Eastern Breadstone Bakery -- fresh and delicious

In the space formerly occupied by the Afghan Restaurant on Devon is Eastern Breadstone Bakery. This is an Iraqi bread bakery with a brick oven open to view. I live only a few blocks away, but somehow I have managed to miss this business that has been there a year. One of the bakers told me that happens a lot! They seem to have a new sign, which helps distinguish it from Uncle’s Kabobs next door, which has quite a big sign. A brief write-up appeared in the Trib, as reported by Ronnie_S here.

It’s a real working bakery. The floor was a bit slippery with flour. The bakers were working the dough and putting loaves into the oven as we spoke to them. What we tried was very good. They bake samoon daily. They had a small case with potato-stuffed rolls (they look like small boats with the potatoes on top), wraps with chicken, and small flatbreads with toppings. We bought a bag of five of these topped with a little bit of cheese and vegetables for $5 and made a nice picnic lunch of them later. Well, actually we ate one in the car on our way out to the Morton Arboretum today. The veggies were thinly sliced and thus well cooked but still firm and flavorful and included tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, olive slices, and a bit of green pepper. There was also a hot zing of some sort of pepper in there too, but nothing too spicy (which was good because we didn’t have anything to drink in the car).

Perhaps others have paid more attention to that block than I have. I’m definitely looking forward to going back there to try other items.

Evy

Eastern Breadstone Bakery
2818 W. Devon
Chicago, IL 60645
773-338-9969

I had the exact reaction to seeing this place yesterday! I was out for a run and noticed them and wondered if they were new. I was embarrassed to learn they were open a year. It may be I never noticed them because more often than not, my westward path on Devon usually ends at Argo Georgian Bakery and I can't think much past hatchapuri. I didn't have money on me to buy anything, but will likely stop by with Marcaroni on Saturday during the mini Devon-a-thon.

Hellodali-
Devon is an evil temptress. EB right next to Argo? This pairing will be the death of me. Please don't miss it on the Mini Devon-a-Thon!

I wandered about today getting Thanksgiving bread ideas, and oh, the smell of this place was enough to make me want to bring in a sleeping bag and pillow and call it home. The staff was very friendly and didn't mind describing all the goodies in the case. For $2, I went with the chicken roll—chicken, onions, some sort of greens, and a familiar, tsatziki-tasting sauce wrapped in a pretty sizeable, very thin, chewy pita-style bread. It was outstanding, easy to eat during my walk, and a great deal. I'd say the pita was probably the size of a 10" tortilla, and the chicken was nice and tender.

I really like this place. I stopped there last weekend while picking up khachapuris at Argo. I bought 5 loaves of kayak-shaped Iraqi bread which I used to make homemade 'gyros' (actually made with ground lamb patties) sandwiches. They worked great! They're a little more substantial than pita so they held up nicely to all the veggies, tzadziki, etc.
I also bought 2 of these little veggie pizzas. The grand total for all was $4. The proprieter was very friendly. They seem to do a big wholesale business (lots of folks were in there picking up huge orders--or maybe they were just really hungry). Definitely worth a spot if you're on Devon.

thaiobsessed wrote:I also bought 2 of these little veggie pizzas. The grand total for all was $4.

Had a meeting with a couple of Lebenese fellows, mentioned Taza Bakery, which they like, but suggested I try Eastern Breadstone. I've been twice in the last week, just yesterday for samoon to use with cevapcici from Azur Meat Market. Eastern has been out of my benchmark zatar bread, but the "little veggie pizza" I bought was stellar, slight sumac twang, bit of heat and roasted veg.

Eastern Breadstone also has spinach/potato pies, tandoor bread and, I'm sure, a few other items I'm missing. They seem to have a wholesale mentality, samoon and tandoor only from 6am to 9am, then lahimbajeen, filled pies until they run out, close at 4pm.

Very inexpensive, 6 samoon are $2, couple of high-top chairs and small round tables for quick eat-in , friendly constantly in motion counterman, Eastern Breadstone does not see a place for customers to dawdle.

Cevapcici on Samoon



Eastern Breadstone Bakery
2818 W. Devon
Chicago, IL 60645
773-338-9969
6am - 4pm

Azur Meat Market
2547 W Lawrence
Chicago, IL 60625
773-784-7350