Alliance Bakery — Division

"Alliance Bakery keeps its Paczki Day game tight with just six flavors: blueberry lemon, chocolate salted caramel, strawberry, raspberry rose, vanilla bean ganache, and apple cinnamon. Customers can preorder online through Saturday, February 10, and paczki will also be available in-store on a first-come, first-served basis starting from Thursday, February 8 through Fat Tuesday. The pastries are also available in West Town." - Lisa Shames

"It should come as no surprise that Alliance Bakery is a serious business when it comes to cakes. The shop proudly displays its creations — superheroes are so hot right now — in the window and they taste as good as they look. In addition, there are also plenty of other French delicacies for sale such as macarons, croissants, eclairs, bombes, and tarts, plus a newer and larger location in West Town." - Ashok Selvam

"Pastry competition is fierce in Wicker Park, and classical French heavyweight Alliance Bakery is easily among the top contenders. Experts at both flavor and aesthetics, its bakers whip up elegant cakes, immaculate macarons, flaky croissants, and much more. In 2023, owner and veteran pastry chef Peter Rios expanded Alliance to a second outpost in West Town." - Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman

"This trusty Wicker Park bakery serves Dark Matter coffee inside a tiny storefront (there’s an expansion next door, but customers will have to exit and enter the other space from the sidewalk). Inside, find a solid selection of macarons, chocolate chip cookies, and other delights." - Naomi Waxman, Eater Staff

"I simply can’t walk down Division Street in Wicker Park without stopping to look at the cakes on display at Alliance Bakery’s storefront. But, they have more than cakes— they offer breakfast pastries, cupcakes, and cookies too. Of all their vegan options, Alliance’s peanut-butter chocolate vegan cupcake steals the show. The thick swirl of salty and sweet peanut butter buttercream offsets the bittersweet chocolate base. Dusted with fine cocoa powder, it’s a fancy cupcake that actually delivers on flavor, too. Unfortunately, Alliance only has one vegan cupcake flavor, but here’s to hoping they expand soon." - cyd seifert