Tres Leches for the Lazy

One day I'll take a stab at making Tres Leches as some of you already have.

But where in the city would you recommend I go to get a version to bring home (i.e. not a restaurant)? I thought somebody made a specific recommendation not too long ago, but I'm having trouble finding it via search.

Thanks in advance.

Zee

BomBon Bakery
1508 W. 18th St.
Chicago
312-733-7788

Hours: 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday

The Bombon version is very good, but maybe the most expensive tres leches in town. Almost every Mexican bakery has them, so it should not be particularly difficult. The place at Clark and Ashland has an ok version. I even saw that the "Lincoln Park" (their designation) Costco has them. Looked pretty darn good, t be honest. I did not have a need for five pounds of tres leches cake at the time, so I did not try it.

The bakery section(La Bella Romana Bakery) inside Caputo's has a fairly decent version. They come in individual slices with strawberries on top for $1.29 piece.

www.caputomarkets.com

2560 North Harlem Ave
Elmwood Park, Ilinois 60707
Phone # 708-453-0155

Thanks for the recs. Bombon looks familiar, and was probably the place I saw recommended here before.

In trying to find my own answer to the question, I came across this article (link). Anybody try Kristoffer's version?

z

Yes, I've had the tres leches at Kristoffer's. It's good but a denser cake than versions I've tried elsewhere; I still prefer Bombon's. Kristoffer's is a really pleasant cafe with a friendly owner, Carlos (Kristoffer is the name of his young son). It's right at 18th and Halsted, solidly in the artsy section of East Pilsen. There are chess sets available; there's a small stage sometimes used for live music or poetry readings. And one afternoon when I was there some students from Columbia were filming a movie inside the cafe...

Anyway, it's a nice spot for trying their version of tres leches; they also sell whole cakes. Another interesting-sounding item on their menu is "Mayan tamales," which I would guess are wrapped in banana leaves like Oaxacan tamales. I tried to order them once but they were not available that day, unfortunately.

Kristoffer's Cafe and Bakery
1733 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL 60608
312 829-4150
www.kristofferscafe.com

M-F 7-8, Sat-Sun 9-5.
"Free high speed wireless internet service available"

I'll agree that BonBon's is the best, but the priciest version. Kristoffer's is good, though not as elegant looking. Make sure you order ahead of time if you want the entire cake, and not just a slice. Weber's Bakery on West Archer Avenue just east of Harlem in Garfield Ridge has been making tres leches cakes for a while now. In Mr. Weber's recent obit, it noted that he wanted to offer this cake for the growing number of Hispanic patrons. It's pretty good, too.

Well, I'm lazier than I imagined, given that it's taken me about 5 months to try out any of the suggestions offered here for tres leches.

We started our day out in Pilsen at the Dia de Los Muertos exhibit at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum, which was very interesting. But I was most taken by the accompanying exhibit for Carlos Cortez Koyokuikatl, in which they had recreated part of his home, had several of his cuts/prints on display, and many other artists' works in memory of Cortez.

We had lunch at Nuevo Leon, which was satisfying and good. Afterwards, we crossed the street to Bombon for tres leches. Bombon has a very inviting storefront. The first thing that caught my wife's eyes in the display case were the calaveras de dulce and even though I don't think they're for eating, she's been nibbling off little bits here and there.

You can purchase full cakes or individual portions of tres leches, which we chose. I picked the original and my wife chose the caramel. That day, they had 2-3 other versions available. The original tres leches was good, but didn't do much for me. It was light and not too sweet. The caramel version was very good, though. It almost had the texture of a dense mousse, which I think was just about perfect. I think I'd like to try Kristoffer's original version, which Amata described as having denser cake.

For no good reason other than inertia, this was my first pleasure visit to Pilsen. I enjoyed it quite a bit and hope to explore some more. If nothing else, it's impetus to polish up my Spanish, which is good enough to get me in trouble, but not enough to get me back out.

Thanks again for the recs.

Zee

Zeeshan wrote:
We started our day out in Pilsen at the Dia de Los Muertos exhibit at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum, which was very interesting. But I was most taken by the accompanying exhibit for Carlos Cortez Koyokuikatl, in which they had recreated part of his home, had several of his cuts/prints on display, and many other artists' works in memory of Cortez.

We had lunch at Nuevo Leon, which was satisfying and good.

Zee

My morning and lunch exactly!! Now you're making me wish we'd hit BonBon too!

Please help me satiate my mouth crush for this lovely dessert. Where can I find Chicagoland's best?

Cathy2 wrote:BomBon Bakery
1508 W. 18th St.
Chicago
312-733-7788

Hours: 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday

Hi,

I still endorse Bombon, but this location is gone due to a fire. Please consult with this post by Rene G to help you find the 26th Street location.

Bombon Bakery
3748 W 26th St
Chicago
773-277-8777

Bombon Café
36 S Ashland Av
Chicago
312-733-8717

Regards,

I have had great (and relatively inexpensive) tres leches from the bakery in the supermarket a few blocks north of Birrieria Zaragoza. Unfortunately, I don't recall the name of the supermarket.

Cafe Selmarie has a good tres leches cake. Nice and moist, not too sweet.

Jed wrote:I have had great (and relatively inexpensive) tres leches from the bakery in the supermarket a few blocks north of Birrieria Zaragoza. Unfortunately, I don't recall the name of the supermarket.

That would be the Pete's Market.

Pete's Fresh Market
4343 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60632
(773) 927-4300

Can anyone recommend a place to buy an entire tres leches cake? After trying it at cemtas puebla it's now my favorite dessert. I'm assuming one of the mexican bakeries in chicago? Thanks in advance for any replies.

Kristoffers or Bombon

I've tried both Kristophers and BomBom, they are vastly different. Both great, but I prefer the lighter, airy texture of BomBom. I just wish it wasn't so expensive to get the entire cake! If I could find a cheaper alternative to BomBom without sacrificing too much quality I'd be overjoyed, haha.

I know you're looking to buy it, but when you're ready to bake one (and they're REALLY not hard) look up the Pioneer Woman recipe. I've made it a couple of times, once for a 40th birthday, and it's a huge hit. It's not pretty, just baked in a 9 x 13" pan and topped with whipped cream. The cake will seem way too spongy when it comes out of the oven, don't worry, it'll soak up all the milk and be really luscious.

You can get your Tres Leches on @

Jimenez Panaderia
Logan Square
Fullerton @ Avers(3800 W.)
Chicago,Ill.

or @
Cermak Produce (Bakery Section)
4234 N Kedzie Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60618
(773) 442-8135
Kedzie @ Berteau

both of these are the real deal- and are sold in individual servings or a whole megillah!
Both are rich and authentic.