West Town Bakery & Cafe

Near the Ukrainian Village in Chicago is a funky little joint covered in graffiti called West Town Bakery & Cafe, and if you are anything like me the mere sight of the pastry case as you walk in the front door will be enough to convince you that you have come to the right place! The cases were full of the most original flavored cake balls, like French toast, red velvet, & chocolate peanut butter; several different types of brownies; Sweet and savory pastries; many varieties of bagels; lots of huge doughnuts; mini and regular size whoopie pies; delicious looking scones; and chocolate covered bacon. We brought home a pretty good variety of baked goods, but I won't bore you with all of those details, but I will tell you that you have to try the maple bacon doughnut, one of the employees explained it as "life changing" and he was right!! 

As we sat down, my hubby barely picked up the menu when he saw an herbed waffle with braised pork belly covered in spiced apples, and he laid the menu right back down, he had seen everything that he needed to see. Now my husband is not a waffle guy, he doesn't really do breakfast, and if he does, waffles are never his first choice...until today. He actually really liked this savory version of a traditional breakfast staple. and it complemented his pork belly well. Now, if you know anything about pork, or meat, or butchering, you know that the belly is where the bacon comes from, my hubby told me that it was really good, but that if you don't care for fatty meat, this meal will not be the choice for you. His slab of pork belly was covered with a fried egg, which is not his favorite since he doesn't like yolks, but he ate around it, and really enjoyed this breakfast! And those apples were awesome!!

I am normally a water drinker, but the thought of fresh squeezed apple juice was too much for me to resist, and I was not disappointed. There is just something so delicious about fresh juice, I don't know if it is the real fruit taste, or just knowing that what you're drinking has been minimally processed, but either way, this was a glass of juice that stands high above the rest.

There were many fantastic looking options, especially with a menu as creative as this one, but since I have never tried chicken and waffles I went for it! Even though this was my first chicken and waffles, I can't imagine that this concept is anything like the original. The base for this old favorite, was anything, but traditional, it was a vanilla bean and bacon waffle, The flavor was awesome and sweet, with the occasional burst of saltiness from the bacon. The chicken was really well fried, but not very flavorful, it could have done with a little more seasoning on the meat and in the coating, but truthfully once you pair a bite of the chicken with the delicious waffle and syrup you won't feel like a thing is missing. Did I also mention that my chicken and waffles came with two slices of bacon on top? Good bacon takes everything to the next level, and this bacon did just that.

West Town Bakery & Cafe is a green restaurant, it also uses local, organic, and sustaining ingredients; not to mention they cook for a variety of diets, they really do have something for everyone! So if you are visiting Chicago and want a delicious breakfast, need something tasty for your lunch break, or even need a personalized cake remember West Town Bakery & Cafe on Chicago Avenue.