Best Croissants in Chicago - Floriole

Cappuccino

After savoring croissants in France with their flaky, golden outside and folds of salty, buttery goodness inside, I was pretty certain nothing would come close to that perfect in Chicago, or in the United States for that matter.  For the record, I feel the same way about Chicago style hot dogs.  That kind of perfection on a poppy seed bun cannot be replicated.   

That said, having breakfast at Floriole Cafe and Bakery is about as close as you are going to get to Paris.  The croissants attain the level of quality you will find in any boulangerie.  However, just like a Chicago hot dog really doesn't feel right without a heavy Chicago accent next to you, a croissant doesn't feel completely right without the cigarette smoke swirling, French speaking folks who are impossibly chic and put together.  Floriole is in Lincoln Park and the little piece of Webster Avenue that the restaurant occupies, feels somewhat French.  Just replace the cigarette smoke and French dialogue with North Face jackets and $700 baby strollers.

Pain Perdu

Ham and Gruyère Croissant

View from the open front of the restaurant

Garrett Popcorn

Spring is here in full force and nothing excites a Chicagoan more than being able to play outside after a long and bitterly cold winter. So, we decided to go to Navy Pier, play at the Children's Museum and walk around among the throngs of people soaking up the sunshine. The fun came to a screeching halt on that little walk when my little man spotted the Sea Dog motor boats and immediately wanted to go on a ride. Unfortunately, they would not let us on because my little guy is, well, little. Do you know what it is like to have a child dying to go on the speed boats, just to get rejected at the gate because of a height requirement? Not pretty folks, not pretty at all.

That brings us to this post on Garrett Popcorn. What to do when a four year old is losing his mind because he can't go on the speed boats? One of two things, either have a sedative on hand that would knock a horse out or go get Garrett Popcorn stat and pray that they don't have the usual horrendous line out the door to get said popcorn. Yesterday, it seems that although the Gods were hating me with that height requirement, they redeemed themselves with the very short line at the Garrett store. For those of you who have never had Garrett Popcorn, know that it is a Chicago institution and every location always has a ridiculous line around the block. So we were able to get a bag of the caramel crisp and all was right with the world.

As for the taste of Garrett Popcorn, it is highly addictive. The caramel popcorn I usually have has an artificial taste to it along the lines of what I would imagine plastic would taste like with store bought caramel strewn on it. Garrett is different. The caramel has a rich buttery quality mixed with salty undertones. Our bag also came to us warm, bonus! You really have no idea how much you are eating until you look down and all you see is a butter stained brown bag in front of you with a bunch of sweet buttery caramel encrusted fingers to lick. So go ahead and lick away with wild abandon and use that time to reminisce of days gone by when all you had to worry about was missing the motor boat and licking sweet, sticky finger tips. Enjoy!