Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025 - Full List

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked wth an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, #6-10, and #1-5.)

• • •

It's been a great week exploring the top sweets in Chicago. Click the links above for longer write-ups and tips. Here's the full list:

(1) Afternoon tea bun at Lost Larson*

(2) Caramel cake slice at Brown Sugar Bakery*

(3) Goat cheese cashew caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato

(4) Strawberry rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie (rotating menu)
(5) Ellen from Alliance Bakery

(6) Bread pudding at Bar Roma*

(7) Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes

(8) Iced housemade chai with ube syrup at Del Sur Bakery*

(9) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli

(10) Earl grey swirl ice cream at Bartleby's* (rotating menu)

(11) Vanilla sour cream doughnut at Downstate Donuts*

(12) Sour cream dutch apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company (rotating menu)

(13) Cookie dough peanut butter milkshake at Chicago Diner

(14) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO

(15) Lemon-raspberry brioche French toast at M. Henry

(16) Purple velvet cupcake at Jennivee’s Bakery

(17) Tiramisu at "Original" Ferrera Bakery

(18) Pecan caramel crisp popcorn from Garrett Popcorn

(19) Death by chocolate sundae at Vaca's Creamery*

(20) Chilled drinking chocolate from Katherine Anne Confections*

(21) Cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather*

(22) Earl grey custard and sea salt caramel Japanese soufflé pancakes at Hanabusa Cafe*

(23) Raspberry pie at Shaw's Crab House*

(24) Tagalong cake at Defloured (rotating menu)

(25) Oreo frosted brownie from Sweet Mandy B's*

Honorable mention: Pretty much anything from Mindy's Bakery*

Gone, but not forgotten: Chai-infused French toast from Orange (R.I.P.)

Favorite non-Chicago dessert spot in Chicago: Jeni's Ice Creams (nationwide, originally from Columbus, OH)

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #1-5

Lost Larson spread, left to right: almond croissant,
lingonberry cake, afternoon tea bun, chocolate croissant

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #16-20, #11-15, and #6-10.)

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(1) Afternoon tea bun at Lost Larson*: Flaky dough rolled into a spiral, covered in granulated earl grey sugar and lemon zest. There is always a slight caramelization on the bottom. It is simple, yet mind-blowing. At Chicago's best bakery, this one stands on top. But, honestly, other pastries there could've made this list, too.

(2) Caramel cake slice at Brown Sugar Bakery*: It's sticky, it's gooey, it's caramel-y. I did not know cake icing could be like this. And the cake itself is moist and delish. Probably the best cake slice I've ever had. I will forever be missing their Navy Pier outpost because I don't get down to E 75th St. all that much.

Black Dog Gelato

(3) Goat cheese cashew caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato - When I moved away from Chicago for a brief spell, this dessert was the last thing I ate before driving out of the city. A subtly sour goat cheese gelato base, a bitter burnt caramel swirl, and crunchy cashews. What it does to my taste buds is borderline erotic.

(4) Strawberry rhubarb pie at Bang Bang Pie (rotating menu) - I've said it before and I'll say it again: The best slice of pie I have had in my life. Sadly, these fruits are not always in season, but at Bang Bang Pie it's pretty much all incredible.

(5) Ellen from Alliance Bakery - The Ellen is a layered pistachio, white chocolate, and cinnamon mousse dessert. It is delicate, which means you have to pretend to be eating it daintily while you shovel it in your face.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #6-10

Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25, #16-20, and #11-15.)

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(6) Bread pudding at Bar Roma*: Tart cherries and dark chocolate always go well together; in an expertly prepared bread pudding they are pure bliss. Top it with salted caramel and *mwah* chef's kiss. (I recommend getting the vanilla gelato on the side.) Side note: Bar Roma is my wife and I's favorite date spot. Don't miss their cacio e pepe.

(7) Valrhona chocolate iced doughnut at Firecakes: Without a doubt the best chocolate icing I've ever had on a doughnut. It's definitely icing textured, but it tastes like a bite of fine chocolate. And Firecakes' yeast doughnuts are where it's at, whether this classic or their more creative flavors that rotate in and out, like dulce de leche and strawberry mascarpone.

(8) Iced housemade chai with ube syrup at Del Sur Bakery*: There is no shortage of items with complexity to their flavor at Del Sur, but the best example may be their chai. Their website notes that the chai contains "clove, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, star anise, cardamom, rose water, and orange." I added some of their housemade ube syrup. I have had numerous ube beverages; this one was the truth.

Spacca Napoli

(9) Panna cotta at Spacca Napoli: If you close your eyes, you might think you are eating the silkiest vanilla gelato ever, punctuated by fruit and a balsamic drizzle. This jiggly Italian custard delivers. An elegant ending after eating the best Neapolitan-style pizza in Chicago.

(10) Earl grey swirl ice cream at Bartleby's* (rotating menu): This was a seasonal fall flavor almost a year ago and I dream of it still. The swirl was a tart raspberry, adding a punch to the warm flavor of the earl grey ice cream base. I'm also a big fan of their honeycomb crunch and my wife always brings home a pint of their dairy-free chocolate ice cream.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #11-15

Downstate Donuts spread

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25 and #16-20.)

• • •

(11) Vanilla sour cream doughnut at Downstate Donuts*: My absolute favorite donut from Downstate Donuts is the strawberry rosé, but it's a rare find. The good news is it's only a hair better than this, their most classic doughnut. Downstate incorporates potatoes into their dough, making their cake doughnuts standouts regardless of the glaze/topping. This vanilla sour cream glaze adds a tang to the experience.

(12) Sour cream dutch apple pie at Hoosier Mama Pie Company (rotating menu): As I've said before, Hoosier Mama is the queen of the custard pies in Chicago...but her sour cream fruit pies are even better. I've also had the sour cream blackberry, which would rank equally high on this list. The dutch apple one is just a titch better in my opinion.

(13) Cookie dough peanut butter milkshake at Chicago Diner: The best milkshake in the city is vegan. From the makers of the famous veggie Reuben sandwich comes a perfect milkshake that tastes like peanut butter cookie dough if it had been named by Yoda. Did I mention it's vegan? It's vegan.

Xoco

(14) Authentic drinking chocolate at XOCO: From Chicago chef Rick Bayliss, this spot offers tasty tortas, ho hum churros and, the best of the bunch, Mexican drinking chocolate. They offer it in classic or Aztec, which has a spicy kick to it. Which is better? Honestly, depends on one's mood. You can't lose.

(15) Lemon-raspberry brioche French toast at M. Henry: I take all of my out-of-town guests to M. Henry. Usually when I go to brunch, I like to split with a friend, so we can get half savory and half sweet. At M. Henry splitting isn't necessary because the morning sugar high of downing all the French toast is well worth it.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #16-20

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018. (Jump to the full reviews of #21-25.)

• • •

(16) Purple velvet cupcake at Jennivee’s Bakery: As I've said before, while purple velvet is also available as an airy cake slice, the dense cupcake is the better choice for this particular flavor. While ube can sometimes be a delicate flavor, as a cake frosting, it packs more punch. The denseness of the cupcake helps bring the flavor back down to earth.

(17) Tiramisu at "Original" Ferrara Bakery: Everyone has their preference of what component of their tiramisu should be front and center. Is it the espresso? The chocolate? The ladyfingers? For me, it's the custard, offset by the cocoa dusting on top. And that is why this is the perfect tiramisu. One of several tasty items at Ferrara.

(18) Pecan caramel crisp popcorn from Garrett Popcorn: I defy any dessert-loving omnivore to pass by a Garrett Popcorn without salivating; they pump the intoxicating scent of melted butter and sugar out into the street in front of their stores, making such resistance an impossibility. Most Chicago popcorn fans will point you toward the cheese and caramel popcorn mixture, but I say hold the cheese and add pecans.

(19) Death by chocolate sundae at Vaca's Creamery*: Vaca's offers delectable vegan soft serve in chocolate, vanilla, or twist with homemade vegan toppings based on nostalgic treats. Death by chocolate has chocolate shell--their version of magic shell--and brownie bites. Gobs of chocolate here. They also offer two additional soft serve flavors of the month along with pints of other flavors featuring mix-ins.

(20) Chilled drinking chocolate from Katherine Anne Confections*: A perennial favorite for me at the Andersonville farmer's market, Katherine Anne is best known for the chocolates and caramels. The chilled drinking chocolate features some salted caramel, homemade whipped cream, and cocoa nibs for texture. Simply divine.

Chicago's Best Sweets of 2025: #21-25

Shaw's Crab House raspberry pie

This week we explore the Top 25 Sweets in Chicago. Those marked with an asterisk are new entries since the original list back in 2018.

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(21) Cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather*: A Chicago staple that I'm ashamed to have not included in my 2018 list of Top Chicago Sweets. Breakfast entrees come with two sides and each side of cinnamon rolls comes with two, so conceivably you can have two now and two later. I would know. As for the meal, I tend to go (mostly) savory with the Swedish breakfast sampler.

(22) Earl grey custard and sea salt caramel Japanese soufflé pancakes at Hanabusa Cafe*: Ever have soufflé pancakes? They're airy and lite...and they jiggle. If that weren't enough, at Hanabusa they top the pancakes with something more unique than syrup. The earl grey custard and sea salt caramel wage a delicious battle in my mouth where the winner is always me.

(23) Raspberry pie at Shaw's Crab House*: If jam is the more fruit-forward version of jelly, what is the even more fruit-forward version of jam? Answer: This pie. Just crust and loads and loads of raspberry filling. There's nothing gelatinous about it. I recommend getting a scoop of ice cream on the side to balance out the tartness.

Oreo frosted brownie
from Sweet Mandy B's

(24) Tagalong cake at Defloured (rotating menu)* - This gluten-free bakery features a cake of the week and only offers this one once a year around Girl Scout cookie season, but everything about it is worth the wait. One of my favorite chocolate peanut butter things! Also grab the almond fruit bar, which may not look as fanciful as their other stuff, but gives the Tagalong cake competition, imho.

(25) Oreo frosted brownie from Sweet Mandy B's*: This is a lot of brownie right here. Typically, I buy the Oreo brownie at the Streeterville location, eat about half and go to the movies nearby. Then, once I'm seated, I usually decide saving the second half of the brownie for later was unnecessary bargaining and down the rest of it post haste. Just make sure you have water with you because it is suh-weet.

Del Sur Bakery in Chicago, IL

Choose wisely -or- buy one of each.

My various feeds inform me that this new-ish Filipino bakery has gone "viral" and has long lines full of "influencers" filming themselves with different pastries. (I don't know if they, like, dance with the pastries or what exactly...) Here at Ice Cream U Scream we love words most, so here is my long-winded ranking of the different things my wife and I tried at Del Sur, from absolute favorite to good-but-not-my-favorite:

1. Housemade Chai with Ube Syrup - There is no shortage of items with complexity to their flavor at Del Sur, but the best example may be their chai. Their website notes that the chai contains "clove, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, star anise, cardamom, rose water, and orange." I'm sure it would have been a rollercoaster of flavor all by itself, but I had to add some of their housemade ube syrup for my iced chai latte. The beverage may be cold, but hot dang! I have had numerous ube beverages; this one was the truth.
2. Pandan Basque Cake - Buttery, dense cake that surely has some toasted rice flour mixed in, topped with pandan namelaka (think thick, yet light) cream and seasonal jam, which was guava. Guava and pandan? Holy moly, I may have a new favorite flavor combo!
3. Pumpkin Seed Croissant - Nutty and slightly earthly. This pastry is delightful, laugh-inducing pumpkin seed frangipane in a croissant topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. I don't usually consume pumpkin seeds en masse and, if you never have, eating a concentrated amount is, in a word, a thrill.

4. 

   Most of the spread.
   

   Calamansi Chamomile Bun - Just a big ol' punch of citrusy sunshine. The calamansi curd has a lightness to it that made me wonder if it was cut with a custard base. If so, the website makes no mention of it. And, my oh my, that dough with granulated sugar. (While it is chamomile sugar, the citrus kind of overpowers it.)
5. Bibingka (with guava and cream cheese filling) - The only item they were selling that isn't featured on their website, the bibingka was like an upside down muffin. This was the best way to serve it because the fillings sunk to the bottom while baking, so eating it upside down was clutch. More toasted rice flavor, more yum.
6. Adobo Brownie - My wife's first words after taking a bite were, "This is a very grown-up brownie." Not too sweet and with a host of subtle flavors. I'm just not sure that chocolate was the best vehicle for the multitude of flavors. Still good, though.
7. Toasted Rice Croissant - I mistakenly was expecting some sort of filling, something between buko and sticky rice. It was an unfilled croissant that partially used toasted rice flour. If someone gobbled it up without savoring they may mistake it for a normal, artisan croissant...not that there's anything wrong with a normal artisan croissant. But why get this when the pumpkin seed croissant uses the same dough?

Somewhat nondescript storefront
with line out the door.

8. Oatmeal Cream Pie - Cream pies have never been my favorite because it is a LOT of buttercream and cookies aren't exactly known for cutting through the richness. I had hoped for a bigger splash of ube flavor than the buttercream had.

Also available was a sesame seed covered hand pie (next time), a savory pastry with longanisa sausage, and a sweet pastry featuring banana. Needless to say, I did not purchase the pastry with the curséd fruit.

Proper Pie Co. in Richmond, VA

Buttermilk raspberry.

New Zealand-style hand pies are a thing. I had no idea that they were until my brother introduced me to Proper Pie Co. several years ago. As a lover of pie both savory and sweet, of course this was a slam dunk for me. Now every time I visit Richmond we make a stop at Proper Pie, grabbing some hand pies for lunch and choosing from an even wider selection of dessert pie slices for dessert. You can't lose at Proper Pie, but here are my favorites: 

Buttermilk Raspberry - The buttermilk doesn't need anything added to it, but I love raspberry, so no harm done. For the uninitiated, a buttermilk pie is texturally somewhere between a chess pie and a custard pie: solid, but soft. It's super rich, so something tart cutting through works the magic.

Chocolate Raspberry Cream - Chocolate and raspberry are typically two separate, complementary flavors, but in this pie it is a single flavor. The union is, in a word, sublime. The cream pie is topped with a white whipped cream with sifted cocoa powder and a few raspberries giving it a straight-out-of-Great-British-Bake-Off look to it. It goes without saying that this pie would earn a handshake from me. 

Honorable mentions: Peaches & Cream and Sweet Potato Pecan...but let's be honest and say it's all good.

Macaron Bar (multiple Midwest locations)

I didn't truly understand macarons until I went to Paris in 2018. The place that did the trick for me was Pierre Hermé, which I've already blogged about. Since a new spot has opened up here in Andersonville-- Macaron Bar--I decided to give it a try. I walked through the doors and quickly realized that narrowing down to a few options would be a trial. I committed to a 12-pack, being sure to buy two with the same flavors so my sweetie and I could do a taste test.

Overall, the flavor varieties were mostly classic with an imaginative flare, the sweetness level was subtle and never cloying, and the texture was right--soft and slightly chewy, but with that fragile shell.

Here is my ranking of the flavors I tried, which is very close to my sweetie's ranking.

The best:

(1) Pistachio

(2) Snickerdoodle

(3) Black Raspberry Chocolate

(4) Earl Grey Tea

(5) Dark Chocolate

(6) Coconut

The rest:

(7) Hazelnut

(8) Salted Caramel

(9) Red Velvet

(10) Chicago Mix

(11) Lemon Lavender

(12) Strawberry Chocolate

Macaron Bar is a small chain, mostly located in the Midwest. Locations are on their website. Worth the try!

Parlor Doughnuts (located in multiple states)

Pictured: Cookies N' Cream, Cherry Cheesecake,
Coconut Cream, and Hibiscus Glazed

I have seen the future and it is Parlor Doughnuts. Just as Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams has grown from a humble Columbus, Ohio operation into a nationwide phenomenon, so will Parlor Doughnuts take over the USA. They are already off to a good start with locations in 13 states. Happily, I have eaten at them thrice: twice in Indiana (including their headquarters in Evansville) and once in Kentucky on my recent tour de south.

So what makes Parlor Doughnuts so special? Creative flavors, new spins on classics, and a donut design that is guaranteed to please.

What is this doughnut design, you ask? Beyond being gigantic, these doughnuts solve the cronut problem. Parlor Doughnuts makes layered doughnuts, fried to perfection with a crisp exterior and a flaky, doughy middle. Whatever they have done to seal the exterior successfully keeps the oil from seeping into the center--my biggest complaint with cronuts. They are neither a yeast doughnut nor a cake doughnut. Appearance-wise, Parlor's doughnuts are like croissants baked into a circle, whereas cronuts looked like doughnuts, only taller. And best of all: ALL of their doughnuts are made in this style, unlike cronuts which were always a specialty doughnut in short supply.

In my three visits to Parlor Doughnuts, I have tried a bunch of flavors: Strawberry Shortcake, Cookies N' Cream, Turtle, Coconut Cream Filled, Raspberry Pistachio, Hibiscus Glazed, Cherry Cheesecake, and their best seller, French Toast. Some of their doughnuts have filling, while others offer creative toppings. My favorites have been Hibiscus Glazed, which is their classic doughnut with no filling, and French Toast, which has cinnamon on top and layers of maple within. A lot of their flavors skew in the dessert column vs. the breakfast column, but for an occasional treat I will make an exception and eat dessert for breakfast.

Another cool thing is that each Parlor Doughnuts location has a unique logo. My only complaint is that the headquarters in Evansville, IN was out of their location-specific XL shirts.

Louie & Honey's Kitchen in Winston-Salem, NC

Photo from Louie & Honey's Facebook page.
Ours didn't last long enough to take a photo.

I went to a wedding in Winston-Salem. It was the centerpiece of a grand tour de south my sweetie and I went on. Friday night included a welcoming reception for the wedding guests and I was lucky enough to get the bride's ear for a short conversation. (She had, like, a hundred people to talk to over the course of the evening.) Naturally, that conversation had me asking for her tips for sweets in Winston-Salem. Without hesitation, she directed me to Louie & Honey's Kitchen for their cinnamon rolls. The one catch: I needed to get there early because they sell out.

I couldn't tell you if it was the excitement of all of my family being together for the wedding or the prospect of life-changing cinnamon rolls--it was the former--but I didn't sleep very well that night. But you know what they say: The sleep-deprived bird gets the cinnamon rolls! I was able to be at Louie & Honey's shortly after 8am, squeezing in just before the line stretched out the door.

Growing up, we had a saying in the south when you feel a food so deeply that you know it is the best version of itself. That food is "the truth." And, let me tell you, these cinnamon rolls were the truth. The dough was perfectly chewy, enough that it made you savor each bite. The seasoning complemented everything else, rather than overpowering. Best of all, the frosting tasted like it had caramel in it, but not cloyingly so. (Before you ask, it was not a cream cheese frosting...and all the better for it.) And, let me tell you, these cinnamon rolls were huge.

Let me put it another way: I purchased four cinnamon rolls from Louie & Honey's Kitchen as well as a dozen doughnuts from a different local spot since my family would all be eating breakfast together. Everyone at the table, and I mean everyone, kept coming back to the cinnamon rolls, unanimously agreeing it was the best of the bunch. So, if you find yourself in Winston-Salem, wake up early, skip the doughnuts, and buy enough cinnamon rolls that you get a whole one for yourself. You may not be able to eat the whole thing in one sitting, but it is a feat worth trying.

Gibson's Donuts in Memphis, TN

Photo courtesy of Gibson's Facebook page.
My photos from Gibson's are missing, sadly.

Gentle readers, my research is never over. Every time I go on a trip, I research "best desserts," "best ice cream," "best doughnuts," "best bakery," and more. Often I arrive at a place that is good, but is missing that je ne sais quoi that makes it blog-worthy. Sometimes the destination is everything I wanted it to be and more. But rarely do I come across an instant classic, something so positively wonderful that not blogging about it would be a crime. Keep that final category in mind and I ramble on in my next paragraph...

My sweetie and I arrived at Gibson's Donuts between 8am and 9am on a Sunday and were greeted by a line out the door. The kind woman in front of us chatted with us about Memphis before marveling at how my sweet tooth brought us arrive at Gibson's. (My research is unparalleled.) She assured us that Gibson's is home to the best glazed doughnut anywhere. I tried not to pre-judge; I've heard such declarations before. Once our friendly line neighbor reached the counter, she ordered a dozen glazed and single blueberry cake doughnut. My order would be more modest, trying to check all the boxes one finds in a classic doughnut shop (fruity, custard-y, chocolate-y, etc.) in just four doughnuts--two for me and two for my beloved. Oh, and one of them had to be the aforementioned plain glazed, a solid choice for any classic doughnut shop.

Much to our delight, once it was our turn at the counter we were greeted with one free glazed each because we were first-timers, one warm and one room temperature. Both were as good as advertised, though I felt the room temperature offered slightly more of a flavor journey. I'll be honest that I don't remember much about the other doughnuts we got. Why? Because our friend from the line was correct: Gibson's glazed doughnut is home to the best glazed doughnut anywhere. Period.

This doughnut is the perfect mixture of the traditional yeast doughnut found at one of those classic mom 'n' pop doughnut shops (meaty and filling with that hint of something special in the glaze) and Krispy Kreme (sweet, airy, and gone in seconds). But how does Gibson's accomplish such a mixture of meaty and airy? It's just another secret of Memphis, the crossroads of country, soul, and rock 'n' roll.

Carina's Cupcakery in Chicago

(Editor's note from 2025: Carina's Cupcakery shut down business on February 1, 2025. Just six months previous, Carina made the cakes for my wife and me's wedding celebration in Chicago. Gone, but not forgotten.)

• • •

A little over a year ago, a theatre artist friend posted that one of his theatre artist friends had started a cupcake business out of her home kitchen. I investigated, saw that she delivered (which has been so necessary in pandemic-land), and dove in, sweet tooth first. Her business, Carina's Cupcakery, may primarily be cupcakes and cakes, but she does many other things, too; over time she has delivered cake pops, caramel corn, and macarons along with my cupcake orders. (These additional items haven't made it to her website's menu yet, but I can attest to their quality for when they do!) 

Carina's specialty is flavors of the Philippines, some flavors I'd first been introduced to by another Jennivee's Bakery and others I first had from Carina. Another menu often features monthly specialty flavors, which means there's often something new I haven't tried on the menu. I've tried the ones I am most excited about and decided it was time to blog about it.

Without further ado, here is my personal ranking from favorite to not-my-favorite-but-still-tasty:

• 

  From Carina's Cupcakery's
  Facebook page.

  Date Night (chocolate covered strawberry, seasonal)
• Ube Jammin' (ube)
• Philippine Sun (mango pineapple)
• Ginger Spice (cinnamon and spices, seasonal)
• Chocolate Cravings (quadruple chocolate)
• Lemonade Stand (raspberry lemonade, seasonal)
• Spill the Tea (chai spices, seasonal)
• Cupcake de Coco (brown sugar and coconut)
• CocoJoy (coconut almond chocolate)
• Cupcakes 'n Cream (Oreo)
• Big Buko (pandan and coconut)
• So Corny (corn and coconut)

If you're like me, you'll try them and soon want to make your way through the menu. It's dangerous, but worth it. So if you're in Chicago, give Carina's Cupcakery a try!

Lost Larson in Chicago

If there's one reason to retcon my Best of Chicago Sweets List, it is Lost Larson. The bakery has become my favorite in Chicago. It's located in Andersonville between two of the neighborhood's longest Swedish holdouts--the Swedish Bakery and the delicatessen--before both tragically disappeared in the past five years. But while Lost Larson is definitely modern, it still keeps things Swedish, offering a lingonberry almond cake, limpa bread and semla, among others delicacies. In addition to their chai latte (the best I've ever had) and their cheddar and kale scone, these are my favorite items from Lost Larson:

(1) Afternoon Tea Bun - To the naked eye, it is a cinnamon roll shape that's merely covered in granulated sugar. Incorrect. There is sugar, lemon zest and earl grey. It is simple, yet mind-blowing. My favorite by far.

(2) Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding - Like everything at Lost Larson, the cinnamon rolls are good. The cinnamon roll bread pudding, however, is great. Dense and sweet. It may not have a cream cheese frosting, but it doesn't need it.

Afternoon Tea Bun.

(3) any seasonal fruit dough-y pastry - Croissant, danish, whatever they're calling it that day, get it. My favorite is when they have rhubarb, but that is more personal preference than studious recommendation.

(4) Chocolate Passionfruit Caramel Tart - Did I mention they do pastry of the non-dough variety? Lost Larson excels at this, too! What would you say to a dark chocolate tart topped with a caramel that has been flavored with passion fruit? You would say, "Yes. I would like to eat that now, please."

(5) Almond Croissant - Almond croissants were perfected in my mind by West Seattle's Bakery Nouveau. Here at Lost Larson, we have a worthy local option. The almond paste in the middle of this powdered sugar topped delight doesn't taste like marzipan and it doesn't taste like amaretto; it tastes like--who'da thunk?--almonds.

Downstate Donuts in Chicago, IL

Many of us Chicagoans have been craving the foods we cannot access easily during quarantine due to them being outside walking distance. Imagine my delight when a friend spread the gospel of a new doughnut place that delivers! The purveyor in question is Downstate Donuts, where the doughnuts are made with potatoes. Indeed when the half dozens have arrived at my door, they smelled like potato chips. They didn't taste like potato chips, but there's no denying that smell.

As the weeks continue to pass in quarantine, I've allowed myself to make more than one order to this wonderful establishment and create a list of their donuts, from my favorite to my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, though: all of them are good!

L-to-R: Wild Blueberry, Strawberry Rosé,
Lemon Mascarpone, Vanilla Sour Cream

Strawberry Rosé - My favorite of their offerings, they actually boast that this is their first savory doughnut...but it tastes sweet to me! The strawberry glaze is the best I've encountered.

L.R.P. (Lemon Ricotta Pistachio) - Hot on the tail of the previous doughnut, the layered combination gets better with each bite.

Vanilla Sour Cream - Don't bypass this one just because it sounds simple. This classic is classic for a reason.

Sweet Potato Maple - A delightful balance of sweet potato and maple, I actually prefer this version to their other option Maple Pecan, which has too much going on flavor-wise in my humble opinion.

Lemon Mascarpone - As you have probably deduced by now, in addition to having a variety of glazes, Downstate Donuts also uses different doughs. This particular doughnut is decadent and rich.

Italian Cream Cake - I ate the whole thing, but I'm still not totally clear on what was going on with it. All I know is that it was good. The website says the cake doughnut has coconut milk in it!

L-to-R: Vanilla Sour Cream, L.R.P.,
Chocolate Sea Salt, Brown Butter Chai

Wild Blueberry - The glaze has more than a hint of lemon in it, which sadly overpowers the blueberry, even though there are hunks of blueberries in the doughnut.

Brown Butter Chai - I expected more of a punch of flavor than I got in this doughnut, but when has cinnamon on a glazed doughnut ever been bad?

Chocolate Sea Salt - More salt than I prefer on this tasty chocolate glaze. I feel it necessary to reiterate that while this is near the bottom of the list, it still was good!

Salted Peanut Butter - This was the only doughnut of theirs that didn't taste unique to me. I feel I can grab something similar at other doughnut spots.

Delivery from Downstate Donuts is available on Saturday mornings only, so get your orders in before 5pm on Friday this week.

Pierre Hermé in Paris, France

I was three days into my Paris trip still waiting for my "Wow" moment with Parisian food. Things had been good--and a select few great--but nothing had completely blown me away yet. As luck would have it, Day Three was also the day I would be trying the number one spot on my dessert list: Pierre Hermé.

Most famous for his macarons, Hermé has fashioned his fair share of original flavor combinations. To name a few: Jardin Oriental (rose, orange blossom and candied ginger), Jardin de l'Atlas (lemon, orange blossom and Maquis honey) and Montebello (pistachio & raspberry). What I was lining up for is his most famous flavor creation, Ispahan, in both macaron and croissant form.

What is Ispahan, you ask? Raspberry and lychee with a hint of rose. Going in, I wasn't entirely sure that this would be as great as advertised--my experiences with floral flavors has usually been negative--but my doubts were put to rest when the duo ahead of me in line ordered five of the seven remaining Ispahan croissants!

From my first bite of the croissant, I knew I had walked through a doorway into a new world, forever changed. With a thin, sweet glaze on top of the pastry, the tart raspberry intertwined with the sweet lychee on a floor of soft rose petals. The words from my mouth were expletives with modifiers of the divine persuasion.

When my trekking brought me near a different location of Pierre Hermé on Day Four, I made sure to stop in. This location did not have pastries of the croissant variety. It didn't appear that they had sold out; I could be wrong, but it appeared croissants simply weren't one of the items offered. Luckily, the macarons I had eaten on Day 3 were the best macarons I've had in my life--and you thought I'd forgotten to discuss those. Highlights of the ten flavors I tried from their Autumn Collection were Ispahan, Mogador (passion fruit with milk chocolate), Infiniment Chocolat Paineiras (pure origin Brazilian chocolate from the Paineiras plantation) and Infiniment Cassis (black currant).

TL;DR: If you go to Paris, make sure to stop in at Pierre Hermé, but while you can't go wrong with the macarons, check that the location offers Ispahan croissants. Or just go to the location I went to: 72 Rue Bonaparte in Saint-Germain.

Craft Soda Week: The Worst Sodas

This week the ol' blog is celebrating Craft Soda Week. Glug, glug, glug.

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Let us also honor the bottom three worst soda I've ever consumed. Counting down...

Spruce Beer.

3.) Beverly by Coca-Cola. Out of Italy.
Discontinued in 2009, I sampled it at the Atlanta tourist trap World of Coca-Cola. This allegedly "bitter citrus" soda tastes like carbonated quinine and ear wax.

2.) Sweat by Jones Soda. Out of Seattle, WA.
Jones Soda likes to have fun. For years they had an annual Thanksgiving pack that included feast-flavored sodas, ranging from the appetizing (Cranberry Sauce soda) to the bizarre (Mashed Potatoes soda). But one even stranger soda pack they created was themed after the Seattle Seahawks, a series of sodas that represented what the team had to go through (Dirt, Turf, Sports Cream, Sweat) to achieve Victory (the final soda). Sweat had me gagging.

1.) Spruce Beer by Empire Bottling Works. Out of Bristol, RI.
Root Beer is popular, Ginger Beer recognizable and Birch Beer more of a niche product. Some jokers decided to try out the flavor of spruce in a beverage, resulting in a creamy flavor at the start and the most god-awful Windex aftertaste imaginable.

Craft Soda Week: The Best of Discontinued Sodas

This week the ol' blog is celebrating Craft Soda Week. Glug, glug, glug.

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We all have the one that got away. In my case, I have three delicious sodas that got away.

1.) Apricot Peach by The Switch. Out of Richmond, VA.
While most of the country was marveling at Izze and Orangina for their high juice content, Richmonders had a short stretch of years when a small company was putting out a 100% juice that, thanks to a patented method, was carbonated. Not only was the product amazing, the flavors were also creative, like my favorite Apricot Peach. Dry and tangy with a bite. In the years that followed my east coast college experience, the bottles disappeared and the Switch seemed to be dead. But internet research seems to show a product going by the Switch that offers more typical fruit juice flavors and possibly a focus on school vending machines.

2.) Pink by Jones Soda. Out of Seattle, WA.
This brand first was introduced to me when my brother was in college. At the time, Jones Soda had several flavor names that were fun and told you little of what to expect from their flavor: Happy, Fufu Berry and, my favorite, Pink. It tasted, well, pink if the color were a cream soda. We're stretching back to half a lifetime ago, so my memories of how much I liked the flavor exceed my specific memories of its taste. If only I could drink again!

3.) Blueberry Cream by Soda Shaq, a subdivision of AriZona Beverage Company. Out of Woodbury, New York.
100% blueberry juice is strong stuff that'll put hair on your chest, as they say. And artificial blueberry is less common than, say, the (fictional) blue raspberry. Who'da thunk that Shaquille O'Neal would be behind the creation of an artificial blueberry soda that was cozy and smooth? As a bonus, the can was huge, like all AriZona cans are.

Craft Soda Week: The Best of Mass-produced Sodas

This week the ol' blog is celebrating Craft Soda Week. Glug, glug, glug.

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Not all mass-produced sodas are of low quality. Some even still use real sugar. Here are my favorites:

Key Lime...in terrible lighting.

1.) Key Lime by Stewart's, a subdivision of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. Originally out of Mansfield, OH.
Stewart's may have an olde-fashioned feel to it--their Orange Cream soda is offered on the menu at Cracker Barrel--but some olde-fashioned things are bona fide classics. Stewart's Key Lime brings a bit of sour with a bit of sweet to create a winning alternative to an often overly sour carbonated lemonade.

2.) Aranciata Rossa (blood orange) by Sanpelligrino. Out of Italy.
Out of a brand that rarely missteps comes the crowning prince: Blood orange. I describe blood orange to the uninitiated as a cross between a grapefruit and an orange, but even that doesn't capture the red fruit's bittersweet and sweetbitter pulpy richness. I've had several blood orange sodas, but this one captures it best.

3.) Cheerwine by Carolina Beverage Corporation. Out of Salisbury, North Carolina.
Though it alleges to be a cherry soda, it blessedly isn't one of the medicinal-tasting cherry sodas we all have suffered through. Nor is it simply a Black Cherry a la Dr. Brown's, which is nothing to sniff at. No, Cheerwine tastes like a perfect cherry soda mixed with the difficult-to-improve-upon Dr. Pepper. A dark flavor with a sweet crispness. Though once a regional specialty, it can now be found nationwide at certain retailers.

Pumpkin Spice.

4.) Ginger Beer by Gosling's. Out of Bermuda. 
The right amount of spicy bite without overpowering the ginger flavor. I've tried numerous ginger beers, from the super-spicy Jamaican brands to the watered down versions that ought to be labeled ginger ale. Of all of them, it is Gosling's that has held the place at #1 for me.

5.) Mango by Jarritos. Out of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Some sodas are all about the sugar buzz, while others can be refreshing. This soda is one of the latter. And artificial mango flavor seems to approximate actual mango flavor a little bit better than other fruits, in my humble opinion. This one does it best.

Honorable mention: Pumpkin Spice by R.W Knudsen's, a subdivision of The J. M. Smucker Company. Out of Orrville, OH.
This seasonal alternative to carbonated apple cider adds a magic blend of pumpkin patch to your apple picking season.

Craft Soda Week: The Best of Fruit-Flavored Sodas

This week the ol' blog is celebrating Craft Soda Week. Glug, glug, glug.

• • •

It baffles me that the most majorly distributed fruit soda is lemon-lime. While lemon-lime is refreshing, it isn't known for being sweet; with sweetener being the second ingredient after water, why not go for fruits that are, well, sweeter.

Anyway, here's my Top 5 fruit-flavored sodas:

Concord Grape.

1.) Concord Grape by WBC Craft Soda (formerly Goose Island). Originally out of Chicago, IL. Now out of Redding, CA.
Before I tried this, I'd never understood the appeal of grape sodas, which were often cloyingly sweet, like a Jolly Rancher Slurpee. This soda, which is getting harder to find than WBC's other flavors, has made a convert of many folks I've shared it with. It is getting harder to find though, which is disconcerting.

2.) Peach by Bundaberg. Out of Queensland, Australia.
Crisp with a fizzy bite. Not as well-distributed as Bundaberg's Root Beer or Ginger Beer, which is a crying shame.

3.) Kitty Piddle (orange pineapple) by Totally Gross Soda, a subdivision of Avery's. Out of New Britain, CT.
Sweet with a tang, this unfortunately-named soda is the standout in a wonderful line of sodas, each with their own intriguingly(?) awful name: Dog Drool, Bug Barf and Toxic Slime, to name a few.

4.) Strawberry by Sprecher's. Out of Glendale, WI.

Peach 4-pack.

Natural strawberry is among the greatest flavors on earth. Artificial strawberry is its own form of sugary delight. This soda captures a little bit of both.

5.) Point Premium - Orange Cream by Point Premium, a subdivision of Stevens Point Brewery. Out of Stevens Point, WI.
The right combination of creamy and orange, the first sip of this soda goes down so smooth you want to guzzle the whole thing in seconds. But it'll taste better if you pace yourself.