Nicole's Divine Crackers

So, Kanin posted in the Franks N Dawgs thread that Nicole's is the bakery that supplies FND with their buns (which, in my honest opinion, is the best part about the place).

So, i ordered two dozen (about $13) of the sausage/hot dog rolls and they made 'em fresh for me with a days notice....were a HUGE hit at our BBQ this past weekend. I would have pictures if I didn't fail so much in the financial sector of life...camera will be in the budget some day....pork shoulders take precedence.

Just givin you guys a heads up...i work right near there so I'm gonna be in there picking them up all the time from now on, but i'll echo the fact that they are absolute must-have at any and all the BBQs you guys are throwing this summer.

- Dave

Nicole's Divine Crackers
1505 Kingsbury St
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 640-8883

They also make great snacking crackers, although I'm admittedly a cracker head (pardon the silly pun). The flavor names are a little cutesy, but delicious. I've seen them at Irv & Shelly's, True Nature Foods, and Whole Foods.

djenks wrote:i'll echo the fact that they are absolute must-have at any and all the BBQs you guys are throwing this summer.

A friend made a run to Ream's Elburn Market and picked me up a few types of sausage a perfect opportunity to visit Nicole's for her crazy good New England lobster roll style hot dog buns.



In theory Nicole's is easy to find, just south of North across from Whole Foods, a few doors south of VIP's, the fact its recessed from the street with its own parking lot threw me for a loop. A little embarrassing when the young lady answering the phone said I was right in front of the place.



Nicole's has a split personality, cozy tea room feel in the front, commercial bakery in the back.





I wasted no time putting Nicole's buns to good use, simmered Ream's German wiener with onion/jalapeno/mustard for lunch, grilled Ream's Hungarian and Longaniza for dinner.





While Nicole's is justifiably famous for her crackers its her hot dog buns that have captured my interest and imagination.

Enjoy,
Gary

Nicole's Divine Crackers
1505 N. Kingsbury St.
Chicago, IL 60622
312-640-8883

I wasted no time putting Nicole's buns to good use ... simmered Ream's German wiener

gleam wrote:

I wasted no time putting Nicole's buns to good use ... simmered Ream's German wiener

You beat me to the punch.

lemoneater wrote:They also make great snacking crackers, although I'm admittedly a cracker head (pardon the silly pun). The flavor names are a little cutesy, but delicious. I've seen them at Irv & Shelly's, True Nature Foods, and Whole Foods.

Agreed. I like Nicole's GF cranberry-pepper crackers--only problem is that I can easily go through a box in one sitting. I had never paid much attention to the other varieties before, but I was making a care package for a friend the other day and decided to include some Nicole's Crackers. Given the brand name, which strikes me as rather wholesome, I was surprised by how risqué some of the flavor names are.

Didn't know about Nicole's buns. Love the crackers, though they are a bit pricey given how easy it is to eat mass quantities.

(I've never really understood why it is that crackers in general, including mainstream commercial varieties are, relative to ingredients, insanely expensive. I mean, if a decent loaf of fresh bread (say 18-24 oz.) is about $3-$4, then why is 4 oz. of Melba Toast or Carr's about the same? Have never understood that.)

mrbarolo wrote:Didn't know about Nicole's buns. Love the crackers, though they are a bit pricey given how easy it is to eat mass quantities.

(I've never really understood why it is that crackers in general, including mainstream commercial varieties are, relative to ingredients, insanely expensive. I mean, if a decent loaf of fresh bread (say 18-24 oz.) is about $3-$4, then why is 4 oz. of Melba Toast or Carr's about the same? Have never understood that.)

My wife started making crackers at home a couple of years ago. We also noticed that crackers seem kind of expensive and tend to have a lot of preservatives in them; we wanted to make them at home. My wife has a basic recipe that she can easily modify to incorporate different ingredients (rosemary, celery seed, etc.). I believe it is this recipes:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/crisp ... flatbread/

After she rolls out the dough, she uses a ravioli cutter to cut the dough to form nicely shaped crackers.

mrbarolo wrote:Didn't know about Nicole's buns. Love the crackers, though they are a bit pricey given how easy it is to eat mass quantities.

(I've never really understood why it is that crackers in general, including mainstream commercial varieties are, relative to ingredients, insanely expensive. I mean, if a decent loaf of fresh bread (say 18-24 oz.) is about $3-$4, then why is 4 oz. of Melba Toast or Carr's about the same? Have never understood that.)

Simple answer: because they can. I wonder how the cost per serving compares?

jblth wrote:Simple answer: because they can.

That's not really an answer. It just raises the question: why are people willing to pay so much for crackers? (Because they are...). Baking good bread takes a lot more work than baking crackers. So I'd be willing to pay a lot more for good bread than good crackers, because the latter can be made more easily at home.

One thing to note is that bread has a lot more moisture in it than crackers. i.e. more water. That makes directly comparing their weight a little misleading.

I'm guessing it's cultural. There are many bread-baking books, but not many on cracker-making. So the average (or slightly advanced) home cook, who might make bread, doesn't think to make crackers.

I agree crackers are easy to make, especially with a stiff dough and a pasta machine.

nr706 wrote:I agree crackers are easy to make, especially with a stiff dough and a pasta machine.

Both are key. I made whole wheat crackers for a dinner party last year, and had a stiff dough but couldn't get it thin enough using a rolling pin. They were way too . . . shall I say . . . wholesome? Reminded me of something Pa Ingalls would eat on hunting treks during the cold Minnesota winters . . .

Darren72 wrote:

jblth wrote:Simple answer: because they can.

That's not really an answer. It just raises the question: why are people willing to pay so much for crackers? (Because they are...). Baking good bread takes a lot more work than baking crackers. So I'd be willing to pay a lot more for good bread than good crackers, because the latter can be made more easily at home.

One thing to note is that bread has a lot more moisture in it than crackers. i.e. more water. That makes directly comparing their weight a little misleading.

Right or wrong, I think there a couple cultural reasons. Bread has always been considered a staple food. Bread is a means of survival. People need it. Crackers are a luxury, a snack.

The fact that they are so similar doesn't seem to register.

I ordered some of their brioche hamburger buns for the weekend, and they were outstanding . . . best hamburger bun I have ever tasted. The brioche bun was on the lighter side with respect to the butter ratio, which I thought was just right for a hamburger bun. It really held together well and was wonderful when lightly toasted.

Hi,

I was talking to a friend about Nicole's Divine Crackers. He indicated he's had a long acquaintance with Nicole, whom he claims is in her 80's. Long ago he took baking classes from her.

Is Nicole (if there is one) this old or is it possible he's mixing people up?

Regards,

80s sounds right. she's no spring chicken.

Cathy2 wrote:Is Nicole (if there is one) this old or is it possible he's mixing people up?

Though I have not had the pleasure of meeting her its my understanding Nicole is in her mid 80's.

G Wiv wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Is Nicole (if there is one) this old or is it possible he's mixing people up?

Though I have not had the pleasure of meeting her its my understanding Nicole is in her mid 80's.

I spoke to Nicole on the phone when I placed my order, and she's charming with a great sense of humor. But I didn't meet her when I went to pick up my burger and sausage buns. Her picture is on the back of the cracker boxes, however, and if she's in her 80s (which I don't doubt but have no idea), she looks very good for her age.

Hi,

Thanks for the information.

In my mind's eye, I assumed it was someone in their 30's or 40's with some years experience who were breaking out on their own. I was surprised by the 80's comment, which you have all affirmed. I'm glad for Nicole her age is just a number.

Regards,

I was introduced to Nicole a few years ago by a friend who worked for her at that time. She was born in France in the 1920's.

When I met Nicole, she seemed a wonderful combination of sweet and feisty. A take-no-B.S type of person who could just as quickly give you a big hug as she could tell you to F-off. She seemed very particular about certain things, especially the importance of people considering her crackers "art". There are quite a few similarities between Nicole and a certain much younger female baker who has a shop in Andersonville.

Kennyz wrote: There are quite a few similarities between Nicole and a certain much younger female baker who has a shop in Andersonville.

I'm going to make a point of meeting Nicole!

I met her a few years ago at the Fancy Food Show ... a delightful woman, she said to stop by her bakery any time ... which I have yet to do.

I had the pleasure of meeting Nicole at a small dinner party a couple of years ago. She is indeed one of our colorful elder treasures. She was full of opinions, and wonderful stories, and a joy to listen to and spend an evening with.

And her crackers are indeed divine.
Here's an interesting article on Nicole: http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles ... prime.html

Made a trip, actually more like a lost soul trying to find something..
MY GPS led me way south and said to get off on Ohio which was just as well because yesterday at 10:30am there was no way I could get from the Express Lanes to North Avenue. Kingsbury is only one way south from North as the whole street is torn up. After 3 phone calls to Nicole's I finally parked and walked and walked right by it as it is set in from the street a good ways.
So if you don'tknow exactly where Nicole'sis, you are in for a treat!
Anyway 12 hot dog buns $11.40, Wheat bread, Brioche loaf, crackers and I was gone back to Wisconsin.
Picked up nice lively soft shells at Fresh Farms for $3per. Only found 4 good ones out of a flat.
After a number od disastrous experiences with soft shells, I only purchase ones that move and have no odor at all. These were simply pristine. Fried in corn flour they filled Nicole's hot dog buns and the combination was excellent.
Wheat bread was very good and French Toast with the Brioche this morning.
Traffic is actualy much hevaier on Saturday morning than on a weekday in that area.
When I got to Nicole's and checked my GPS, then it found the correct location from the address. Why it took me so far south initially, I can't figure out?-Dick

I really enjoy these crackers but find that they occasionally have a rancid odor, even when they're not past the 'best used by' date. Last year I actually spoke to Nicole about the issue (on the phone). Frankly, she was pretty defensive about it and insisted that I return the product to her in order for her to properly investigate what happened. I felt she should have offered to take care of that aspect instead of putting it on me. It was odd being asked to go out of my way to help her achieve a resolution. When one of my customers has a problem with the quality a product we ship to them, we pay the cost of the return. I wasn't seeking a refund or replacement. I simply wanted her to know what was going on with her product -- and resolve it -- so that I could confidently buy them again. Was it a packaging issue? Was it the way the retailer was handling them? Something else?

I sent the crackers back at my expense. She later admitted to me that something was wrong but at that time, she had no idea what it was. She seemed less concerned with getting to the bottom of it than she did when I initially contacted her about the matter. In any case, she very kindly sent me 3 new packages but the episode did leave me feeling a little less warm and fuzzy about Nicole's Crackers.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:but the episode did leave me feeling a little less warm and fuzzy about Nicole's Crackers.

I've found Nicole less than enthused about selling her hot dog buns, which are terrific, on the retail level.

Kennyz wrote:I was introduced to Nicole a few years ago by a friend who worked for her at that time. She was born in France in the 1920's.

Nicole Bergere is my mother-in-law's first cousin. She's 87. My MIL, who's a few years younger, isn't sure if her cousin, originally Carol Schaefer, was born in upstate New York, where the family once lived, or Kenosha, where she grew up, but she was unquestionably born in the United States. Her father emigrated from Heidelberg. Nicole has reinvented herself several times.

Dick,

My gps has lost me *twice* in that area! I wonder if there's a Chain o' Lakes Triangle there or sumpthin?!

Geo

It's got to be the confluence of tall buildings. I watched my GPS display litterally swirl around as I moved trying to find North.

Haven't tried the crackers yet.-Dick

Very bad news about Nicole's
Date: December 4, 2013 at 11:01:20 AM CST
Subject: Closing after 30 yrs
My Darling Chef and Dear Staff,
After nearly 30 years in the baking business, life has taken us into a different direction once more. The wind has blown us into another path and sadly, we cannot take all of our bags with us.
With lumps in our throats, we write this letter to you. After all these years, we have been forced by a higher power to close our doors. Production will end December 7th. Our hearts are heavy with having to notify you with such short notice, especially during the holiday rush.
After nearly a year in litigation, our building was unexpectedly sold and we were left with a steep financial burden. Despite our many efforts and determination, our prayers have yet to be answered.
Your loyalty after all these years has nestled deep in our hearts. We thank you for enjoying our wonderful bread and Divine Crackers.
While retirement came a bit too early for Nikki and Gracie, rest assured that this won’t be the last of the Ladies that you will see.
Mil gracias for being a part of our incredible journey,

Nicole and Gracie