madame with Local Ham, Gruyere, Mornay Sauce, and Duck Egg was overall quite good – a prototype in its ingredients and balance but foiled slightly by the country style bread which was far too crunchy at first but became more pliable with the addition of some of the creamy Mornay served alongside and the rupture of the salted quivering egg. Served with skillet potatoes that were fine but nothing to write home about this was a competent dish, but not on par with other croques I’ve had (Michelin Starred or not.)

Moving next to my mother’s choice, Fried Chicken, Waffles, Sweet Potato & Pork Belly Hash, Vermont Maple Syrup – let’s just say the waffle was good and the hash was great while the chicken was…well…even a bit too undercooked for my tastes and damned near raw compared to my mother’s preferences. Beginning first with the waffle – thicker than generally served with chicken but fluffy and full of yeasty vanilla tones that went great with the syrup. Next up, the hash – smoky and sweet, a touch of nutmeg and perfectly prepared. Finally, the chicken – great coating and crunch, but pink flesh and skin so fatty that it was actually wet – a disappointment that my mother (who “doesn’t like to make a scene”) refused to mention, but stated just last week was some of the worst fried chicken she has ever eaten.

Last but not least my aunt selected the Bananas Foster French Toast with Banana Pudding, Bourbon Caramel Sauce, and Goat Cheese Semifreddo – a dish oddly similar to the dessert she’d order that evening at Mindy’s Hot Chocolate, but actually even better. Featuring two thick slices of golden brioche with a supple interior (note to L&E, use this on the Croque) and an eggy custard wash resting in a puddle of warm pureed bananas and topped with savory cream cheese frosting plus boozy salted caramel this was the sort of sweet breakfast I’d have expected from a place like Bongo Room or M.Henry but definitely not from a gastropub – it was shockingly sweet yet surprisingly balanced and while dessert worthy also rather light on the stomach given the fluffy nature of the bread.

Again having to request a refill, this time by raising my hand like a child in elementary school, Gina stopped by to inquire if we were “all finished” and entirely ignoring the mostly uneaten pink chicken proceeded to collect our plates before filling the coffee and leaving the tab. With the bill paid and a modest (undeserved) tip left it was exactly one hour after we entered the Longman & Eagle that we left and all things being equal I rather doubt I’ll ever be back – though I will admit looking at the dessert menu and having experienced the brunch the team does seem to have some skills with the sweet stuff.

Bouchon Bistro (4) and Jean Philippe at Aria, Las Vegas NV

There are very few restaurants I feel compelled to return to again and again – the ones I do are genuinely mind blowing (Alinea,) cheap and kitschy (Griddle Café,) or…well, Bouchon Las Vegas. Open for breakfast, brunch, and dinner I’d been to Chef Keller’s Vegas Bistro on each of my previous three visits to Las Vegas and the opportunity to eat Christmas Brunch there with the three most important people in my life was simply too perfect and obvious a choice to pass up. Having contacted the restaurant to be sure they’d be open on Christmas I was informed that they were indeed open but not taking reservations as is their Saturday Brunch policy – I was also told there would be “holiday themed” specials available.

Waking early to be sure we’d arrive plenty early I have to admit I was a tad surprised when we were the first people in line at 7:45am, though we’d quickly be joined by twenty or so others before the doors opened with a pleasant Merry Christmas from the staff at exactly 8am. Checking in at the hostess stand we were quickly whisked away to a great four-top near the windows overlooking the pools at the center of the Venezia tower and presented with menus. With water poured the next person to visit our table would be our server, a pleasant young woman named Arlene who would live up to Bouchon’s customary service – interested and forthcoming, knowledgable and efficient. Describing the chalkboard specials (no “holiday themed” options to be found) and taking drink orders we were left to ponder our choices.

With the same menu as my previous visit plus the chalkboard specials I decided to venture onto the chalkboard while my family opted for Chef Keller and team’s more traditional breakfast/brunch fare on this seminal visit. With two coffees, a tea, and orange juice served and refilled consistently (save for the orange juice) by the ever circling bussers we sat for mere moments before the ever-welcomed epi-baguette would arrive, this time with that same lovely butter and apricot preserves.

Starting the meal proper and finally dining at Bouchon’s brunch with a group I was this time able to order the pastry basket I’d previously held off on for fear that it would go to waste. With four options to the basket plus one included with my aunt’s Breakfast Americane the basket would actually be a silver platter with a blue cloth. Featuring a cream cheese Danish, Pecan Sticky Bun, Orange Currant Scone, Chocolate Almond Croissant, and two Raspberry Beignets each taste was everything I’ve come to expect from Bouchon bakery and both the Cheese Danish and Orange Currant Scone were truly remarkable given the fact that I generally would not have ordered them at other restaurants. Rumor has it that Keller is working on a Bouchon Bakery cookbook and this experience once again made me hope the rumors are true.

Having already mentioned my aunt’s selection I’ll note it was certainly the bargain of the menu – two eggs buttery and medium scrambled, two slices of bacon, two pieces of impeccable sage accented sausage, toasted sourdough, the previously mentioned Danish, coffee, and orange juice for $22.

For my mother the choice would be a dish familiar to myself from two years prior; the bread pudding style French toast. This time using D’anjou pears as opposed to the Bartletts from my visit but again with lovely layers of custard interspersed with cinnamon spiked compote of fruit between each layer there really isn’t much that can be said about this dish that hasn’t been praised before – a touch of maple syrup, a dust of confectioner’s sugar to finish a truly decadent breakfast. To temper the sweetness she also ordered a side of bacon – 7 thick strips of apple wood smoked Kurobuta pork for a mere $5.

For my sister, still feeling the effects of the gluttony at Picasso the night before, something light was desired and the decision was made to sample Keller’s Waffle recipe. Spiked with vanilla and so crispy on the exterior that I’d not be surprised if cornmeal was involved, the interior of the waffle was supple and spongy – textbook. Topped with fresh bananas and chopped walnuts at a cost of $12 I can’t say this was a cheap waffle, but all things considering it was light, tasty, and unfaultable.

My breakfast selection would be from the chalkboard – it would also be the most expensive option of the day but also thankfully the best. Described merely as Oeuf du jour with Crab and Macaroni Gratin the dish itself would be served in a steaming hot low-ramekin. Featuring tender macaroni intermingling with plump chunks of crab, gruyere, breadcrumbs, and butter at its base the dish was subsequently topped with two medium scrambled eggs and sauce Mornay with paprika and chives. Creamy yet textural, slightly briny but sweet, and buttery beyond anything I’ve had in recent memory the dish was perhaps the best savory I’ve ever had for breakfast and the golden brioche served alongside harkened memories of Per Se and The French Laundry, even if the Apricot Jam wasn’t quite as good as the Foie Gras I was spreading in those settings.

With plates cleaned our bussers would clear the table rapidly and Arlene would return with the check – no offer of dessert, just a “No Rush – Merry Christmas and thanks for having brunch with us today” as she handed us the check in a glass cup. A tad annoyed at the lack of promised “holiday themed” specials we settled the tab and made our way to the door by 9:05 – a mere hour after we entered. With the lounge full and a growing line outside we made our way down the hall, out of the Venezia Tower, and back to our room. While certainly a good meal with great company this visit to Bouchon was a letdown largely due to heightened expectations. While there is no doubt in my mind that I’ll find my way back to Keller’s growing list of tables frequently over the coming years I now realize that on a day like Christmas there simply is no place as special as home, even if you are with all the people you love.

Exchanging our humorous Christmas gag-gifts and packing our bags for the Christmas flight home we next checked out of our hotel and left our bags in the rental car while we decided to finish our vacation with some gaming, coffee, and dessert in the early afternoon at Aria. Having already browsed the newest Jean-Philippe boutique multiple times during our visit and having tried the original at Bellagio in the past we were thrilled to note that as opposed to Bouchon, Jean Philippe was fully embracing the holiday theme.

Having experienced the Nutella gelato and Tiramisu on past visits to Jean Philippe at the Bellagio I personally was wowed by the vastness of the new shop’s selection – from cookies to candies to confections and ice cream everything looked excellent and given the length of the line we were given plenty of time to decide. With the space at Aria including a dining area in addition to the vast shop my mother and sister made their suggestions and went to wait out a table – a successful bid that would land us a four-top overlooking the gaming floor only moments before we paid our bill.

Browsing the selection and deciding on a dessert each, plus an enormous chocolate covered strawberry and a coffee the items were plated on clear plastic trays with the Chef’s signature logo – a nice touch softening the blow of a $38 tab. Splitting each item into fourths in order to design a miniature dessert tasting our selections would be a “gift wrapped” Carrot cake, a Nutella Brioche, a Snowman Tiramisu, and a Chocolate Bouche de Noel.

With each item a stunning example of Jean Philippe and team’s handiwork I still think this is one of the best Tiramisu dishes to ever grace my palate and the Bouche was vastly superior to that at Bouchon Bakery just days before. With the Carrot Cake loaded with a citrus toned cream cheese, raisins, and plenty of texture and the Nutella Brioche featuring the texture of a Croissant with easily two tablespoons of the Hazelnut filling within everything was divine, especially when paired with the subtly chocolate toned coffee. A sweet ending to a wonderful trip – and my first Merry Christmas outside of the Buckeye State.

Morels French Steakhouse, Las Vegas NV

…as it turns out there is more than one Morel’s French Steakhouse – when I made Brunch reservations for our third day in Las Vegas I really had no idea…not until we walked by the familiar façade four days later at The Grove in Los Angeles. While not as high profile as other restaurants on the Las Vegas culinary landscape a quick browse of the menu and positive words from a friend combined with early opening hours (8am) made brunch a logical choice…besides, I love French food and I’d already tasted “the best” of Sin City’s breakfast and brunch scene.

Arriving at eight on the dot we actually presented to closed doors – no worries though, they’d open only minutes later. Making our way into the vast confines of the restaurant we stated our names, though reservations clearly were not necessary. Led to a comfortable 4-top near the large glass windows we marveled at the black and white tiled floor, raw bar, cheese bar, cork wreath, chandeliers, and generally lovely layout of the space. Greeted quickly by our server, Gina G, we were provided with menus and water was filled for us all while the others opted for Orange Juice, Hot Tea, and a specialty French Press of Rwandan Komera coffee – a bold citrus blend with plenty of body that didn’t really appeal to me, but my mother enjoyed a lot.

Browsing the menu of both traditional and non-traditional bistro fare we settled on a pair of sweets and a pair of savories to be shared around. With service good throughout the meal there were two small issues considering only one other table was seated during the entirety of our brunch – the first being the fact that my water actually reached empty twice and the second when one of the ancillary staff nearly filled my sister’s tea with coffee. With light classical playing overhead it would be approximately 15 minutes before our plates would arrive.

For myself, the standard in such circumstances; a Croque Madame with Country Ham, Gruyère Cheese, Sauce Mornay,Crispy Sourdough, Fried Egg and a side of Pommes Frites with organic Heinz ketchup. While the frites were largely a miss – hot but somewhat anemic and flavorless, the sandwich was actually quite good, albeit lightly topped. With two thin slices of rich ham and an equal portion of Gruyere sandwiched between the crispy bread, the highlight of the dish was unquestionably the lovely Mornay and creamy egg yolk.

The second option, my mothers, was the crispy Belgium Waffle with fresh Berries and Housemade Vanilla Syrup. Simple in concept the execution of this dish was quite poor in my opinion – the waffle doughy and the vanilla syrup tasting identical to the pure maple syrup (not a bad thing, but false advertising) until blended with the dollop of vanilla cream atop the waffles. Admittedly the fruits were very fresh and tasty, however.

Opting for more unique dishes proved advantageous to my sister and aunt, the sooner ordering the Crab Oscar Benedict with Asparagus, Dungeness crab, Poached Eggs, and Citrus Hollandaise atop a round popover. Already hefty and artery clogging with the crab clearly cooked in butter and the lovely hollandaise with just a tinge of lemon, piercing the two creamy eggs with a fork added a whole new level to the dish. With white asparagus adding necessary fiber and texture the entirety of this dish was decadence well worth the calories.

The final choice, my aunts, was another winner – Banana and Mascarpone stuffed French Toast with Saigon cinnamon and pure maple syrup. With bread similarly shaped to that from the popover I gather the toast itself was actually a bread pudding style custard. With a thick layer of banana accented sweet cheese inside and fresh bananas atop the toast was first pan seared and then torch bruleed forming a crisp top that crackled on cutting. With plentiful notes of cinnamon and the maple syrup on the plate instead of being poured over top I really liked the flavor profile and presentation of the dish, as did my aunt who is not keen on maple as she finds it overwhelming.

With tax and tip the total for brunch would run approximately $25 a person – not a bargain compared to the $5 grand slam at Denny’s that we passed to get there, but on par with the prices at Mon Ami Gabi and slightly less pricey than MoZen, Tableau, or Bouchon. With that said, while there was nothing wrong with Morels, it also didn’t move me or wow me and at such a price I’d much sooner take the elevator up to Bouchon at the Venetian than the escalator down to Morels at the Palazzo. The Croque, Frites, French Toast, and Waffles at Bouchon are simply better….and the eggs and crab dish I’d have there on Christmas day left that Benedict a distant memory, regardless of how good it was.

Hearty and Floriole, Chicago IL

The phrase “accidental expertise” was applied by them, not me – and when I say them I’m referring to The Hearty Boys, Dan and Steve. Never professionally trained but known by millions due to stints on the food network, a best selling cookbook, and a ten-plus year old catering company I’d always heard of the couple’s unique urban/casual style but had never been in Chicago for a full Sunday to partake in their brunch – neither at their first eatery, HB, nor the newer and more ‘refined’ Lakeview storefront simply called Hearty. With my sister and her friend planning for an early afternoon departure and myself flying out late I figured this visit would be a perfect time to see what the fellas’ had to offer.

Arriving shortly after the small shop opened it doors we were greeted by a friendly young lady at the door and with reservation made we were led promptly to a solid wooden four-top in the middle of the mid-American themed room, complete with exposed brick and a unique wall mounted fireplace, plus “floral” centerpieces made of cut soda cans. In the corner, a television played old Droopy and Tom & Jerry Cartoons while the overhead soundtrack piped in a random array of feel good tunes.

Greeted next by one of our two primary servers, a tall man my sister thought looked “exactly like the server from Lifehouse” we were presented with menus and our waters were filled. Myself opting for a bargain $2 bottomless cup of Metropolis Indonesian coffee and Erika choosing from a selection of Stash Tea our service was excellent throughout – suggestions were thoughtful, drinks remained full, everything arrived piping hot, and everything was done with a smile and no-hassle approach even as the restaurant reached capacity by 9:45am.

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With orders placed we sat back and chatted for a while and watched the bartender throw together any number of unique drinks for extremely mixed crowd – young and old, gay and straight – and everyone seemed to be having a great time even prior to imbibing, moreso later.

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With a unique but small menu and no desserts at brunch our decisions were diverse but rather easy given our own personal preferences – this is a menu with something for everyone. Starting things off, a Scratch made Biscuits with pumpkin clove butter. Tasty, large, buttery, and aromatic this was the sort of biscuit you’d expect further south – but the butter itself was not especially apparent. Good, but not on the level of the biscuits at Big Jones the day before.

For Nate, again abstaining from the sweets, a tarragon chicken & brie omelet with smoky breakfast potatoes and a scratch made biscuits with pumpkin clove butter was selected. While I did not taste the dish, it certainly looked and sounded good.

My sister’s selection, Cinnamon Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast with raisin nut cocoa and pure maple syrup looked and smelled heavenly with accents of cinnamon and cocoa prominent and the syrup inherently sweet. Utilizing a thick brioche as the base, however, this French Toast suffered the same fate as the version at Big Jones in that the interior of the bread remained largely uncooked and doughy while the exterior was appropriately crisp and buttery. Again, perhaps I just like a custard French Toast because my sister seemed to enjoy it – the cocoa baked walnuts were wonderful either way.

For my breakfast – never one to turn down sweet and savory - Chicken and Pumpkin Waffles with boneless southern fried chicken breast, house made waffle, quince butter, and Cajun maple shot. Tasty and fragrant, the waffle portion of my dish was excellent – crisp exterior and soft within. In the savory department, the chicken itself was somewhat overcooked but the decidedly spicy and thin batter was delicious. Adding ample butter and the hot sauce infused syrup lent an extra degree of fruity heat to the plate – not that it was needed given the black pepper laden batter, but it worked.

With no desserts offered we sat and chatted for a bit while finishing our coffee, never feeling rushed to leave the bill was presented and after paying we made our way to the street. Looking back at the meal I have to say that given the hype I left somewhat unimpressed, but perhaps inappropriately so. While nothing in particular “wowed” in the manner than many Chicago breakfast/brunch spots do, the service was superb and the setting was fun. Claiming that they appeal to the gourmand and the kid in each of us on their website I’d have to say I agree – I simply lean more heavily to the gourmand side and, per their own admission The Hearty Boys are all about upscale comfort food, not haute cuisine.

Leaving Hearty my sister and Nate were heading back to Oxford and asked where they could drop me off – figuring Fox & Obel was rather central to the area I’d like to browse I asked them first to swing by our missed stop from the day prior – Floriole Bakery. Named “Best Bakery” in Chicago (In a city that contains Fritz) by Chicago Magazine and featuring what many were describing as the best Canele in the city (In a city that contains L2o) I figured Floriole was a can’t miss.

Arriving slightly later than the previous day the café was abuzz when we arrived – myriad bakers buzzing about the kitchen and the staff stocking the case with 20-30 classic French pastries from bread to baguette to pound cake to tarte to quiche to croissant. Advertising that everything was made with European butter and organic or local grains and produce I noted at least ten items I wanted to try but limited myself to three as they’d be serving as my daytime snack before an early dinner. With friendly service abounding I paid the relatively hefty tab of $9 plus a dollar tip and made my way back to the car.

Beginning first with the Macaron - $1.50 for a rather small serving, I made the choice of coffee over caramel and can simply say it was okay. Purportedly fresh from the oven I found the cookie to be somewhat dry while the interior was rich coffee cream. While better than a “doughy” macaron, I can’t say my first bite was a good impression.

Improving significantly on the small cookie the $4.25 Almond Croissant was everything I’d hope from a place billed as the “best” bakery. Flaky and crisp exterior, buttery smooth interior with aromatic notes of almond and a sweet almond paste the croissant stood up nicely to mastication with its springy interior giving way to bite without distorting the shape of the pastry. While not as good as some elsewhere (Payard, Petrossian,) potentially the best I’ve had in Chicago.

The final selection, a classic Canele de Bordeaux baked in a bee’s wax mold was superb – crunchy shell, eggy custard center, not too sweet. While it would require some side to side, bite to bite comparison I’d place it on par with that of L2o and La Colombe (Philadelphia) for best yet.

Having sampled only three of a large collection of fine pastry’s the verdict is still out on my end as to whether or not Floriole holds up to its reputation as best in Chicago, but either way it is an excellent bakery provided everyone gets to work on time and the selections are ready and warm.