Oh, what a treat! I noticed this place whilst shopping in the store next door and had to take a…read morelook. Brou'ne focuses on brownies as their specialty. First there was the cupcake trend, then the cookie shops... are brownies about to have their day in the sun? The woman working (owner?) was really nice and gave me the lay of the land. They sell over a dozen kinds of brownies and blondies here. They had some special flavors (not on their posted menu) that seemed kind of fall-inspired, in addition to their standard fare. I'm not a brownie person but recently learned blondies are really good, so I got a Bee Bee blondie and a Carrie blondie. The Carrie is a carrot-cake like dessert, with caramel and cream cheese frosting. It was really good, and as a note it is a little "wetter" of a brownie due to the ingredients and thus a bit stickier. The Bee Bee features a biscoff cookie and white chocolate, and was really good. Both were rich and so good, and though they are a little expensive they're definitely worth the occasional splurge! I can honestly say I've never seen this variety of brownies, and Brou'ne had definitely elevated this humble treat to something with much more complex flavors and textures than I'd ever expect out of this staple item from the baked goods category. They have a Thanksgiving menu that I'm going to take a look at, but what I'm really interested in is that they ship nationwide. I'm looking forward to taking a look at that menu to see what items I might be able to send to my mom for Christmas and/or her December birthday. In addition to their signature sweet, they have cookies and cake slices in the cooler. They also have coffee and tea on the menu, and I also picked up a bag of sea salt caramels that were to die for. I've already told others about the place even though it was just last night that I stopped in; I'll be back again, 100%. And maybe I'll bring a friend.

If you enjoy Crumbl's shortening-forward, low-flavor, intentionally underbaked style, you may…read moreabsolutely love this spot! For me, though, it landed squarely in the "not worth the calories" category: a mostly flavorless ball of goo without making the indulgence worthwhile. The shop itself is clean and cute, with a nice variety of brownies and blondies on display. One small note: the dark window tint can make the place look closed when you're passing by, so check the sign on the door. They seem to be open most days. The staff were friendly, patient, and welcoming. Overall, it hits my three-star mark, which I define as: I personally wouldn't go back on my own, but if a friend really wanted to go, I'd have no problem giving it another try.

Vegan ice cream say what? Yes yes yes! During a jaunt in Lincoln Square we spotted Vaca's Vegan…read moreCreamery, subtlely located just off the main street in a corner of the courtyard. Being plant based eaters, we rushed inside to investigate. The investigation results - yes. Just yes. Go here. Often. We tried some of the seasonal summer specials: -Mango sticky rice sundae: coconut sticky rice pudding topped with mango soft serve and condensed oat mylk sauce. Beautiful combination of flavors. -Corn on the cone sundae: sweet corn soft serve drizzled with salted butter sauce, served in a purple corn waffle cone - hands down the most delicious thing I've had in quite a while. Beware - in the hot sun the cone does leak, so either eat VERY fast or ask for a cup to contain any rogue drips. Pricing is reasonable for a boutique plant-based experience, with sundaes ranging from $10-$13.50 depending on size. The staff are welcoming and eager to chat about plant based desserts, both of which are nearly universally indicative of a morally upstanding situation.

My best friend and I visited Vaca's in Lincoln Square on a Saturday after lunch. As anyone familiar…read morewith the area knows, parking here will be what parking is! There are spots close to Vaca's but during peak times especially it's all luck on getting one. We parked in a garage just around the corner and walked. Vaca's is a pretty big store front/space with tables inside. It's counter service style and you order and then your order comes up and they call your name. The store/restaurant space was very clean, and cutely decorated. Staff were friendly and welcoming as we ordered. While my best friend was visiting, she saw a post on Vaca's social media about their corn soft serve leaving September 1st, and we decided we had to try it before it left. We each ordered one of the special corn soft serve in a corn cone and dipped in a (vegan) butter ... shell? dip? I'm not sure how to refer to that! This cone is giant, I need to be so clear. I was impressed with the size of the cone and they fill it all the way up with soft serve. The texture is remarkably smooth and the flavor was really perfect. If I didn't know this was a corn flavor, I'm not sure I would have known it was corn as opposed to maybe "sweet cream" or something more mild, but this was a perfect ice cream. I could eat this particular soft serve for the rest of my life and be so satisfied. The cone was really crunchy and also a more mild flavor. The corn soft serve was so delicious that I would definitely try anything else on their menu and it leaves me excited to try more seasonal offerings in the future. I'm so curious about other flavors and options on their menu, and was really impressed with the quality my order. Thank you so much, Vaca's, for a great treat with my best friend!

Taste good, with some variety of flavors and toppings. Staff is very kind and helpful, and the…read morespace is bright, though there wasn't really much indoor seating. Admittedly, pricing is a bit high compared to other places

Very basic for the price. Only 4 soft serve flavors and the small is almost $6, plus they charge 89…read morecents per topping. The flavor is basic, nothing special.

Comfortable cozy seating. Excellent chocolate and coffee drinks, coupled with excellent service…read more.. Leonidas Chocolate Cafe ROCKS! An excellent spot for hanging out after your dinner and/ or theatre in the area.

An excellent stop on the way to the airport. Our pal, Dr. Robert, has redeemed himself by…read morerecommending this spot. Leonidas is a regular for the good doctor. It's a nice coffee-with-your-peeps stop or maybe a small lunch. It's quite cozy and they have a nice variety to choose from. Certainly, many as a drop in bakery and take their treasures to-go. I had a lovely strawberry Belgian waffle and a Marocchino Caldo. Good to the last drop. I noticed many people ordering crepes and croissants. There's just so much here. Robert always walks out with macarons that he snacks on throughout the day. So even the health wise has his days. I chose the Chocolate Raspberry Bombe and don't regret it! Our service was terrific. Such nice folks distributing a luscious product. Another fantastic find in metro Chicago. 02/26

Cafe Libra is my new go-to for Balkan food. The cevapi are ridiculously good and the portions are…read morehuge! I got ten of them stuffed into a fresh pillowy lepinja bread that they bake fresh. The bread is warm and soft and honestly makes the whole thing. And do yourself a favor: get the Nutella Serbian donut. It's amazing. The patio is one of the best parts -- super chill vibe with a ton of colorful umbrellas hanging overhead. The staff are so friendly too, always happy to answer questions if you're not sure what to order. Can't recommend this place enough. I'll be back for sure.

Stopped by Cafe Libra around 11am and sat outside with my puppy, which I really appreciated! The…read morepatio is super cute and colorful, and they had no problem with my pup sitting outside with me. I ordered an iced coffee and it was fine--nothing particularly special, but still enjoyable. I was hoping to grab a pastry or something to go with it, but unfortunately they didn't have anything out when I visited, which surprised me since it was already around 11am. One thing to know if you're planning to come here and get some work done: there was no Wi-Fi/internet available when I visited. Overall, Cafe Libra has that casual, familiar Balkan café feel. My experience was okay, but I'd definitely come back another time to try the pastries and more of the food. The cute patio and being puppy-friendly outside were definitely the highlights for me!

Ordered their lavender fog chai & their ube latte That was…read moremy first time trying ube and I'd have to say it was just okay The fog lacked lavender & chai to be honest Their spinach & cheese croissant wasn't what I expected.. a bit too creamy for my liking

I came here on the hottest day possible! I wanted a sweet treat and I wanted something light. This…read moreplace is known for their Japanese style pancakes. We also saw tarts and instantly got interested in that too. We ordered two tarts and their best seller - biscoff cookie crumble puffy cake. The cashier was nice and answered all my questions. After we paid, the food came straight to our table. The interior is so clean and comfortable. We enjoyed looking at the interior. For the food, the puffy cake was on the sweeter side but it goes well with a drink. The puffy cake was warm and fun to eat. I shared it with a friend so it was the perfect portion size. We also ordered the key lime tart and strawberry tart. They were both delicious in our opinion. They were served cold but still fresh. I would say to give this place a try!!!

This is my absolute most favorite bakery. So this is my ode to the bakery and Dom, who is a gem of…read morean employee there. I've been a customer of almost 10 years and have been obsessed since they first opened their doors at a different location. I literally live an hour away without traffic and even longer with traffic, but I make sure to stop by or send someone else to get it for me at least once a month or more. I love the amazing cakes that are so delicious and unique but on top of that, it is Asian owned, LGBTQ supporting, etc. A lot has changed since their little storefront with no seating. The bakery is now a full on cafe and I'm so happy to see how much they've grown and how successful they are. And while it is glorious, I will say I miss the sweet neighborhood charm and great customer service it used to have. Getting in touch with the bakery through phone or text can be tough and to be honest, sometimes one of the people working there is kind of...very mean. It had me questioning if I should keep coming back. I just love this bakery so much though and being raised by parents that had a small food business, I can't help but want to support. I had a particularly difficult last minute request for the bakery a few weeks ago and I was reminded why this place is so great. It had been YEARS since I made this specific request, which was an order for a slice of cake for every flavor and a cupcake for every flavor. This is a BIG and time consuming request, especially if it's last minute. Unfortunately I come to the city whenever the traffic isn't atrocious, so it's always last minute. Dom absolutely pulled through though. Even though there were other employees there (I saw two others but one disappeared and then another male was kind of walking around the cafe and such), Dom took this giant request and fulfilled it himself. The other gentleman (not the mean person previously mentioned) was actually who I made the request to, but he told Dom to do it. I was kind of confused why they didn't do it together but idk, maybe the other guy isn't allowed to handle food? Who knows. Regardless, this request obviously took a long time and the line was getting longer; people were getting a little restless but Dom stayed calm but was swift. I swear he was moving faster than most people in the industry could with a cake knife like that. He was not impatient or rude to me at all. He was just there to do his job as fast and well as possible. It's so rare to see that type of work ethic. He is also so obviously proud of the bakery and the food they serve which makes you feel good about being a patron there. So although I continue to have an unpleasant experience with one particular employee there, Dom keeps my love for this bakery alive. He reminds me of what this bakery was like when they first opened their doors. I hope Dom is cherished there and I bet he is considering his work ethic. I will continue to support this bakery and I recommend everyone else to support as well. It may not be that small little shop anymore but Dom is a reminder of the heart of the place.

Excellent though expensive cupcakes Coffee is good…read more Plenty of seating and tables if you're eating in Service is very good

Such a cute space, with a retro, homey atmosphere. They even have some window booth seating. I got…read morea pick-up order of the Quiche Luann, chicken pot pie, sausage Parmesan hand pies and a mini Jefferson pie (saving that one for Thanksgiving.) Their pies are so delicious. I love the chicken decoration on the chicken pot pie. I heated up the quiche for breakfast today and my husband said the crust was the best he'd ever eaten. If you don't have a "Mom's special pie" recipe to work from, this place has you covered.

I always love coming here and sitting down to enjoy their pies. Their chocolate pumpkin swirl and…read morecoconut cream pies are very creamy and sweet. The ambiance is also very cozy, like you're at your grandma's house waiting for a fresh pie. Service is always consistent and good too!!