Star Fruit Cafe (StarFruitCafe.com) is a purveyor of frozen Lifeway Kefir, the tart, extremely healthy, lo-cal, pro-biotic packed yogurt. They also serve the Kefir in the liquid form that you can purchase in your local grocery stores. But it's the frozen version that is the STAR here. Four deliciously tart, yet sweet frozen Kefir yogurts are served daily - peach, cherry, vanilla, blueberry, strawberry....similar to Berry Chill or Red Mango you choose the yogurt and then the toppings. Yum! You can opt for a smoothie or a layered parfait with the same topping and yogurt choices, the only difference is how they are mixed in. The Halsted location in Lincoln Park has a great sitting area for kids with crayons and large sheets of butcher paper to draw on. They also serve other great Lifeway products like the "Bug" your kids love, mini sizes of the drinkable Kefir in lots of flavors and the large quart size containers. They also have some creamy, rich, almost creme cheese like spreads made with the same healthy kefir. A healthy reward for you and your kids. Prices range from $3 up.
Hours of operation:
Wicker Park
Monday-Sunday: 11am – 9pm
Lincoln Park
Monday-Sunday: 11am – 9pm
Loop
Monday-Friday: 7am – 7pm
Saturday-Sunday: 12pm – 5pm
Store Locations:
2142 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL 60614
tel. 773.868.4900
1745 W. Division
Chicago, IL 60622
tel. 773.395.9300
Block 37, Pedway Level (across from Beard Papa, lower level)
108 N. State
Chicago, IL 60602
tel. 312.658.1241
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Beard Papa - Beard WHAT? Where? You WILL WANT TO KNOW!
Time Out Chicago REALLY Hit it on the Head! Beard Papa is the 'light as air' delicacy unlike anything you have EVER had stateside unless you have found a true Frenchman behind the dough at the local bakery. Didn't someone think to tell the Japanese that this isn't necessarily a great translation - Beard Papa. A WHAT? One try and you WILL KNOW! Luscious, light, a hint of sweet, smooth, creamy, some even with Chocolate. You just thought you loved red velvet cupcakes! This is your new addiction! Good thing they are open early and late and serve coffee too!
A cream puff is not a cookie. It is not a cake, a pie or a doughnut. I say this because those of you who think you know the pain of craving your favorite dessert can’t begin to understand the plight of the cream-puff lover. Because even gas stations sell cookies. Walgreens sells cake by the slice. Pie is in every diner in Chicago, and thanks to Dunkin’, doughnuts have saturated our landscape. You people can get your fix anywhere. Us cream-puff freaks? We’re stuck sneaking éclairs from grocery-store bakeries, making do with cream puff’s kissing cousin with its instant-pudding filling and gritty chocolate frosting (I’m looking at you, Jewel).
But no longer. Beard Papa’s, the ten-year-old Japanese chain that has nailed this French staple, first brought its puffs to the States via Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and now Chicago has one. It’s conveniently located between the El’s Red and Blue Lines in the Block 37 pedway, but make no mistake: These puffs are not portable. The outer layer of the fist-sized puff is as flaky as your Grandma’s best pie crust, with a dusting of powdered sugar to add to the assault on dark clothing. Beyond the brilliantly airy cocoon of choux pastry lies vanilla custard cream, enough that once the shell is broken, walking and eating is out of the question. A bag of travel-friendly mini puffs could suffice, but you’ll lose the proper pastry-to-cream ratio. Chocoholics will swoon over the “éclair” version of the minis, each puff entirely enrobed in a dark-chocolate shell, but for us diehard cream-puff fans, the chocolate overpowers; ditto for options like strawberry or chocolate custard filling. When you’ve waited this long, it’s the classic or nothing—unless BP sends out a tweet that green-tea filling is on tap, in which case get out of my way.
108 N State St (312-960-9000). El: Blue to Washington; Red to Lake; Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple (rush hrs) to Randolph/Wabash. Mon–Fri 6:30am–8pm; Sat–Sun 9am–6pm. Average cream puff: $2.
A cream puff is not a cookie. It is not a cake, a pie or a doughnut. I say this because those of you who think you know the pain of craving your favorite dessert can’t begin to understand the plight of the cream-puff lover. Because even gas stations sell cookies. Walgreens sells cake by the slice. Pie is in every diner in Chicago, and thanks to Dunkin’, doughnuts have saturated our landscape. You people can get your fix anywhere. Us cream-puff freaks? We’re stuck sneaking éclairs from grocery-store bakeries, making do with cream puff’s kissing cousin with its instant-pudding filling and gritty chocolate frosting (I’m looking at you, Jewel).
But no longer. Beard Papa’s, the ten-year-old Japanese chain that has nailed this French staple, first brought its puffs to the States via Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and now Chicago has one. It’s conveniently located between the El’s Red and Blue Lines in the Block 37 pedway, but make no mistake: These puffs are not portable. The outer layer of the fist-sized puff is as flaky as your Grandma’s best pie crust, with a dusting of powdered sugar to add to the assault on dark clothing. Beyond the brilliantly airy cocoon of choux pastry lies vanilla custard cream, enough that once the shell is broken, walking and eating is out of the question. A bag of travel-friendly mini puffs could suffice, but you’ll lose the proper pastry-to-cream ratio. Chocoholics will swoon over the “éclair” version of the minis, each puff entirely enrobed in a dark-chocolate shell, but for us diehard cream-puff fans, the chocolate overpowers; ditto for options like strawberry or chocolate custard filling. When you’ve waited this long, it’s the classic or nothing—unless BP sends out a tweet that green-tea filling is on tap, in which case get out of my way.
108 N State St (312-960-9000). El: Blue to Washington; Red to Lake; Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple (rush hrs) to Randolph/Wabash. Mon–Fri 6:30am–8pm; Sat–Sun 9am–6pm. Average cream puff: $2.
Monday, February 1, 2010
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