From Pasta To Pastries: Daisies Chicago
Experiencing A Chicago Hotspot's Daily Transformation Into A Bakery & Cafe
Daisies is the last place I wanted to eat at in Chicago. A surprising sentiment considering it’s one of the hottest restaurants in town.
Read any listicle of “Best Restaurants in Chicago'' and you’ll find Daisies nestled comfortably near the top with accolades aplenty like a 2023 Michelin Green Star, the New York Times’ 2023 “The Restaurant List,” and Chef Joe Frillman’s semifinal nomination for the 2024 James Beard Best Chef: Great Lakes. Daisies’ menu is inspired by the intersection of Midwest and Italian cuisine and sources seasonal and sustainable produce direct from Frillman’s family farm just a two hour drive away. But every morning at 7:00 am they transform their critically acclaimed Logan Square restaurant into a bakery and cafe featuring delicacies from pastry chef Leigh Omilinsky.
And so on my most recent trip to the Windy City, I waited patiently, saving breakfast at Daisies for my final meal. It had been two-days of back-to-back meetings and work events and while I was ready to make the trip home there was still one last place I wanted to eat at in Chicago.
So I embarked on a 22-minute drive from Wrigleyville to Logan Square and as soon as I entered Daisies and faced the minimalist coffee menu and glass case of tempting baked goods, I was grateful that I made the effort.
The dining room is spacious and open, with high ceilings, bars, booths, and tables soaking in the natural light. The aesthetic details are immaculate and unpretentious: Children’s drawings hang next to the kitchen window and a Michelin Green Star sits proudly next to a novelty Veladora candle.
The ordering line was short, which forced me to stop wavering and make a goshdarn choice on which of the many pastries to order. Quick decision made: My go-to cappuccino with cinnamon on top, a Chicago-style hot dog croissant, and a peach bostock. I went for unique and seasonal, a decision I would not regret. But in that singular moment, I bid adieu with much sorrow to the strawberry streusel scone and triple chocolate croissant that were whispering: Traitor.
Do you ever sit down in a restaurant and think God I love this place? Because that was my Daisies experience in a nutshell. I sipped on my cappuccino and watched the Tuesday morning crowd at their meetings and meetups. As someone who loves working in coffee shops myself, I was tickled to see so many guests typing away at the bar. And it was with a swirl of mixed feelings that I thought: It's a good thing that I don’t live in Chicago, because I’d be here every day. This sentiment only grew stronger as I started to eat.
You know what they say: When in Chicago, eat a Chicago-style hot dog croissant. This dish is a collab between Daisies’ Chef Omilinsky and Weiners Circle, the famous Lincoln Park hot dog stand. I really ordered this for the novelty, but I am happy to admit that it was delicious. It was like that episode of Friends when Joey eats the infamous trifle: Hotdogs? Good. Croissants? Good. The outer layers of the pastry were exceptionally thin and flaky and the inside sinfully soft. Then at the center was a charred Vienna beef hot dog with a light filling of yellow mustard, relish, onions, and celery salt, which gave each bite moisture and a kick of that classic Chicago dog flavor without ever detracting from the breakfast pastry’s essence. The croissant is topped with poppy seeds, a tomato and a pickle. The best part of this croissant, which is so primed for social media, is that it tasted even better than it looks.
Then to compliment the savory, I had to get something sweet. I went with the peach bostock for two reasons: First, I had never heard of a bostock before and second, I rarely see peach on menus (clearly Ergo Yum needs a trip to ATL). I took one curious bite and was totally surprised! I was expecting a pastry, but instead found a version of fancy toast. Thick cut bread was crowned with a crunchy, sweet, caramelized, almond top and a fruity peach jam, which was sweet but not overpowering. I’ve since learned that bostock originated from the human desire to repurpose stale brioche bread and is typically made by soaking brioche in a sweet syrup and baking with frangipane and sliced almonds. It’s funny how some of the best dishes emerge from the desire to repurpose leftovers, where would we be without fried rice or chilaquiles? But I digress. I enjoyed Daisies’ bostock. It is an ideal snack for simultaneous noshing and working.
And did I mention the coffee was great? My cappuccino, served in a dainty branded mug, was especially creamy and generously dusted with cinnamon. It was the best cappuccino I’ve had in quite a while and I don’t say that lightly. My only lingering regret is not figuring out if I could’ve bought that darling Daisies mug. My overstuffed kitchen cabinets, however, are grateful for my choices.
More upscale restaurants should transform into daytime cafes. It was such a unique pleasure to spend a leisurely morning lounging in a booth that is already reserved for countless rounds of dinner service throughout the week. Although maintaining both a welcoming charm and the highest quality of food and drink might just be because Daisies is that special.
I may have saved Daisies for last, but it proved that old cliché true: The best things are worth the wait (and served with a hotdog croissant).
Decadent pastries and creamy cappuccinos.
Ergo Yum.
Another FUN post! My favorite line: “But in that singular moment, I bid adieu with much sorrow to the strawberry streusel scone and triple chocolate croissant that were whispering: Traitor.”