Spring News

No spring chicken! It has been 9 years since we opened the door at 1220 W Webster and a whopping 13 years since we set up our first tent and a table at the Green City Market. Over the years we have learned countless lessons, grown our business and challenged ourselves to be a little better every day. We still have a lot to learn, ideas to explore and we will continue to improve. Speaking of growth, we are opening a mini Floriole in early May! The new space is part of the Politan Row food hall located at 111 N. Aberdeen. We will offer some of Floriole’s greatest hits and a few new surprises. Stay tuned for the grand opening announcement! photo credit Rachel Brown Kulp Don’t get caught empty handed on Mother’s Day, place an order for a sweet treat. You can’t go wrong with take-and-bake cinnamon rolls or a raspberry rose cake. ORDER FOR MOTHER’S DAY We are making Biscuits & Gravy  for James Beard Eats Week APRIL 26 – MAY 6, 2019 Join Choose Chicago and the Illinois Restaurant Association in celebration of Chicago’s vibrant food scene during James Beard Eats Week. More than 100 Chicagoland restaurants will create customized dishes or menus inspired by the James Beard Foundation’s namesake chef, a pioneer of American dining. Now in its fifth year, James Beard Eats Week brings together the restaurant community and the public to celebrate the James Beard Awards weekend. Restaurants participating in Eats Week donate to the James Beard Foundation Scholarship Fund, which supports aspiring Chicago culinary students on a path to success in the hospitality industry. In 2018, Eats Week raised $13,900 for the scholarship program. Eat Your Veggies! We are so darn proud of our dear friend Abra Berens whose book, Ruffage – a practical guide to vegetables, hits the shelves this month. Abra worked with us in the early days at the farmers’ markets and later she developed the savory side of our cafe menu including the classic Parisian, spicy tomato soup and vegetable-based salads. Her book is absolutely fantastic and will make you want to eat your veggies. Copies are available in the cafe and we will be hosting an event with Abra on June 9th (more info to come). Additionally, Read it and Eat has a talk and demo with Abra on April 28th, tickets here. Wedding Cakes and Private Events at Floriole For more information about hosting a private event at Floriole, please fill out this form. For more information about wedding cakes, please fill out this form.

Late Winter News

Floriole Cafe & Bakery What’s New at Floriole The bakery is looking spiffy with fresh paint and updated menu boards. We are so happy with the results and hope you will enjoy the refreshed space. We will continue to update the space throughout the year. Keep your eyes peeled for more changes.   Some items on the menu have changed to reflect the produce of the season.  Just to name a few, there is a satisfying warm and hearty braised brisket tartine, avocado toast highlights bright winter citrus, and the roasted turkey sandwich includes butternut squash hummus and cranberry sauce. March will bring some fun additions to the pastry line up. Irish soda bread will make an appearance around St. Patrick’s Day and Boston brown bread will be on the menu all month. Quick Breads Class You asked for it! We are kicking of classes at Floriole with a quick bread baking class. In this small, hands-on class, we will tackle banana bread, Irish soda bread and biscuits. The class will be taught by Floriole bakers Lauren Ellis and Sandra Holl. All participants will leave with recipes and the items they bake in class. Please click on the link to register. Saturday, March 9th 3pm – 5pm. Learn to bake: quick breads $50.00 Brooklyn Viennoiserie Invasion Vienoiserie Takeover with Zachary Golper of Brooklyn’s Bien Cuit.  Sandra & Zachary have developed an exciting array of laminated pastries that will be available for one day only at Floriole. Zachary will be on site to sign copies of his book Bien Cuit: The Art of Bread 31 March From 8:00am to 5:00pm Brooklyn in Chicago – Viennoiserie Invasion with Bien Cuit 1220 W Webster Ave Chicago, IL 60614 Floral Design Class In early April we will host a class with No Vases. Participants will learn about color theory, flower types and balance before creating their own floral arrangement to take home. After working up an appetite, participants will be led on a guided cake tasting by a Floriole baker.  Saturday, April 6th 3pm-5pm Floral Design Class with No Vases $65.00 Collaborative Dinner at Le Reve There are a few open tables left for the Collaboration Dinner on Tuesday, February 26th at Le Reve. Call 414.778.3333 to make your reservation for this event! Wedding Open House – Spring $5.00 Getting married? Stop in for an opportunity to taste Floriole’s wedding offerings and view our space. We will offer tastes and samples of many of our standard cake flavors and sweets table offerings. Floriole is a beautiful location for a small wedding. We can host a wedding/reception with 40 guests seated or up to 99 guests for an informal reception with passed and buffet style food.

Thanksgiving 2018

Let’s Celebrate!

There is still some time left to place your Thanksgiving order. We have a great selection of items to enhance your holiday table. Click HERE to place an order.

A little break

Please know that the bakery will be closed November 22nd-23rd. The Floriole staff needs a break after making all your breads and pies. We will reopen on Saturday, November 24th.

Have a wonderful holiday!

8 years ago . . .

Party! Pizza Party!

We can’t believe that it has been 8 years since we first opened our doors at 122o W Webster. To mark the occasion we are having a pizza party with the help of Rachel Post, Floriole’s first employee and owner of Chicago’s best roving pizza business, Our House Pizza. If you remember the pizzetta we served from the pastry case or the pizza nights we used to host on Friday nights, then you have experienced some of Rachel’s handiwork. She will be making a red pie garnished with Underground Meats salami and a white pie with ramps and potatoes. Pizzetta will be available from 11am until they sell out on Tuesday April 24th.

What’s a party without cake?

Of course there will be birthday cake! We will have celebratory slices of birthday cake staring early in the morning on Tuesday, April 24th. We won’t judge if you opt for a birthday cake breakfast with your coffee. Come by to celebrate with us.

Opening Day

It truly feels like spring when the outdoor Green City Market opens for the season. Opening day is Saturday, May 5th form 7am – 1pm and the market will take place Wednesdays and Saturdays for the rest of the season. We can’t wait to see our favorite farmers and producers and get our hands on the best produce the region has to offer!

On Monday April 30th, Sandra will be cooking on NBC 5 during the 11am news to promote the Green City Market. Here is the recipe:

Roasted asparagus with salsa verde, whipped goat cheese and toasted sourdough

• 1 pound asparagus
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Wash and dry the asparagus. Snap off the fibrous ends and discard. Slice the spears into 2” pieces. Toss together with olive oil salt and pepper. Spread onto a parchment lined sheet on and roast in oven preheated to 450F for 15 minutes or until lightly charred. Set aside.

• 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cream

Stir together until homogenous. Season with salt and pepper.

• Small bunch of parsley, washed, leaves plucked from stems
• 8 mint leaves
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend. Season with salt and pepper.

• Toasted sourdough bread

To assemble:

Smear goat cheese in plate

Top with asparagus

Drizzle with salsa verde

Serve with sourdough

Fête du Pain 2018

This event takes place far from Floriole but we are proud and excited that Sandra is joining a team of 24 bakers to represent the USA at the Fête du Pain in Paris. The team of bakers will bake with hundreds of other bakers in a 1,200 square-meter tent in front of Notre-Dame de Paris. More information here and check out our Instagram feed to see what happens behind the scenes.

(Almost) Spring 2018

It seems a little optimistic to say, but spring will be here before we know it! While we dream of rhubarb and strawberries, we are filling the case with tropical treats like the passion fruit tart and bright pink lemon hibiscus bars. Watch for new salads and menu additions as the savory team gets their hands on early spring spinach and asparagus.

In April Floriole will celebrate our 8th birthday at 1220 W Webster! Stay tuned for more information about fun festivities to mark the occasion.

Passover Menu

Be sure to place an order for your holiday table. Although we are not a kosher bakery, we have a nice selection of items made without wheat flour. Click here to place an order.

Easter Menu

We have your Ester holiday needs covered from breads and quiche to sweet endings. Place your order here.

February 2018

We have a new menu!

The BAD has returned, well sorta and there are other new and exciting menu choices. Please give Chef Hunter a high five. He has done a great job updating the menu.

Love (and chocolate) is in the air.

The bread team has created the most stunning and delectable babka filled with chocolate and raspberry. It will only be around until Valentine’s Day.

Everything has turned chocolate on the pastry side of the kitchen. We have chocolate canelé, chocolate kouign amann, chocolate dipped heart tarts . . . Other menu additions include heart linzer cookies and blood orange posset.

We are open on President’s Day and we would love to see you. Looking forward to longer days and the arrival of March.

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Join us to celebrate the amazing work that Growing Power does to help bring more real food to Chicago’s south and west sides. This summer alone they will employee 200 teens and 150 head-start preschoolers at city farms. Come enjoy delicious food, a drink or two, and help Growing Power to grow delicious and nutritious vegetables while supporting over 350 youth this summer with art, cooking, food and fitness, as well as environmental education!

Food and desserts provided by:

Floriole

Our House Pizza

*more to be announced

$10 donation upon entry includes 1 drink ticket. Additional drink tickets available for $5

Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities.

Summer 2017

Summer Lovin’

We love this time of year because each week brings something new and exciting from the farmers market which means there are constantly new seasonal items appearing up in our cases. Additionally, you may have noticed a few exciting changes on the breakfast and lunch menus recently. For breakfast try our new lightened up egg white frittata or go all-in with the egg sandwich – a winning combo of cheddar spread, bacon and pickled onions on a fluffy brioche roll. Our beloved ricotta toast is now topped with a bright heap of strawberries and finished with a drizzle of lavender honey! Bon Appétit!

Crepe Dinner, June 11

Put on your beret and join us for a fun crêpe dinner at Floriole on June 11.

Menu:

• asparagus and fava bean salad
• buckwheat crêpe filled with smoked gouda and spinach, topped with a farm egg and crisp lardons
• sweet crêpe filled with roasted strawberry rhubarb jam and topped with buttermilk sherbet
• *hard cider, beer, wine and other beverages are available for purchase

Get your tickets now! Merci et à bientôt!

Celebrate Bastille Day at Floriole, July 14-16

Join us all weekend to celebrate Bastille Day. We will be tasting fine French wines, cheeses and chocolates, running happy hour specials, and hosting kids crafting events up at the farm table.
Friday, July 14, 3-5pm- French wine tasting
Saturday, July 15, 3-5pm – Cheese tasting
Sunday, July 16, 3-5pm- Chocolate tastings (enjoy a complimentary chocolate with each cup of coffee that day)

We will continue the celebration all month long with our July Specials

More events

There are many other events at the cafe and in the community coming up this summer so mark your calendars!

• June 10: Watercolor floral wreath crafting with Joslyn at Floriole. Tickets and info HERE
• June 16: Crepe party fundraiser for LFC at Floriole. All ages are welcome! Tickets and info HERE
• July 4: The cafe will be closed for Independence Day.
• July 5-9: Taste of Chicago. More info to come on a schedule of Sandra’s Chef Demos!
• July 20: Green City Market Chef BBQ – Tickets and info HERE

April 2017

Happy Birthday to Us!

Seven years ago this month we quietly opened our doors and hoped for the best. After several years of carting around a tent, folding tables and all the baked goods we could stuff into our mini van to the Green City Market, we were thrilled to have walls and a roof over our heads. Our opening crew was comprised of less than 8 and today there are close to 35 Floriole team members! I don’t have many clear memories of that first day, sadly it’s a bit of a fog. I know that it was so exciting and exhilarating; a dream come true.

Thank you to all the people who have supported Floriole from our days at the farmers’ markets and at the shop. Through the years, your kind words of encouragement and constructive criticism has kept us going and shaped what we have become. We are forever grateful to the hardworking and talented individuals who bake, clean, manage and provide great customer service. It takes a team to keep this place running and we couldn’t ask for a better group to get the job done.

On Friday April 21st, please join us as we celebrate our seventh year at 1220 W Webster Avenue. There will be cake!

Easter and Passover

We are here to help with your celebration needs. Pickup April 10th and 11th for Passover and April 15th and 16th for Easter. Orders require 48 hours notice and will be taken online and in the cafe.

Art by Cynthia Winter

Cynthia Winter is a Chicago architect. She is inspired by the vast urban landscape yet delights in capturing the color and detail of interior still life. The magic brew of pigment and water allows her to create abstractions of the world she sees. She travels with a pocket size watercolor color kit instead of a camera. In Chicago, she cruises the lakefront via bicycle, capturing water and waves, the autumn symphony of color, the emerging green in the spring and the winter icescape from her skyscraper studio. In the west, she grabs the sun sky mountain desert and sketches from the passenger seat of her convertible as the landscape slowly passes.

Stop in and check out her work displayed at the bakery. All pieces are available for purchase.

 Behind the scenes at Floriole

Floriole from Floriole Chicago on Vimeo.

March 2017

Just keep marching on . . .

As we get closer to spring, the menus are lightening up, new items are arriving and our kitchen is once again open until 5:30pm.  On the savory side, we have a new turkey club, a hot dish of duck confit and sweet potatoes that we call the Duck HP, and new seasonal salads. The bread team has resurrected Boston brown bread and hot cross buns will appear later in the month. Pastry is turning out cream cheese danishes, goat cheese and cherry galettes and working on a new cookie. Stay tuned for special items for Passover and Easter.

Crêpe Dinner March 19th

The first crepe dinner was a success and we are looking forward to another this month.

The March crêpes dinner menu will feature:

buckwheat galette with crab and shallots in mornay sauce, mixed greens with meyer lemon vinaigrette

“suzette” rolled sweet crepe filled with yuzu and tangerine butter, citrus salad and burnt orange caramel

cider:
a selection of French cidre brut from Normandie and locally produced ciders

Tickets for the dinner on March 19, 2017 are available for $30 per guest. Reserve seating by calling Floriole at (773) 883-1313 or here.

Pi Day

We are looking forward to celebrating 3.14159265359 – every baker’s favorite number. To mark the day we will have individual “Pi”neapple upside-down cake for $3.14. You don’t need an excuse to enjoy this cake but this sure is a good one.

New Art Installation

Cynthia Winter is a Chicago architect. She is inspired by the vast urban landscape yet delights in capturing the color and detail of interior still life. The magic brew of pigment and water allows her to create abstractions of the world she sees. She travels with a pocket size watercolor color kit instead of a camera. In Chicago, she cruises the lakefront via bicycle, capturing water and waves, the autumn symphony of color, the emerging green in the spring and the winter icescape from her skyscraper studio. In the west, she grabs the sun sky mountain desert and sketches from the passenger seat of her convertible as the landscape slowly passes.

Le Coin de Mathieu