Best French Bakery in Bucktown

"Yasmin Gutierrez, executive pastry chef and partner at the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, created the cookies, with dough now available in six packs ($10.95) to take home and bake. Choose from chocolate chunk, butterscotch oatmeal, Nutella,, gluten-free raspberry filled coconut macaron and a house flavor called Magic (chocolate, toffee, marshmallow and cornflakes)."

"Lettuce Entertain You Enterprise’s all-day eatery is now up to three locations, and that’s because it pleases on many fronts. Whether folks are looking for quick and casual, healthy, or vegetarian-friendly, there are plenty of choices. On the lunch menu, the mushroom and quinoa burger with Swiss cheese and baby kale is a standout."

"The avocado toast is one veggie highlight at Beatrix|© Jeff Marini. Now with three locations, Beatrix continues to serve the Chicago community with vegetable-centric fare. Whether you come for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, there’s always something for non-meat eaters."

"With Stephanie Izard, the first female chef to win Bravo’s Top Chef, at the helm, you can bet your bottom dollar the Little Goat Diner will serve up a brunch to please the pickiest of people. A menu dedicated to brunching and serving spectacular dishes all day makes this an ever-reliable brunch spot that always exceeds expectations. The retro midcentury-modern diner is casual and cozy so you can brunch away in comfort and choose from an array of delectable brunch options both traditional and worldly."

"This carbo-loaded attachment to Stephanie Izard's Little Goat Diner sells some seriously decadent goods, like "fat bread" (smoked duck fat, pickled mustard seed, and beer), crusty tortone made with garlic and mashed potatoes, onion rye bagels with kimchi cream cheese, and don't-knock-it-'til-you've-tried-it chocolate, peanut butter, and Cheez-It cake."

"Fans of the TV show “Top Chef” may be familiar with the Girl and the Goat franchise, and the Little Goat Diner does not disappoint. This gourmet diner has a fun menu and a bright and airy atmosphere. If the kids get restless waiting for their food you can take them to the bakery which has huge windows to peek in on the pastry chefs."

"Even in the depths of winter this Lincoln Park restaurant is full of sunshine and joy. Channeling its inner Cali, the food here is light and bright – ahi tuna and watermelon tostadas, handmade local burrata and fresh salads. The kids’ menu mirrors that with fresh berries accompanying most dishes."

"Never again choose between a chocolate-chip cookie and a Rice Krispie treat. This slightly salty and super-fudgy cookie is studded with chunks of the classic bar. The whole thing is massive, yet you’ll find yourself refusing to share."

"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."

"There are plenty of donut shops in Chicagoland, but have you ever had a donut ice cream sandwich?. Luckily, Firecakes offers build-your-own donut ice cream sandwiches. You select the donut, ice cream and sauce (and toppings too, of course!)."

"Firecakes Donuts was one of Rose’s go-to donut shops and turned out to be one of my favorites. I’m not sure if it’s just underrated in the online community or what, but these donuts are INCREDIBLE."

"Located in the Loop, the recently revamped kid-focused Maggie Daley Park features Chicago’s only outdoor climbing park, a path-like “skating ribbon” in the winter, tennis courts, and picnic spots. Don’t miss the 3-acre play garden. You’ll have to drag kids under 12 off of the imaginative equipment, including an enchanted forest, wave lawn, and an array of slides."

"Photo courtesy of Choose Chicago photo courtesy of Ranvestel Photographic. Located just east of Millennium Park, the new park recently opened the ribbon ice rink this winter. The rest of the 25-acre park, which will feature a playground for kids and many picnic tables and benches, is slated to open in 2015."

"Among the 26 different gardens here are the three-island Malott Japanese Garden, the 5-acre Evening Island, and the Grunsfeld Children's…"

"Built in 1914 by architect Zachary Taylor Davis who served as a draftsman for the legendary Louis Sullivan, the classic ballpark offers a unique throwback to a bygone age of baseball. The grittiness that used to exist around the stadium has been replaced by a new hotel, restaurants, and a grassy plaza known as Gallagher Way, but there’s plenty of nostalgia left once inside the Friendly Confines. View this post on Instagram"

"The Chicago Cubs play at the second-oldest ballpark in the Major League. Wrigley Field (1914), nicknamed “The Friendly Confines” by the legendary Ernie Banks, is noted for its ivy-clad outfield walls and has an iconic manual scoreboard. The stadium may catch you off-guard, as it sits in the middle of a residential neighbourhood and has no car park, now a rarity for US sports venues."

"For sports fans, no trip to Chicago is complete without stopping by the beloved Wrigley Field. Snap a selfie in front of the iconic red and white marquee, and head inside to check out the latest Wrigley Field expansion and renovations, known as The 1060 Project."

"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."

"It is actually the only nonprofit organisation in the USA that is fully devoted to ‘outsider’ art and self taught art. It’s more than just an art gallery or museum – it’s somewhere to come for inspiration, and it’s actually used a lot by art students in the city of Chicago. There are over 1000 works of art here, so plenty to see!"

"The Regenstein Center for African Apes is also part or rather an extension of the Lincoln Park Zoo, where the visitors can come close to the apes, chimpanzees and the gorillas that have found their home there. It is home to some of the endangered species of western lowland gorillas as well as chimpanzees and exists to provide with the most realistic looking environment for them to live in comfortably. Location: 2058-2156 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL 60614, USATimings: 10 AM to 5 PMEntry Fees : –"

"The Helen Brach Primate House is yet another extension of the Lincoln Park Zoo and is home to primates of varying shapes, sizes and colour. The area is made in a way to imitate the natural habitat for the primates to make them feel safe and familiar at the place that they are residing in. It was opened back in 1927 which finally underwent an extensive renovation in the year 1992."

"Lincoln Park Zoo is a renowned 35-acre zoo in Lincoln Park and a hotspot for tourists. It’s the zoo’s pavilion, designed to provide shelter for open-air on-site classes, that offers such a fantastically picturesque snap. With the design drawing inspiration from the appearance of a tortoise’s shell, the stunning curved wooden pavilion elegantly frames the Chicago skyline."