Nancy L.
Yelp
I had absolutely NO business being here on Fat Tuesday...
I was just at Beef Shack getting my 'fat' on, and since they weren't selling Paczki's (haha),
I thought - I'll just stop here for one. I rarely eat Paczki's anyway, unless someone gifts me one but this year I decided to get my own and further indulge, I was doing such a great job of it anyway...
Being in the area, I realized I hadn't been to Chicago Pastry in ages.
I recall when it was Turano Pastry I had been here only twice. It just wasn't a bakery I'd frequent, so my recollection of these pastries were slim to nothing. And yes, its still owned by the Turano family.
I heard all about the Dossant "craze" awhile back, so I changed my mind and decided to try one of those too. I was here anyway, why not? Lucky for me, the shop was not crazy busy on this day. Staff was well prepared for customers and cases were amply filled with a variety of Paczki's, Italian pastries and other goodies after 4pm.
Plenty of girls behind the counter eager to help you...They were on it. Very friendly, answered all my pastry questions and I was in and out within 10 minutes...
I'm not gonna lie. I didn't end up with only 2. After browsing these delicious looking treats,
I happened to spot ZEPPOLE as well.....yes...Zeppole! I only see these closer to
St. Joseph's Day (3/19) so I was very surprised to find them. Its a MUST have during this celebration. Zeppoles are like French donuts (sans glaze) sliced in half and layered with custard (or cannoli) and topped with various fruit....Omg...they are SO good (when done right).
And THEN I saw Sfogliatelle aka Lobster Tails...and yep, you bet I had to try one of those too...I've been on a roll tasting & taking mental notes on Sfogliatelle and was curious to know how these compared to others.
Here's what I ended up with: Custard zeppole, Lobster Tail, Cannoli Pazcki, Custard Pazcki and French cream Dossant (forgot name - girl said it was a popular seller). My total damage was around $13...that's cheap if you ask me.
Not knowing what to expect from the Dossant, after a bite, I didn't love anything about it. It had a somewhat crisp exterior, which I heard is supposed to be reminiscent of a croissant; filled with French cream. I found it too dense & a little dry overall and it was the least memorable treat I purchased. If you like cake donuts, you'd probably like this since that's what a Dossant reminded me of...Personally, I don't get the hype..
I was however impressed with the Zeppole. I was expecting average - to below average quality truth be told, but I also have a favorite bakery in the City for these - I set the bar high when it comes to zeppole. It was very tender and pastry cream was light and smooth. Not as creamy and delicious as a good custard (or Reuter's), but I wouldn't hesitate to come back and purchase these if I needed them in a hurry... Very fresh and light. The cruller-like donut was well made, BUT they were also SMALLER than my go-to bakery.
Lobster tail had a crispy exterior and tender bite, but shell was missing the multiple pastry layers that Sfogliatelle is known for. Filled with a French cream (not custard), yet the filling was lightly sweet, airy and yummy. I could've inhaled this...there was nothing "rich" or overly sweet about it...
I'm not a Paczki expert...more of a 'fair weathered' fan - but have had them in the past. These were decent as I only sampled a few bites of each. Super fresh and soft and pastry cream and cannoli fillings were pretty good. I shared these with others and they seemed to like them...A variety of fillings were offered...fruit, jellies and flavored creams...
The best thing about my visit here? I now know I don't always have to drive out to Grand or Harlem Ave. When I'm looking for convenience and some AOK pastries, Chicago Pastry is a nice standby....