Best Bakery and Cake Shops in Gold Coast

"Restaurants Bakeries West Loop. Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard puts her gourmet spin on the old-school diner model with this sweet West Loop restaurant that serves breakfast all day. Dig into reimagined classics like the Bull's Eye French toast on sweet onion brioche with eggs, crispy chicken and barbecue maple syrup."

"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."

"With all the fantastic Chicago diners available in the Windy City sometimes it’s nice to change it up a bit. Lincoln Park’s Summer House Santa Monica will transport you to sunny California with its bright and breezy dining room. If you’re looking for an instant mood boost, this is it."

"I’ll admit, the decor of this place is what initially sucked me in – but I kept going back because off their Breakfast Tostadas. I’ve tried a few other things there, but nothing beats those tostadas!. Crunchy and a little spicy and a yolk that spills everywhere?"

"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."

"Given that Sweet Mandy B's and Floriole are the charming bakeries sharing the same block and producing some of the best baked goods in the city -- let alone, their neighborhood -- we couldn't recognize one without the other. Washed in pastel hues and equipped with a pastry display bursting with colorful cookies and cupcakes, Sweet Mandy B's is a veritable sugar fiend's fairytale. Floriole plays it a bit more simple, with an airy space conducive to working while you munch on European pastries, like almond-y gateau Basque, pain au chocolat, and a variety of scones; don't forget to pick up a loaf of fresh-baked bread on your way out."

"Restaurants Bakeries Lincoln Park. They had us at hello, those dreamy, creamy cupcakes. (Us and every other Chicagoan with taste buds.) This sweet-as-can-be bakeshop may have cornered the local market with its simple little chocolate and yellow cakes slathered in a colorful array of buttercreams, but there’s much more to salivate over here."

"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."

"Stan’s Donuts are next on our list of the best desserts in Chicago. Stan’s Donuts is a classic choice for desserts in Chicago, and they’re seriously delicious too!. In fact, if you ask any local Chicagoans they’ll probably have heard of Stan’s Donuts!"

"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."

"There are regular doughnuts and then there are doughnuts topped with sprinkles and filled with bananas and Nutella, and Stan's specializes in the latter."

"Restaurants Bakeries Near South Side. Life's sweet at Veranda Runsewe's South Loop bakery, where the pastries are baked fresh daily and the custom cakes are crafted with love. The muffins and loaf cakes pair nicely with the lengthy list of tea varieties, from cinnamon-plum and jade oolong to matcha-ginger buzz."

"A post shared by @cafe_selmarie on Dec 20, 2018 at 4:37pm PST. Nostalgia is in the air this time of year, and the cookies at Café Selmarie will take you right back to your childhood of sprinkling/dumping colored sugar on your Christmas cookies. The Lincoln Square bakery also has cookie exchange-worthy varieties like chocolate crackles, raspberry kolachkys and cinnamon walnut butter cookies."

"Restaurants American Lincoln Square. You might have stopped by this Lincoln Square bakery for a croissant to go and missed the dining room hidden in back. The first-come, first-served policy means you’ll have a half-hour wait for brunch, but a cup of coffee and slice of coffee cake will tide you over."

"For theatre lovers, check out a performance at The Chicago Theatre. If you feel like doing an activity, head to 10pin Bowling Lounge under the Marina Towers north of the Chicago River. They offer a selection of beers and upscale snacks."

"The Annoyance Theatre is (proudly) edgier than the other comedy bars in the Windy City — think buckets of fake blood, actors stripping down to their underwear, and wacky premises for improv shows. The theater’s first big hit was its original musical, “Coed Prison Sluts,” which ran for 11 straight years, and then came back to the stage in the late 2000s. Although the musical isn’t currently being performed, you don’t need to fret — the theater has replaced it with plenty of other bawdy shows."

"The Annoyance Theatre & Bar is in the process of moving their venue, but it is well worth following their updates to see when they reopen. They focus strictly on improv shows, from all out themed shows to witty comedians doing their best one-offs. They usually enter the night with the mentality of ‘there are no rules’, but the rule of ‘no comedian can refuse a drink’ comes into play on occasion to transform an already hilarious comedian into a hot-mess that entertains like no other."

"A post shared by K.Cal (@therealkatiecal) on Nov 4, 2016 at 11:10pm PDT. The name of this establishment is quite apt, as it seems to take pains in bringing its brand of service and humor to another level. A buffet is served here and features a variety of food options."

"Zach & Viggo // Chicago at The Second City 14-16 Zach & Viggo // Toronto at Comedy Bar 19/20 Zach & Viggo // New York at The Peoples Improv Theater 27/28. Not only is The Second City one of the longest-running comedy clubs in Chicago, it is also the place where many of today’s beloved comedians - including but not limited to Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Steve Carell - got their start, so it ’s highly possible that one of the up-and-coming acts performing there will be the next big comedic talent."

"Probably the best-known of Chicago’s comedy clubs, the Second City has a long history of tickling its audience’s funny bones. The original club opened in December 1959, and its members have redefined improv and sketch comedy over the past six decades. Just about everyone knows the names of its most famous alumni: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Murray, among other."

"If the birthday star wants to share the stage with an over-the-top cake, Urban Icing is the place to go. Whether you prefer some traditional sweet confections or a 3D-shaped cake, this spot has got you covered. In addition to being a boutique bakery, Urban Icing is an event space where you can let them take care of all the details of your child’s party."

"(Primary Neighborhoods: Various events and locations, city and suburbs). Pancakes may not be the first thing that flips in our minds when we think about food truck fare, but if cupcakes sell like hotcakes, why not sell some hot cakes too. That’s the thinking behind this gourmet pancake truck."