****LONG POST INCOMING****…read more I wanted to take this time to write a through post about an experience we had at Cupitol this Sunday. We are frequent patrons of the Evanston location (Grove Street) and love it. It was my daughter's baptism, and we had many people traveling from out of town, so the Cupitol location near the highway made the most sense. Knowing that brunch service is semi-self service and there are no reservations, I went to the restaurant beforehand to speak to the manager (Vlad) and maître (Racheal) and give them a heads up about my party's intended arrival time and number of guests. They were very receptive and explained while they could make no promises, they would do their best to help accommodate. Fast forward to morning of, our guest count doubled. The manager, Vlad, had made sure that we had space and even worked with the surrounding guests to see if he could move them to other areas in the restaurant to accommodate our party. He did this in a way that didn't feel intrusive or inappropriate to these other parties (I asked them). Since there are no servers for the brunch service, my wife and I collected the orders, and Vlad did his level best in entering in the order with names, food, and beverage options. Everything came out wonderfully and as expected. If there were items that took longer to prepare, he assured guests were informed and asked if there was anything they needed while waiting. A plus. Moving on to the support staff. Luis and Andres worked diligently to help with drinks (not their job), attended to spills(whoops), deliver food, bring condiments (not their job), pre-buss, and did this all will grace and smiles. They did most without asking and helped with any requests we had outside of the scope of their typical requires tasks. Hats off to these rock stars and their colleagues. All of our guests were blown away at the food, drinks, service, and ambiance. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Did I mention there were 8 children! They had food, drinks, and enough space to prevent any potential melt downs. The owner even came by a couple to ensure that everything was up to par (golf reference intended), and we explained that it was far better than that. Birdie, eagle, double eagle, condor, albatross, or ace. Take your pick. I will recommend to anyone, when looking for a place that goes above and beyond, with a staff that will bend over backward for you and guests, Cupitol is the place. Thank you so much, and you will see us again very, very soon! This is not a paid ad, lol

Self Serve! One of the most modern self-service restaurants I have been to. You get seated and then…read moreorder at the counter. We ordered and our food literally came out 2 minutes later! They have cute bistro outdoor patio seating where dogs are allowed, and larger couch seating area in the back for larger groups or to casually work. The orange juice was fresh squeezed and delicious. I had the shroom omelette, hash browns (which I would've liked cooked a little more brown), and wheat toast. Everything was great! I'll definitely be back in the summer with my dogs.

I love you Nothing Bundt Cakes! If you read my other reviews, you know that I love to get my lemon…read moreBundt Cake in between running errands and wanting to eat it in the car. I've always been disappointed because you guys didn't offer plastic forks or spoons but today surprise surprise... you listened and I got my fork. Which means I was finally able to enjoy my sweet treat in the car!! My daughters also love the lemon so I got them 2 and honestly, I could probably eat all three but I'll be a nice mom and share :-) These reviews make me realize that I eat way too many bundt cakes... oh well!

Banana Pudding Bundt Cake made with Nilla: Nothing Bundt Cakes (NBC) Banana Pudding Bundt Cake was…read morefirst introduced in 2025, but its limited run from 2/16-4/12/26 was my first tasting. Opening the container, the cake itself had a yellow/golden color and a mild vanilla aroma. The official description is "a delectably comforting banana cake, baked with real banana puree, made with real Mini Nilla Wafers and drizzled with vanilla pudding" (and of course their delicious, sweet cream cheese frosting). As usual, the texture is superb, with one of the best aspects of their cakes being the exceptional moistness of them. In this case, I think the pudding and possibly banana puree contributes to the moistness factor as this seemed moister than usual (in a good way). This is where things get a little perplexing. The name "Banana Pudding" makes me think that the pudding would be banana flavored, but according to the description, the pudding is vanilla and the batter is what's made with bananas. My taste buds only got a vanilla flavor from both the pudding and the cake though (zero banana). There was a fair amount of vanilla pudding in the center, but both the pudding drizzled on the exterior and in the center is difficult to see with the naked eye. The Nilla Wafers were crisp, but soft. I can't really hold this against NBC because unless eaten immediately after prep it's almost impossible to keep them crisp. It's also important to note that the wafers were baked throughout the cake and not just the conspicuous one decorating the summit. Unfortunately, the Nilla Wafers do not really contribute anything as the overall flavor is already vanilla and the soft texture gets lost within the moistness of the cake. This one is tough because it was a phenomenal vanilla pudding bundt cake, but it's a terrible banana cake. They really should be calling it Vanilla Pudding Bundt Cake made with Nilla. Doughboy approved as a vanilla pudding cake, avoid if you're hoping for bananas. Doughboy_Food_Reviews My top bundt cakes: 1. OREO 2. Biscoff Cookie Butter 3. Confetti 4. Churro Dulce de Leche 5. S'mores made with Hershey's

Super cute place with high quality food and friendly staff…read more I had the St. Patty's Day special and it had amazing big chunks of the most delicious age tender corned beef. The poached eggs were pure perfection, with the whites firm and yolks runny. My husband's huevos rancheros were equally delicious. After breakfast we stop at the bakery section and bought a few pastries to take home. The selection was quite large and they were wonderful. So glad to have discovered this gem!

Excellent bakery & restaurant. I stopped by after it was recommend from a local fellow shop owner…read more Had a breakfast omelette followed by a purchase of scones, cookies and caprese sandwiches for a following lunch from their attached bakery. With this find I will be returning w friends as a newly found space for delicious food and conversation.

We stopped by thinking the seating area was larger, they do have 6-7 small round tables, which…read moreworked fine for our party. This cute little spot is brightly colored and staff were friendly and helpful. Samples are available for the gelato so take a leap and try something new. I was offered the hazelnut, which I normally do not get, and after suggesting to add nuts for the topping, I'm happy I did. We tried the puffy pastry with vanilla pudding, we both agreed it was tasty and super sweet. Kids got the jello magic and even for them they could not finish it in one sitting. The sweet treats are endless here, we are sure you can find something for everyone on your party.

Castemila Coffee was delightful! It was a wonderful blend of coffee and sweetness of gelato! I…read morewould absolutely order it again. The lemon Gelato was very tart and made me pucker. I love lemon flavored things-- so I enjoyed it even though my crinkled face probably didn't show it! The mango didn't taste like mango to me. It tasted like it was artificially "flavored" mango-- it didn't have a distinct flavor of the fruit mango nor actual chunks of mango. Cafe Castemila is such a cute place. The whole shop was littered with sweets and colorful decor. The staff was smiley and friendly. If in the neighborhood, I'd definitely stop in again!

St. Roger Abbey is nestled in Wilmette, having another location out in Birmingham, MI…read more This cute bakery is run by friendly nuns who are trained in the French art of pastry and baking - super impressive! They offer organic French macarons, bread, cookies, jams, various pastries, and even ready-cooked meals that you can order in advance or pick-up in the store. I loved checking out their shelves of jams, pickled veggies, and other nicely packaged boxes that could be great for gifts! We came here for a caffeine fix, and we ordered: +a White Chocolate Mocha - not brewed well; very weak and watered down; no flavor of the white chocolate +a Cafe Latte with almond milk - not brewed well; very weak and watered down +the Leek Delight - seemed a day or so old; it was dry and extremely bland +the Les bugnes d'Albi - this didn't taste like anything - just a fried, unflavored dough, topped with powdered sugar The organic lemon cookies that I purchased to go were actually delicious - I think it's best to just stick with their packaged cookies here. The nuns were nice. They have limited seating inside, and the place seems pretty popular for pastry orders. Plenty of free parking in the front and in the residential area around the block. +organic lemon cookies +friendly nuns +ample parking

Saturday early in the afternoon, stopped for a cup of coffee. Three employees. Line got longer…read moreafter we placed our order. But our order came out pretty quickly. I got blended hazelnut with cold brew large for $5.70. I did not add any flavors or whipping cream. However, it was still sweet with hazelnut flavor. I loved it! I wonder how sweeter it gets with flavor added with whipping cream. Very local coffee shop with many other pastries and chocolate for sale. Good spot for coffee after a meal in the area!

This little hidden gem was such a pleasure to visit. Since my wife and I were out of town, we…read morewanted to try something new since we were craving something sweet. We walked in and were surprised at the many options Molly's offered. Once I saw the display case, I knew we were in trouble. The ladies behind the counter both days were very nice, patient, and friendly. We ordered a 4-pack of cupcakes both days, and my favorite was the peach cobbler cupcake. My wife said it was a tie between the dulce de leche churro and the white chocolate raspberry. I am so glad we were just visiting from out of town because those cupcakes are so delicious, you'll want to return the next day like we did. One of the things we loved most was how delicious the buttercream frosting was--it really melts in your mouth. For so long, I have taken the frosting off cupcakes because it was too sweet and pretty heavy. You won't have that problem with Molly's Cupcakes.

Mollys Cupcakes is always a sweet treat when I'm at old orchard mall. They are always friendly and…read morehelpful. They have vegan and gluten free options.

Ambiance - casual, spacious, great place for coffee & dessert…read more Service - only 1 person taking orders/making drinks on Sat night, service slightly backed up Food - hot chocolate + biscoff topping was slightly on the sweeter side

I've been here several times and shocked I haven't wrote a review yet! This place is a super cute…read morecoffee shop that has a decent amount of seating to study, work and hangout. Plenty of drink choices, my favorite is the Kashmiri chai. It's just perfect. I got the pumpkin cookie butter latte which was a fall special. Definitely recommend! So many sweet choices, including tarts and macaroons. They do have other food options, I'd have to find time to stay there to order it though. Mornings definitely empty but I've seen them full of people in the evenings.

What a great place! The staff was so helpful and the food was delicious. The "slutty blondie" was…read moreparticularly good.

The challah rolls here might be the best I've ever had. So soft and delicious. I think it's worth…read moremaking a trek out here just for this. I'm I accidentally got the soft salami instead of the hard salami. It was more like bologna. The rainbow star cookies were amazing. Not too sweet and just like the ones I remember getting as a kid in New York. They also have discounted bagels at the end of the weekend. I recommend grabbing a bag to take home and the slicing them and putting them in the freezer. There is plenty of free parking and they do have a few tables in the front if you want to dine there.

Quick and delicious. Just what I needed when craving cookies and frosting late at night. Yummy!read more

First time trying crumbl cookie. I didn't realize it's just a store front with no seating. Plain…read moreand two employees working on making cookies and packaging orders. When we came in no customers were there, to be fair it was about 5:45pm, but No greeting, nothing. Ambiance doesn't really exist. Just touch screens to order and wait without music. A tray of cookies of the week was on the counter, I think the demo cookies looked a little sloppy. But I'd heard such good reviews on social media that I was expecting more. So the five of us each ordered and tried several. Kid 1 had an Oreo cookie. He said 5 stars. Kid 2 had Oreo cookie she said 4 stars. I had the tres leche and I thought 4 stars. Kid 3 had the red velvet. 2 stars. Adult had the chocolate chip cookie. 3 stars. Looks like Oreo was the winner. Unfortunately the chocolate chip and red velvet were duds. Tres leche was decent. I'd give 4 stars to this place, but I'm going with 3, because it's more than just a couple good products. $30 for 6 items. We didn't choose to finish the last chocolate chip cookie we ordered. Might try place again by myself, just because of price, and see if maybe something else is good when it changes to something else.

Kneads and Wants sits tucked away in downtown Skokie with a cute little store front. There's plenty…read moreof seats to dine in and I was impressed with the space inside. There were two staff working and both were so kind during my visit. I decided to get a breakfast sandwich to go and a pastry for a treat for later. Sandwiches are cooked to order. I ordered The Standard which the menu says is bacon, souffled egg, and hot honey on a waffle. Because I got it to go, it was wrapped in a hot sandwich type deli paper. I didn't taste any hot honey at all but this sandwich was delicious. I loved the souffled eggs which were so light and fluffy. I think my particular sandwich got a liiiitle extra toasty, the waffle was pretty dark and the bacon was bordering burnt, which isn't my preference. This sandwich is deceivingly filling. I couldn't quite finish it but man was I full. I will absolutely be back for this and to try other sandwiches. For later I grabbed a flattened strawberry pistachio croissant from the bakery side. I actually love the flattened part of this because it was so much easier to eat than big fluffy croissants and still had all the flakiness that laminated dough pastries bring. I loved this! I can't wait to go back and try their big soft pretzel and maybe a drink next time! Thank you Kneads and Wants!

Phenomenal breakfast sandwiches. Pricey, yes, but worth a splurge every once in a while. Plus you…read moreprobably won't need lunch afterward. Bakery items are hit or miss: delicious cookies (especially chocolate crinkle), and a killer coffee cake, but bland scones and muffins. Also, I wanted to try their big soft pretzel but there was no salt on it. Come on now.