Wicker Park » Chicago Bites

Oak Mill Bakery - Croissant Quest 2010

Posted by Tammy at 7:00 am

Aug 192010

Spinach Croissant

Sitting in Oak Mill Bakery, I had a very earnest conversation with my friend Karen over the essential qualities of croissants. It’s good to revisit the topic and to see someone else apply their croissant judging skillz. I usually go for the plain croissants, but Karen had one of the spinach and feta-filled. According to her, it was very tasty with a strong, robust feta. The pastry, on the other hand, was a tad dense & chewy — perhaps necessary to support the filling. I had the plain, butter croissant, but it was unremarkable. While light and flaky, it was also very dry and didn’t have any distinctive butteriness.

Croissant

I liked Oak Mill. It’s a smallish, comfortable space with warm light. The staff didn’t mind us lingering over our baked goods even though we were there a while. Pictures of their specialty cakes are posted on the walls and there’s a huge book to browse through more. It’s their main line of business, and I’ll definitely keep them in mind if I need a cake made. I just wish their croissants were more impressive.

Inside Oak Mill Bakery

Plain croissant $1.25
Spinach croissant $1.95
Ham & cheese croissant $2.25

Oak Mill Bakery
2204 W. North Avenue
Chicago IL 60647
(773) 252-4400

Croissant Quest 2010 Establishments (in order of preference):

See the photo gallery of Croissant Quest 2010 bakeries.

The Southern - Midweek Food P0rn

Posted by Tammy at 8:00 am

Jul 282010

The Southern | Serving Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried green tomatos are served with a smile.

The comfort food at The Southern might not be an obvious choice to escape the July heat, but the shady courtyard and drink specials go a long way. We made a “farmer’s meal” out of the bar and side menu including fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, cheese grits, green bean salad and corn on the cob. The watermelon garnish on the fried green tomatoes was sweet and cold, and our waiter was happy to serve up a side dish when we asked.

The corn on the cob was cut to share.

Everything at The Southern is fresh — the green beans and corn tasted like they’d been picked at the farm that morning, in fact. The grits and hush puppies had a wonderful kick, and the fried green tomatoes were tangy. Service is a little slow at times and we both tragically ran out of drinks, but everyone was friendly and accommodating. If you need an escape in Wicker Park, it’s a great place to stop.

Even though it tasted great, the cheese grits were a little too warm for the summer heat.

We previously visited The Southern during the Fried Chicken Tweet-up.

The Southern
1840 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622-1310
(773) 342-1840

Rick Bayless Garden Tour

Posted by Tammy at 8:00 am

Jul 222010

The grape arbor is attached to Rick's garage and anchored with wisteria.

If you’re excited about Rick Bayless and his restaurant empire, then you would probably get a kick out of tromping through his backyard kitchen, sniffing around his edible garden and sitting under his arbor. I like Rick just fine and in the interest of culinary discovery, I took the $20 tour of his back yard.

The Bayless family lives in Bucktown and has two and half lots filled with production, hanging and perennial gardens behind his house. Bill Shores, who’s been Rick’s gardener for the last five years, manages the gardens here and on the roof above Xoco. He was also our guide for the hour-long tour.

Most of our time centered on the 1000 sq. foot production garden where Shores grows lettuces, herbs and micro-greens for use in Rick’s restaurants. As it’s so small, I wasn’t surprised to learn the garden doesn’t produce enough to supply them 100%. And though Shores follows organic methods, the gardens aren’t certified organic due to paperwork and using non-organic seeds.

Shores keeps the arable land under constant cultivation, bulking up the soil with organic fertilizer and compost. Between a greenhouse and cold houses, the gardens do produce something year-round. Shores also pays particular attention to the beneficial insects in the garden, and plants herbs and flowers that would appeal to them. Keeping good bugs happy is an easy form of pest control.

Other than a few tidbits I picked up on gardening, the biggest value of the tour was being in the space that Rick uses for entertaining, gardening and creating his television shows. I also got to peek in his kitchen and see what he had posted on his refrigerator. What more could a fan want?

More pictures from the tour (click to enlarge):

: Garlic hangs in the shade.

: Planters on the back of Rick’s balcony.

: A comfortable tent looks over the perennial garden.

: Bill Shores, Rick’s gardener, shares details about how greens are produced.

: The grape arbor is attached to Rick’s garage and anchored with wisteria.

: Most potted plants on the grounds are edible or medicinal.

: Rick has a second story greenhouse to winter tender plants.

: Decorative element in Rick’s garden.

: Micro-green starts and mint are tucked next to the compost pile.

: Staghorn ferns are shaded by a grape arbor.

: Rick uses this outdoor kitchen in his shows.

: Rick’s back door is an old bread advert.

Thanks to Joelen at What’s Cookin’, Chicago? for arranging the tour. If you want more information about how to get on a tour, go to the Urban Edible site.