Chocolate Takes the Cake

There’s never a wrong time for chocolate, especially when it’s featured as the star player in a new pastry pop-up shop, a theatric cupcake, and walk-up window sweets at a downtown taco spot.

Chocolate steps into the spotlight at NoMI | Boutique Chocolate, a pastry shop pop-up taking place at the Park Hyatt Chicago Library April 26 through May 11. It’s all courtesy of NoMI Kitchen pastry chef Meg Galus, a veritable Willy Wonka of gourmet desserts and confections, utilizing rare chocolate varietals to create a melange of cocoa creations. Expect French and American pastries, brownies, macarons, bonbons, hot chocolate mix, and gift packages.

It’s not very often that Motown and chocolate go hand-in-hand, but they’re currently in perfect synergy at Magnolia Bakery. In conjunction with Broadway in Chicago, the bakery is serving up a special Motown cupcake from now through May 22 in honor of Motown The Musical playing at the nearby Oriental Theatre. The cupcake features a chocolate cake swirled with blonde chocolate buttercream and garnished with a Motown chocolate disc.

Chocolate also makes an appearance on the new walk-up breakfast window menu at Taco Joint’s River North location. The walk-up window slings coffee, doughnuts, and breakfast tacos, with chocolate representing strongly on the sweets side of the menu. Oaxacan hot chocolate is made with stone-ground chocolate, milk, cinnamon, and chile pastilla, while one of the doughnuts is a churro doughnut served with chocolate-hibiscus dipping sauce.

Park Hyatt Chicago
800 N. Michigan Avenue
(312) 335-1234
Website

Magnolia Bakery
108 N. State Street, Chicago
(312) 346-7777
Website

Taco Joint
158 W. Ontario Street
(312) 337-8226
Website