Baked Goods in the Loop . . . At Walgreens!

I've long lamented the lack of even a half-decent bakery in the Loop, for the now-and-then thrill of an afternoon cookie.

Last Spring, Bonbom opened up around the corner from my office, which was a crack of sunshine in the gloom.

Then imagine my surprise when I popped my head into Walgreens at Jackson and State to find (along with the electric flosser that I needed for my son) . . . a stack of Mrs. Winters [no apostrophe] Cakes, 2 / $5, huge as life. I know these pastries from rib shacks, but never noticed them on this side of town.

The're about as wholesome as anything you're likely to find in the Loop, sealed in plastic clamshell packages with charming laser-printed labels. I'm looking at my Chocolate Supreme Cake box (there was enough in it to share with four adults, I should add) and the ingredients are listed thus: Flour, Sugar, Butter, Sour Cream, Eggs, Chocolate, Spices.

They also had (I did a mental inventory) lunchroom cookies, german chocolate cake, sour cream poundcake, chocolate chip cookies, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple of more.

Very good, brings to mind Mike G's beloved 'Lil Me-Me's (sp.?).

Here's a prior link on the subject:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=9318

So spring for two and feed your whole office!

Mrs. Winters Cakes
15403 Cottage Grove Ave.
Dolton, IL 6419
(708)841-9633

Bombon Cafe
170 W Washington
(between La Salle St & Wells St)
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 781-2788

That's good news; the last few times I've been in Uncle John's there were no pieces of cake to be had.

I waxed poetic over AM's Sweet Lil Me Me's a few years back on a another food board in a galaxy far far away. Oddly enough, I discovered those little jewels in the Walgreen's right down the street from Lem's.

I'm not sure if the place is even around anymore. If they are and you're on the southside, their yellow cake with caramel frosting is a thing of souther country baking beauty.

The oddly named place was actually named for thr owner's Grandmother who was a native Tennessean and whose recipes were the basis for the bakery's great cake and cobbler offerings.

AM's Sweet Lil Me Me's
11836 Western Avenue

Isn't Fox and Obel supposed to open a second location in the Loop in the near future? Anyone know when and where that will take place?

No one can beat their cinnamon swirl rolls, mmmmm....

nsxtasy wrote:Isn't Fox and Obel supposed to open a second location in the Loop in the near future? Anyone know when and where that will take place?

No one can beat their cinnamon swirl rolls, mmmmm....

I don't think anything is definite yet. There are rumors of a grocery store going in the ground level at the State St. Macy's and at the old Carson's location. Apparently, Fox & Obel and Whole Foods have at least shown interest.

nsxtasy wrote:Isn't Fox and Obel supposed to open a second location in the Loop in the near future? Anyone know when and where that will take place?

Yes. It was reported by the Sun Times back in June and an earlier discussion about the report can be found here. Maybe their plans have changed.

Here's an excerpt from the Sun Times article . . .

Sandra Guy - Chicago Sun Times - June 5 2007 wrote:Gourmet grocer Fox & Obel is the likely retailer that will open a store and a restaurant inside a long-vacant building at the northeast corner of Wabash and Roosevelt in Chicago's South Loop. The former Trailways bus station was covered with murals until a couple of weeks ago, when new windows were installed, and the murals removed.

The site is just west of the Columbian, a 220-unit high-rise going up at the epicenter of the fastest-growing neighborhood in Chicago....

=R=

I think I read that a pastry shop just opened in Macy's. Sarah's Pastries, if I recall correctly, on the first floor somewhere. Pricier than Walgreen's, probably, but an option.

Sarah's Pastries and Candies--on the first floor next to Starbucks on the Randolph side. Where the Australian ice cream shop used to be IIRC. A discussion of the new place showed up over the weekend in a Tribune article about the attempt to turn the State Street store around.

ronnie_suburban wrote:...

Here's an excerpt from the Sun Times article . . .

Sandra Guy - Chicago Sun Times - June 5 2007 wrote:Gourmet grocer Fox & Obel is the likely retailer that will open a store and a restaurant inside a long-vacant building at the northeast corner of Wabash and Roosevelt in Chicago's South Loop. The former Trailways bus station was covered with murals until a couple of weeks ago, when new windows were installed, and the murals removed.

The site is just west of the Columbian, a 220-unit high-rise going up at the epicenter of the fastest-growing neighborhood in Chicago....

=R=

Ronnie, that rumor from last June didn't pan out. Sam's Wines just opened up in that location as jbw reported here a couple days ago.

Amata wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:...

Here's an excerpt from the Sun Times article . . .

Sandra Guy - Chicago Sun Times - June 5 2007 wrote:Gourmet grocer Fox & Obel is the likely retailer that will open a store and a restaurant inside a long-vacant building at the northeast corner of Wabash and Roosevelt in Chicago's South Loop. The former Trailways bus station was covered with murals until a couple of weeks ago, when new windows were installed, and the murals removed.

The site is just west of the Columbian, a 220-unit high-rise going up at the epicenter of the fastest-growing neighborhood in Chicago....

=R=

Ronnie, that rumor from last June didn't pan out. Sam's Wines just opened up in that location as jbw reported here a couple days ago.

Thanks, Amy, for bringing me up to date. I'd read about Sam's but just didn't connect the dots.

=R=