Eleven Chocolate Cakes in Chicago
September 6, 2017 3:33 PM   Subscribe

Tucked into an article about The Violet Hour, a popular sipping spot, is a photo essay about Chicago Chocolate Cakes Underneath the cool bar story, and I cannot separate the two, is a photo essay about Chicago's ten best chocolate cakes. This is cakes, to think about, cakes to attempt if your are intrepid and talented, at interpretive baking. The images, drove all politics out of my being, for a short while. Oh yes. The Violet Hour sounds pretty cool. San Francisco and its cakes. Here is some New York City action.
posted by Oyéah (15 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
I don't think a human was involved with the creation/curation of the page behind the San Francisco link. I'm not saying a pizzeria can't have a good chocolate cake, but they fall short of convincing me when they only show me a picture of a pizza and three user comments, only one of which even mentions cake.
posted by aubilenon at 3:44 PM on September 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


Wow. That Chicago photo essay was quite the visual orgy experience. Must go to Chicago. Soon. (Sorry, SF and NYC. You are way behind as runners up.)
posted by bearwife at 4:06 PM on September 6, 2017 [4 favorites]


Metafilter is not usually where I turn for hyperlocal dessert suggestions, but Cake #1 is two blocks away and I think I might go check that out soon.
posted by theodolite at 4:16 PM on September 6, 2017 [5 favorites]


theodolite...you let me know how that goes. The one at the beer place with layers of espresso cheese cake, pecans and coconut caramel, that one was stunning.
posted by Oyéah at 4:25 PM on September 6, 2017


I will vouch for the Moody Tongue sachertorte. It is both outstanding and huge. I will also vouch for the beer. And then I will have a booze and sugar crash nap. A table near us had 6 people share and they didn't finish....tourists.

I've had the Dos Urbana and it was...okay. Just a slice of cake.

The Beatrix cake is pretty good. Not outstanding but very good.

Portillos is on my todo list. Maybe even for this weekend after I do the mag mile run.
posted by srboisvert at 4:34 PM on September 6, 2017 [4 favorites]


SO WE'RE DOING HYPERLOCAL CAKES, ARE WE? Yes we are, roll with it.

Here's what Westport Massachusetts has to offer, from Wicked Kickin' - YES, SAVORY CHEESECAKES COUNT. Each is named after something someone from East Bay RI or South Coast MA would immediately recognize (including the Mozambique).

Do not attempt to eat a slice. Take a little bit on a spoon or butter-knife, and rub it on a robust cracker-like object, something that can take some serious spreading-on forces. Ritz won't do it, here. Bliss out for a few minutes before diving in for another.
posted by Slap*Happy at 4:42 PM on September 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


Direct link to cake heaven!

Thirteen more reasons to visit Chicago again.
posted by esker at 5:01 PM on September 6, 2017 [2 favorites]


I would have never thought of pairing cake and beer before. Considering taking up baking.
posted by rodlymight at 5:22 PM on September 6, 2017 [1 favorite]


Moody Tongue looks wonderful, but not something I'm going to try to duplicate at home. The Beatrix cake, however, looks doable, but I don't know where to start. Can anyone help me with this?
posted by she's not there at 5:53 PM on September 6, 2017


Pies > Cakes
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:55 PM on September 6, 2017 [2 favorites]


Portillo's chocolate cake is simply the best--and their chocolate cake shakes are to die for. Pure decadence!
posted by bookmammal at 6:14 PM on September 6, 2017 [2 favorites]


That cake at Beatrix is delicious, I'm sure, but the real star of the dessert tray over there is the Oh My Caramel Pie. That pie haunts my dreams.
posted by merriment at 6:24 PM on September 6, 2017


I've always found The Violet Hour to be highbrow, but very approachable. You can geek out with the drink ingredients, or with its presentation, but you don't have to. The bartenders are just as happy to serve the drinks as they are to talk about them. The setting encourages conversations, be it with your group, your neighbors, or with the staff. It's not a very showy place, and I appreciate that--if that's really your game, the Aviary isn't too far away.

(An excellent idea for a highbrow/lowbrow night would be to get the chocolate cake at Portillo's, then head to The Violet Hour. Or the other way around.)
posted by stannate at 7:57 PM on September 6, 2017 [3 favorites]


Holy shit, I sure picked the wrong week to give up carbs. And a Portillo's opened up not far from where I live.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:45 PM on September 6, 2017 [2 favorites]


So I went and had the Portillo's cake tonight [1,2].

I'd rank it last of the four on this list that I have tried on an absolute cake scale. However, it is 3-5X cheaper than the other 3 on the list I have had and Portillo's doesn't allow tipping so knock another 20% off that. It's cafeteria style with no table service but that also means you can pick your table and don't have any distractions/server pressure.

It's the cake your parents might make if they were good at baking. Certainly better than my mom's. It's also more chocolaty than sweet which is a rare find with low end cakes.

For 3.50 it's an unbeatable value.

They are all good cakes.
posted by srboisvert at 6:36 PM on September 7, 2017 [1 favorite]


« Older If we fail   |   One of these things is not like the others (but... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments