bake - bakery and coffeeshop in Bucktown

When I moved to Bucktown last week and started scoping out nearby eats, I was a little put off by the cutesy name of bake* but succumbed to my sweet tooth and stopped by. The bakery space is bright and open, with a loft-like feel. The whole adjoining lot is set up as an outdoor seating area, with a privacy fence to block out the sights of North Ave.

On my first visit I had a lemon scone and a cup of coffee (Metropolis). The scone was fantastic, with a pronounced lemon flavor (and especially tangy bit of glaze). It was a little more airy and moist than I'd probably prefer, but I lean towards very dry, dense scones, so that's a matter of preference.

In the past week I've been back a number of times and have tried the blueberry coffee cake (still warm from the oven), French macaroon (chocolate), baguette, peach and raspberry pie, red pepper and cheese quiche, oh... and probably a few other things I've forgotten about.

Free wifi, free refills of Metropolis coffee, warm owner and staff, reasonable prices, and really solid baked goods - I feel lucky to have it only a block away.

bake
2246 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 384-7655
http://bakechicago.com/

-Dan

* which reminded me of the recent rash of 1-word named brunch joints - Jam, Yolk, Toast, etc.

Just a quick note that the chocolate icing used on the layer cakes at Bake (and the cupcakes...) is sour cream-based. I was a few bites in to my slice and trying to figure out the icing, when I finally stumbled on sour cream. I'm not sure I had ever had sour cream based icing before, but I really like it. Mmm... tangy.

FWIW, their vanilla icing is a Swiss buttercream and they've got a proper cream cheese-based frosting for red velvet, etc.

-Dan

Bake has the best quiche I've eaten in Chicago. A buttery, super-flaky crust, fluffy eggs, and terrific broccoli that's cooked just long enough to add some texture without providing a distracting crunch. Near perfection, and very generously portioned.