Monday, November 15, 2010

Chicagoing: The Dog-walking Dessert Tour

I recently found out our neighborhood has become an official tourist destination. While most tourists don't venture far from the downtown area, with several nationally recognized restaurants right on our block, we've noticed many tourists making the 2 mile trek--mostly via cab.They also just named the Michelin Awards, which is supposed to be a really big deal for restaurants. They actually sneak out in the night and spray paint a stencil of the Michelin man to let them know they won.
Since we are always out walking the pooches, we've gotten to know some of the most efficient routes for sampling the best wares on our street, plus, I love reading tour books' one day itinerary, so here is our version of a dog-walking dessert tour in Chicago.
We start at Black Dog Gelato.
This nondescript storefront has bright green benches, but loads of amazing gelato flavors. From Goat Cheese Cashew Caramel, Sesame Fig Chocolate Chip, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Whiskey Bacon. Or amazing sorbets like Cucumber Rosewater Sorbet (my favorite!), cranberry, and lychee. 
When we had Wilma in the summer, we came here nearly every day. Here are the pooches waiting patiently while I get our order:
 Walk with your dog east down Iowa street. This is a residential street where the neighbors work together to grow flowers and mini-gardens in the sidewalk areas.
This will lead you to Hoosier Mama Pie Company.
They're this tiny little shop that serves amazing pie. They're so good they've been featured in Bon Appetit; plus, they have 'flights of pie slices' each Friday. Our all time favorite is the peanut butter pie with gingersnap crust and the chocolate creme pie.
Walk down Chicago Avenue to Manee Thai to pick up a freshly blended bubble tea. Keep walking down Chicago Avenue until you get to La Farine Bakery. 
The owner has immersed himself in the art of bread baking and supplies bread for some of the top restaurants in Chicago. We get their ciabatta rolls on a nearly weekly basis, plus they have all these pastries:
You can even head across the street to Eckert Park to picnic and eat your wares. The one caveat for this tour is to make sure you have another human with you to actually go in and pick up the food. For several reasons, we will never leave our dogs tied up outside or unattended, if only for a minute. People don't realize how many dog thefts there are in the city; plus, there was this terrible story of a an older dog stolen from his locked kennel in the suburbs. I guess the only reason I don't weigh a million pounds is because I don't always have someone walking with me to watch the dogs while I go in to get the food.

27 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow, all those places look yummy!!!! I'll have to keep those in mind the next time we come to Chicago!

jen said...

That is so wrong to post all those great looking desserts in the morning:) All I had was an apple for breakfast!

Great pictures:)

pibble said...

Oh, you're killin' me! Desserts - how I would love to have these places near to me. Unfortunately, the pounds don't melt off like they used to. Bah.

Kate said...

I seriously laughed out loud at "Hoosier Mama." Those places look great.

Anonymous said...

I am such a dessert fiend. If I could I'd skip dinner and just go for the sweet stuff. That gelato sounds amazing. And... Pie! Next stop, Chicago!

Thanks for sharing another walk with us!

Anonymous said...

Um, okay, I'm kinda - slurp! - drooly here. OMD! All those foodables looked absolutely super amazingly yummy! I'm gonna catch a bus to Chicago tonight. I have to ask my mom first but I'm sure she'll say yes.

Wiggles & wAgs,
Mayzie

Tucker The Crestie said...

Yum! I know where I'm going when I next go to Chicago!

Anonymous said...

Love this post! We'll be in Chicago next year and are always looking for walking-guides. YUM!

The Whitfields said...

Oh my goodness, that bakery looks awesome. Question for you, we want to order Lacy a winter coat. Do you all have any brands you love for Miss M and Mr. B? I've been looking at some from Lands End. I like the one you all have that has the hood. Hope you don't mind me asking!

brooke said...

Mmm
desserts. My fave!
We'll be stopping by Chicago for a day next month... maybe we'll get to try one of these places!

brooke said...

omg that story of the dog-napping... how heart breaking!

Shauna (Fido and Wino) said...

I'm going to come back to this list the next time I'm in Chicago!

Maggie Mae and Max said...

I LUVS goin' on walks wif you!

Woofs and Licks,
Maggie Mae

dw said...

Okay, this is officially a dangerous post!!! All that food!!!!! And, I can get to it without too much trouble!!!! Oh No!!

Thanks for sharing (I think!).

Backcountry Brodie said...

***Drooling*** (Mom, not me.)

The Daily Pip said...

Everything looks so YUMMY!!!

Your pal, Pip

Lola and also Franklin, too said...

Blog Mom has put on another 5 pounds just from reading this post and now she's going to rummage in the kitchen and see what she can find for dessert. It all looks sooooo good.

lotsa licks, Lola

Kari in Alaska said...

hmm now we may have to visit your neighborhood on our next Chicago visit

Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/

How Sam Sees It said...

You make me really want to visit Chicago-great pictures and wonderful descriptions!

Sam

jet said...

N is paranoid about our dogs being stolen. We don't have labs here that pay for dogs (they get enough greyhounds for free :(() and there's not much evidence of dog fighting going on either, and neither of our dogs are purebred worthy of 'resale'. So most of the motives for theft don't really apply. Still.... some of the dodgy people in my neighbourhood have shown enough interest in Barbie (as a kangaroo hunting dog) that I've decided not to leave her tied up alone. Ironically most of these same people are quite scared of Bender!

Two French Bulldogs said...

We have a feeling all the tourists are coming because your blog is so inviting,...BOL
Benny & Lily

Two Pitties in the City said...

Hi Whitfields--Our dogs use the REI coat brands in size large. They're big enough to fit over their broad chests and they hold up well. Here is the write-up of their coats: http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com/2009/12/doggystyle-cold-weather-gear.html
Miss M's pink hooded coat was from Old Navy. We like it because it's ironic, but she doesn't like the static.
We haven't seen the Lands End ones, but I'd be curious to hear if you did order one.

Wyatt said...

We are still drooling from the last time you mentioned the Gelato place. All the flavors sound sooo good! And that pie...stop already!!

Wyatt and Stanzie

Mary said...

I want to eat everything you just mentioned, except the one with bacon:)

Do people use the word hoosier in Chicago? I always thought was a St. Louis colloquialism.

Two Pitties in the City said...

Mary--I think the owner was actually from Indiana, where I guess they use Hoosier alot...

Anonymous said...

I moved from Chicago to Philly in 2006 and I'm missing all the new places in my favorite city. The desserts look fabulous. I love Metropolis coffee and we make biyearly stops to pick up several lbs of coffee. I used to live right across from the Division Street Dominick in Old Town. I've been eyeing some of your spring/summer posts of the farmer's markets, beautiful streets. It brings back wonderful memories..

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