Mini Pies

I'm looking for a place that bakes outstanding mini pies & tarts. I immediately thought of Bittersweet and their delicious 2" tarts like browned butter raspberry and espresso and lemon meringue. What other places do you recommend? I need a place that delivers, the closer to me the better.

Not sure if they deliver, had a mini strawberry-rhubarb tart at Bennison's in Evanston - filling was pretty good, crust could have been better but then my standards are pretty high; they had a nice selection of options.

I think Simple Gourmet carries tarts on occasion, since they're primarily a caterer, I'd bet they could do a special order for you. Other pastries I've had there have been very good.

Bennisons Bakery
www.bennisonscakes.com
1000 Davis Street
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-9434

Simple Gourmet
1459 Elmwood Ave
Evanston, Illinois 60201
p 847.332.2100 f 847.332.2140

no delivery, but hossier mama has small version of their pies

Just read from the French Market thread that someone picked up a raspberry mini tart from Vanille.

What about
Cafe Selmarie?
4729 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-2009
(773) 989-5595
http://www.cafeselmarie.com‎
I haven't been in a while, but got a fabulous flourless chocolate/orange cake that was fairly small.
http://www.cafeselmarie.com/printpastrymenu.pdf
eiuu-sorry, don't think they can deliver though...

If you can track down the roving nuns from St. Roger Abbey, they make a very tasty chocolate mini-tart, and pies as well, though I haven't seen those in a smaller scale. Given that they send their habited reps all over the city (I get my fix at the Hyde Park Produce Mart), I bet they'd deliver. Plus, you'd certainly bring that 'eccentric factor' to the party.

http://www.strogerabbey.org/

I've enjoyed all of the small tarts I've had from Fox & Obel, and I believe they also make small pies. If I remember correctly, Lovely Bakery makes decent small pies, too. (They definitely have small pies, or at least they did last summer; I just can't remember if they make them in-house.) Alliance and La Farine both make tartlets, though they're at least two notches below Vanille, which I'd place ahead of Bittersweet.

Sorry I don't know about delivery from any of these places, and none of them are very close to you.

Fox & Obel
401 East Illinois Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4319
312-410-7301

Lovely Bakery
1130 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
773-572-4766

Alliance Bakery
1736 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622-3212
773-278-0366

La Farine
1461 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
312-850-4019

Pie Lady wrote: I immediately thought of Bittersweet ... I need a place that delivers, the closer to me the better.

Bittersweet delivers to Niles?

I dunno, I just immediately thought of their pastries. The catering manager isn't in til Wednesday so I'll have to find out then.

Santander wrote:If you can track down the roving nuns from St. Roger Abbey, they make a very tasty chocolate mini-tart, and pies as well, though I haven't seen those in a smaller scale. Given that they send their habited reps all over the city (I get my fix at the Hyde Park Produce Mart), I bet they'd deliver. Plus, you'd certainly bring that 'eccentric factor' to the party.

http://www.strogerabbey.org/

Two clarifications - they sell 'em under the name of the order, Fraternite Notre Dame, and they do have small pies and tarts of all kinds. I swung past the 'mart on my way home tonight and picked up a chocolate-hazelnut tart and a glazed kiwi tart. The order list at the St. Roger site actually looks less complete than what they offer at the farmers markets / grocery stores.

Have you tried Sugarkist? They were recently at the Logan Square Kitchen Pastry Market (www.logansquarekitchen.com) and they had mini pies there (although they only have large ones on their website). They do custom orders and I'm sure would be happy to deliver mini pies to you...if you're ordering enough.

www.sugarkist.com