Tartin it Up in Chicago at Fritz Pastry
Outside of Pasticceria Natalina in Andersonville, there really are no transcendent bakeries in Chicago. There are good bakeries that serve some great things. There are bad to mediocre bakeries that serve one or two good things. But for various reasons, the next generation is slacking. You find the sacrificing of small scale artisan techniques for large scale production, or the substitution of cheaper vegetable oils and shortenings for what was once butter. Even the best bakeries here tend to drop off.
As a result, I never miss a chance to check out a new bakery in the hopes that I'll find another young and hungry pastry maven who's rocking out the best flaky and doughy goodies around. Fritz Pastry in Lakeview is one of the newest kids on the baking block and they recently pulled me in with the promise of French macarons.
Unfortunately, the promise was broken with dry crumbly meringue, but redemption was found in the form of a pineapple tarte tatin feature glazed caramelized fresh fruit with rum-like notes and a perfect flaky undercarriage. I then bit in to the pineapple pastry's cousin, a chocolate tart featuring rich sweetness offset by a smart sprinkling of sea salt nestled on a chewy chocolate cookie-like bottom. Both of these tarts put Fritz in the "good bakery with some great items" category. Now, if they can just get that macaron right, maybe we'll start talking transcendence.
Fritz Pastry
1408 W Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614 (map)
773-857-2989
fritzpastry.com
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5 Comments:
Full disclosure - I'm good friends with the owners, but when it comes to food I never play favorites. I've convinced more people to go back to Fritz Pastry because of the macarons I've brought them.
Have you gone back to try the macarons again? Or are you just rewording what you wrote for New City back in June? I don't doubt you may have had a dry macaron experience, but I find it odd that other magazine and food outlets are saying that the macarons are some of the best in the city.
I'd definitely give them another try.
twobitme at 3:52PM on 08/06/09
I've been three times and had every flavor. That being said, since I wrote this I did have some Fritz macorons made with Cardamom hibiscus rum at a birthday party for Adam Seger. Those macarons were pretty good. Not the best I've had, but very good. Much better filling to crust ratio
Michael Nagrant at 6:09PM on 08/06/09
"But for various reasons, the next generation is slacking. You find the sacrificing of small scale artisan techniques for large scale production, or the substitution of cheaper vegetable oils and shortenings for what was once butter."
As the co-owner of a still-fairly-new pastry shop in Chicago, I take offense to this statement. There are still plenty of us out there using real Plugra, imported Swiss chocolate, and other high quality ingredients, in our handmade artisanal products. We may be harder to find, but trust me, we're here.
happyscrappy at 10:28PM on 08/06/09
I was talking about the next generation of multiple generation family owned shops. I think it is a fair general statement about those places. I wasn't talking about the next generation of new pastry shops. Those generally are returning to artisan techniques.
Michael Nagrant at 11:05PM on 08/06/09
I was talking about the next generation of multiple generation family owned shops. I think it is a fair general statement about those places. I wasn't talking about the next generation of new pastry shops. Those generally are returning to artisan techniques.
Michael Nagrant at 11:05PM on 08/06/09