View from Floriole

I had been waiting for Floriole Cafe and Bakery to open for months. Each day I would drive down Webster Avenue to work and find my eyes magnetized to the progressing facade. There was something quite perfect about the looks of the place in its location – snuggled in between the patio of a bar and a kitchen and bath storefront on this quaint strip of upscale real estate. The facade said “I’m modern and breezy, yet Euoprean and relaxed” the facade said “you will eat treats  inside here that will be rivaled only by those you’ve eaten in France.” So when the doors finally opened, I circled the block five times to find a parking space and then made a mad dash for it. I have now been to Floriole 5 times and have been disappointed only once, which involved their Almond Croissant ($4.00 I may add) which simply didn’t have enough almond flavor for my taste. I like almond croissants with almond paste in them, that delicous extracty flavor perfectly coating the crisp, flaky shell of pastry. I think the unfortunate problem for me here was that the croissant was made with a real crushed-almond cream, which lacks the flavor and texture of almond paste. I can’t fault the chef for wanting to use fresh, hand-made ingredients. But at $4.00 a pop, I’ll just as soon go to Flourish way up on Bryn Mawr by my apartment and get an almond croissant I find perfect for half the price.

That said, yes, Floriole is expensive. And yes, I prefer the almond croissants elsewhere.  Still, this place is not to be missed. Their shortbread is $1.00 a stick and it is absolutely the most sinful, chewiest shortbread I’ve ever eaten. Their macaroons are made of a chewy outer shell sandwich stuffed with rich, decadent creme. The chocolate cannelles have a crisp, burnt outter shell and soft, lush pastry innards that are the ideal balance of sweet and cake-y. I’d highly suggest one accompanying a well-brewed, dark roast coffee complete with a brown sugar cube mixed in from the cream/sugar bar. And this is only the start. I plan to return for the pizzetas, a slice of rosemary lemon poundcake, a chocolate pot de creme, an asparagus tartine, a fresh cherry tartelle (with cherries straight from the greenmarket.) I could go on and on. But with descriptions like these, who needs to? Just stop in.

Floriole Cafe and Bakery

1220 Webster Avenue  Chicago, IL 60614

Tel: 773-883-1313

www.floriole.com

Racked up under the North Western Blue Line stop in a modern space beneath the train trestles is the Bellyshack. The menu is designed by world-reknowned Korean BBQ Chef  Bill Kim, but takes on an inter-continental grind by combining Korean fare with a jolt of Puerto Rican flavor. Example: The Boricua - A sandwich made of crispy plaintains, Chinese black beans, marinated tofu and organic brown rice. Example: A side of Asian greens with chorizo.

From the minute you walk in the spot exotic aromas overwhelm the palate: Lemongrass, pho spices, cilantro, chili. An overwhelming sense of  intrigue envelops the senses. Now take in the visual decor. At first, utterly industrial, suiting of its location. On closer inspection, warmed by gaslamp style hanging lanterns, raw materials (check the 200-year-old reclaimed maple wood table,) and a gray-scale mural of a squatting boricua with a t-shirt on that reads “Realiza Suenos, ” next-to a graf-style scrawl of Humbolt Park. This place is cool and low-key. The music is bomb-a salute to Kim’s sister Yasmina, a designer-filmaker who aided in the crafting of ambience. And the menu is an experimentalists dream - A truly arousing and unexpected combination of two exquisite cultural cuisines enmeshed.