From my very first inquiry the day before my visit to the moment I walked through the door, the…read morecustomer service was exceptional. I drove over an hour each way because of the incredible reviews--and every single one proved true. In fact, my experience exceeded even my highest expectations. I've been baking from scratch for my family for more than 50 years, so I know the real thing when I taste it. This bakery is unquestionably baking from scratch. Honestly, I can finally retire my mixer and my family won't know the difference. Even my grandson--who is as selective as they come and doesn't usually care for pound cake--took one bite of my sample and immediately asked for a slice for the ride home. That says everything. Kesha, the owner, is personable, friendly, professional, and simply phenomenal. Businesses like this deserve our full support because they feel like our own community treasures. And as far as I'm concerned, this one is ours. I'll be returning again... and again... and again. Ms. Pp

Where do I start? When I drove up I knew that the GORGEOUS…read morelady standing outside talking was the owner, Kesha because I've followed them on social media:) I got out and said, HI! and she gave me the biggest hug greeting:) I knew I'd found my place! I shared that I just moved to the area from Vegas and I had been following the store and I wanted to try! This gracious soul walked me in and introduced me to her beautiful staff who were sweet as cake! Kesha was leaving but I so appreciative of her time with me:) Now it was time for the biz! I had the ladies walk me through the flavors and they explained the deep fried pound cake! I ordered a flight: peach cobbler, double batter, strawberry and cookie batter. I also got a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a slice of lemon pound cake. The shop is so super cute!!! I loved it and I felt right at home. I got my treats to go so I could share with my Hubby. Oh wow!!!! We LOVED IT!!! The flight was amazing! Fresh, hot and yummy! So glad I found this gem!

Bao's Pastry is my kind of bakery: You walk in, and you're automatically overwhelmed by the…read morechoices. There are just so many good things in the display case! It seriously took me about 10 to decide on a dessert. In the end, I got a slice of strawberry cheesecake. I took it to go, knowing that I would eat it in my car. (The best place to eat any food.) I chose cheesecake, because in the end, cheesecake is the illest of the desserts. You can't go wrong with a silky smooth slice o' cake o' cheese. And I wasn't wrong! The cheesecake at Bao's is creamy, yet a little pleasantly gelatinous from the strawberry topping. It was so rich that I couldn't eat it all in my car, so I took it to go to enjoy back at my hotel. Some of the other things I was considering getting at Bao's included the mini tarts, tiramisu cup, raspberry opera cake, turnovers, passionfruit cake and many others. They also have lots of macarons, but I'm not a macaron lady! Try as I might, I do not like macarons, but if you like macarons, then Bao's is the place to find macarons. Mostly, this is a to-go joint, but there are a couple of tables on the outdoor patio, and a table or two inside. When I visited, I only saw people pop in and get their goodies and pop back out.

So nobody answers the phone and the mailbox is full. I guess they are open for business?read more

My cousin knows the owner so our family was fortunate to host a baby shower here on a Sunday, when…read morethey are closed. They made the cookies, macaroons, both cakes that were served and mini pumpkin pies that were given as gifts for the guests. They also opened to enable us to buy goodies and I fell in love with the brown butter bourbon cookies!! They were 3 for $5 and I would have bought the 3 bags that were in the case, but a woman in front of me bought 2 bags so I was left with one. They have mini pies for $5 and while it was hard to decide (assorted cheesecakes, key lime pie, sweet potato pie, etc.); I bought a mini peach cobbler for hubby. They are the perfect serving size and he loved it! Both of the cakes they had at the shower (a chocolate and a yellow rainbow) were moist and delicious; the only downside is that we live so far away! But if we're ever in this area we will remember Park's Pastries for sure.

I wanted to like it. I really did. Local, minority owned, female owned. But sadly it's not good…read more I've tried several items on 3 different visits hoping for better but it wasn't...tasteless macarons and not the right texture, cupcakes priced like a downtown bakery but unfilled and small and dry and grainy, vegan pastries that left a poor taste in the mouth and also grainy. I believe they're moving to a new spot which will help the ambiance hopefully as the old spot was just too big. The owner is polite but the other staff was hit or miss. I really do hope they get it worked out. It's a great idea, but execution hasn't been good.

Came to this locally owned business in Mokena to look at chocolates. Fabulously Sweet certainly has…read morea few. It actually has a lot. Get custom orders or just come in. The prices are pretty okay for the high quality. A recent visit here yielded some good finds. It's known for the many chocolate products. The custom orders are where they really shine. Great for parties. Last time in here we got some of the chocolate covered cranberries and they were well liked by everyone that had these. Basically the only problem was there wasn't enough. That was one way to get people to eat fruit. Good place for locally made chocolates and candy. It's also not crazy expensive. These are perfect for parties or whatever.

This place is wonderful. The sweet treats are delectable. Cannot describe how beautifully presented…read moretheir store is. The employee is as sweet as the candy.

I have seen posts on FB about this place so of course I wanted to try it while I was in the area…read more The place itself gave Parisian cafe vibes that was clean with cute decor and plenty of seating. Unfortunately that's where it stopped for me. They had baked goods on a wall display and a display by the counter, along with cake in a refrigerator. Unfortunately, none of it looked fresh nor did any of it stood out to me or was very appeasing. The regular croissants looked very dry and flaky and the chocolate croissants were flat and smashed looking. Even the cake in the refrigerator looked dry... I did end up buying a lemon blueberry scone along with an almond danish- and I feel like I wasted $10. My 10 year old child thought the scone was old and stale. The almond danish basically was phyllo dough with a big dollop of almond paste- I couldn't even eat half of it. They do have a menu with soup and croissant sandwiches, but they're very over priced. $18.50 for a bacon egg and cheese croissant!?! Hard pass for me. Some advice should you choose to try this place, keep an eye out on your receipt. While I do hope it was an honest mistake- the guy working there was nice- he charged me $6/piece for the scones and the danish when they were actually $5/piece. I did bring it to his attention before I paid and he did adjust the prices. Whatever he rang them up as- was not listed as a "scone" or "danish."

The true test of a French bakery is the bread. I was not impressed with the croissant. No air. Too…read moredense. The bacon egg and cheese on croissant was unbalanced, unsavory, too cute on presentation, not enough on substance. Overpriced at $18.50. Balsamic drizzle on the plate looked more like Italy than Paris. Absolutely no one in the cafe at 10-1030 on a Friday morning on the town square. Sorry, can't say I would return here again.

Amazing! She did a beautiful cake for my mother's birthday and accommodated our being late to pick…read moreit up. My mother felt honored and loved cake! Thank you!

From the owner: A custom artisan bakery that specializes in sweet & savory European pastries. We primarily service…read moreour customers through our booth at the Saint Joseph Farmers Market, custom orders, & occasional bake days at our chalet location. We look forward to you enjoying one of our fine pastries in the near future!! Please note this is not a typical brick & mortar storefront. At this time, our pastries can be found at the farmers market or ordered by phone and email.

The 1 hour and 15 minute drive to Evanston to have tea with my hija-amiga was absolutely worth it…read more Patisserie Corali is a tiny, very popular, and very crowded little gem that serves a beautifully simple high tea in a warm, quaint, country-French setting that instantly puts you at ease. We had a dedicated server who was kind, friendly, and young -- and her slight lack of experience only added to the charm. It felt human, unpolished in the best way, and refreshingly sincere. The classic three-tier stand delivered a joyful tasting journey: savory finger sandwiches, lovely cakes and sweets (including their excellent macarons and madeleines), plus warm buttery scones and tasty mini quiches served separately. It was a cornucopia of small delights; generous, comforting, and clearly made with care. The tea selection is also wonderful and thoughtfully curated. What truly stood out, though, was the lack of pomposity. No stiffness, no theatrics, just good food, good tea, and a feeling that you've been welcomed into someone's home. Easily one of the best high tea experiences in the Chicago area. Lovely, cozy, and full of heart.

This is a darling and precious French cafe on the corner of Davis and Chicago Avenue in Evanston…read more I've been wanting to come to this cafe for ages. It's small and sweetly decorated (Eiffel Towers, rolling pins, Guy de Maupassant quote, stack of macarons tower), with cafe tables along the sidewalk. But it's the bakery cases that draw the eye, of course. A rainbow of macarons, stacks of croissants. Pastries like jewels. I ordered a tomato, basil & mozzarella quiche. They let me know it would take a few minutes to heat up. I also ordered a cafe au lait and almond croissant. The croissant was very large, a little more crispy than I like, and filled with a liquidy almond, not paste. It was very good, although not the best croissant I've had. The quiche was marvelous, soft and delicate, and basil scented with a flaky crust. It was not overly cheesy -- just the right amount. I ordered a slice of salmon quiche to go. I also selected a half-dozen macarons to take away. They were delicate, with a slightly crunchy outer layer and a sweet and flavorful center. I loved the Coralie Coffee flavor as well as the rest.

I read about this business on Facebook. We chose to try it since we always prefer local businesses…read moreover chain stores. The bake shop is decorated nicely and very clean. There were numerous choices making it slightly difficult to decide what to try for our first visit LOL. We finally decided on a Peanut Butter Classic Cookie, and the Chocolate Maple Bacon and Bavarian Chocolate Dipped Gourmet Donuts. Everything was delicious; however, my absolute favorite was the Bavarian Chocolate Dipped Gourmet Donut. The first thing I noticed was an excellent amount of chocolate icing across the entire top and on the sides of the donut. It was very chocolatey, very smooth, and perfectly sweet. The donut itself was very different than any Bismarck donut I've ever had. It was a VERY light, VERY fresh, soft dough vs the dryer denser dough of a chain location. The Bavarian cream filling was very flavorful with a light and creamy texture versus a thick pudding texture of the typical filled donuts. It was clearly freshly made that day and will absolutely be on my order each time. Our only "problem" was when we wanted to stop by to try something new and were very disappointed that we arrived on a day they were not open. We both agreed it was like wanting Chik-fil-A and then realizing it was a Sunday and they were closed. We were back the next day and will not make that mistake again! I planned to take photos of our second choices but they were consumed much too quickly. Of course this means we will be back as soon as possible. I highly recommend Josephine's Bakeshop, and supporting a local business, every time you can do so.

Donuts are so fresh and delicious I cannot believe I didn't find this place sooner! Plus free…read morecoffee to go with it! Can't complain

St. Roger Abbey is nestled in Wilmette, having another location out in Birmingham, MI…read more This cute bakery is run by friendly nuns who are trained in the French art of pastry and baking - super impressive! They offer organic French macarons, bread, cookies, jams, various pastries, and even ready-cooked meals that you can order in advance or pick-up in the store. I loved checking out their shelves of jams, pickled veggies, and other nicely packaged boxes that could be great for gifts! We came here for a caffeine fix, and we ordered: +a White Chocolate Mocha - not brewed well; very weak and watered down; no flavor of the white chocolate +a Cafe Latte with almond milk - not brewed well; very weak and watered down +the Leek Delight - seemed a day or so old; it was dry and extremely bland +the Les bugnes d'Albi - this didn't taste like anything - just a fried, unflavored dough, topped with powdered sugar The organic lemon cookies that I purchased to go were actually delicious - I think it's best to just stick with their packaged cookies here. The nuns were nice. They have limited seating inside, and the place seems pretty popular for pastry orders. Plenty of free parking in the front and in the residential area around the block. +organic lemon cookies +friendly nuns +ample parking

Saturday early in the afternoon, stopped for a cup of coffee. Three employees. Line got longer…read moreafter we placed our order. But our order came out pretty quickly. I got blended hazelnut with cold brew large for $5.70. I did not add any flavors or whipping cream. However, it was still sweet with hazelnut flavor. I loved it! I wonder how sweeter it gets with flavor added with whipping cream. Very local coffee shop with many other pastries and chocolate for sale. Good spot for coffee after a meal in the area!