THE ABSOLUTE BEST This is Paris quality right here in Winnetka!!!! Service is great, staff is helpful and the bread and pastries are on par with any spot, PERIOD!!!!! read more

One of my family members went back to Hewn and brought home two more pastries for me to try! The Chocolate croissant and the Morning Glory muffin! The chocolate croissant, like the plain croissant, was lacking. Not only was it missing the underlying buttery taste I've become accustomed to, but there was very little chocolate-it was almost a plain croissant itself! See picture, a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom. Again, the texture and flakiness of the pastry is spot on, but it pretty much ends there. Okay, I've 'saved the best for last'. The Morning Glory muffin! I don't know where to start, except it was amazing with each bite I took. Carrots, apples, walnuts, raisins, sunflower and flax seeds - it's a plethora of flavor and textures, with underlying notes of cinnamon and ginger - it's one of the best muffins I've had in awhile! read more

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Fantastic bakery in the heart of Winnetka. All of their breads are amazing but my kids love the chocolate croissants in particular. Also great sandwiches and coffee. Love their speciality items as well, we recently had their Irish soda break and corned beef meat pies which were incredible. read more

I love Hewn and it's great that they've been able to expand in recent years from their original Evanston location, and I decided to head over here to try the newest outpost since they opened relatively recently. It's much larger than the Libertyville shop but smaller than the OG shop. Service was good and SUPER cheery. They had their February special kouign amann, which had a raspberry-rose filling. It was pretty good and luckily the rose was very subtle since I don't like that flavor; I just really love kouign amann. I'm not the hugest fan of their flavored ones and sometimes wish they'd go back to their original/plain ones, but this was a nice flavor. I picked up coffee today, which I've never ordered from here--just occasionally an apple cider in the fall. Actually I got a chai, and it was delicious; I picked up a chocolate strawberry latte (another February special) was very good as well as per my partner. Drinks may be part of my new order when I visit Hewn. Luke their other bakeries, it's not designed as an eat-in place; however, there is a bench or two if you want to eat before heading out. The downside to visiting the non-Central St (Evanston) location is that the outposts get all their pastries and breads delivered. That means they may not have as large a selection or may sell out more quickly, and also some things may not come until later in the day--I know they've made mention on their Insta that baguettes usually show up at like 9:30 or something. So although the Winnetka shop might be 5 minutes closer to me, I'm just as likely to head to the Evanston shop if I want something. Parking is street only, though a few blocks away the village has a parking structure for these downtown shops. The spots outside Hewn are free parking for up to 90 minutes. read more

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Hewn bread in Winnetka doesn't taste artisanal so much as it tastes like it's mad at you. Every loaf feels like it was baked to prove a philosophical point, not to be eaten. The crust is so aggressively hard it could double as home security, and the inside has that damp, gummy texture that makes you wonder if it's actually finished baking or just conceptually done. The flavor? Sour. Not "pleasantly tangy." Just sour -- like the bread resents being sliced and punishes you for trying to enjoy it. Toasting doesn't help; it just turns the outside into shrapnel while the inside stays weirdly chewy, like it's refusing to participate. And for the price? You'd expect transcendence. Instead you get a loaf that: * Can't make a sandwich without collapsing * Destroys butter with sheer hostility * Goes stale in approximately 14 minutes unless you keep it in a humidity-controlled shrine The Winnetka location makes it worse. Half the time the shelves are empty, so you're overpaying for whatever bread survived the morning rush, while being silently judged by a room that smells like fermented wheat and quiet superiority. Hewn isn't trying to make bread you enjoy. It's trying to make bread that wins arguments on Instagram. If you love it, great -- you probably own a ceramic pour-over and say things like "the crumb is interesting." If you don't, congratulations: your taste buds just want bread to be bread, not a personality test. read more

I stopped into Hewn's Winnetka Outpost last Sunday morning at 11:00am. I was greeted by a friendly staff an array of bread and goodies to choose from. There were a lot of bread choices (their specialty). I purchased a small loaf of their Blonde Country bread. I appreciate that they offer a smaller size because it's difficult to finish a big loaf of bread in a two person household. I also purchased a seeded loaf of bread. It was good, but not as seeded and flavorful and I have experienced from other bakeries. Two mini monkey breads, two lemon ginger scones and a chocolate cookie completed my purchase. I did not try them, but my husband commented that the monkey breads were dry and slightly stale. The scones were a bit on the dry side, too. The cookie was okay. Since this is one of Hewn's outposts, I wonder if the baked goods they offer on a Sunday morning are a day old from Saturday? That may explain why some of the items were dry. If the items were fresh, they would have been great, but this is why I am only giving them three stars. read more

Came just after 9a on a sat and I'd say half the bread shelf looks 30% empty. Friendly staff. We got the durano loaf which has a great sesame crust and the taste is slightly tangy and salty. Loved the ham n cheese croissant, monkey bread, blueberry scone which wasn't too sweet (thank goodness) and the kougn Amman. All delicious and fresh and no line at all. Looking forward to getting their bread regularly read more

I love their other two locations, but the new Winnetka location is amazing. It's bright, clean, and filled with scrumptious homemade treats. I highly recommend. They have a nice garden walkway on the side with benches where you can sit and enjoy your wonderful pastries. read more

Hewn is an amazing bakery and a huge add to the neighborhood. We live in Paris for 6 months of the year. We got back yesterday after Hewn was closed and I am counting the minutes (14 now) until they open this morning. Some of their breads far exceed the pain we get in France, especially the country loaf. The baguette is as close to the ones in Paris as I have had in the US. That is to say, just OK. But with what's available for ingredients in the US, I can't imagine anyone doing better. I love the Monkey Bread. I learned it is made from the small triangles of dough that are left over in croissant making. I will admit, I am completely price insensitive when it comes to a good product so, naturally, I think their prices are totally fine. I am also involved in a business in this town so I understood that rents and labor in this area are very, very high. So if you want a good product, you're going to have to pay up. It really is that easy. read more

Best baked goods-- I am very particular about baked goods... I have traveled the world and a picky person when it comes to any pastry. THESE ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD FANTASTIC. Worth every calorie and penny. read more