The 26 Best Bakeries In Chicago - Chicago - The Infatuation

"On any morning, Au Levain is full of coffee-sipping couples, people grabbing a pre-work pastry, or parents on crumb control duty as their toddler rips into a pain au chocolat. It’s busy for good reason: the pastries at this North Center bakery are excellent. The plain croissants are flaky masterpieces with the ideal sweet-to-buttery ratio and an airy honeycomb interior. Their danishes are equal displays of lamination prowess, from the housemade chorizo and avocado poblano cream to ones with blueberries and lemon curd. And thanks to their sourdough english muffins, you'll be thinking about the sausage egg and cheese even when it's dinnertime." - veda kilaru, john ringor