Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
decided are “the best” items available in the market. The large showroom is
packed with nursery furniture, cribs, strollers, car seats, lamps, books, toys, bed-
ding, feeding and personal care items, and clothing (from preemie to 4-toddler).
Anything from all-terrain baby joggers to handmade layette items are covered
here.
188 E. Westminster Rd., Lake Forest.
&
847/604-8522.
www.cellaforbaby.com.
The Right Start
Gadgets for babies and toddlers and sanity-saving devices
such as bouncers, swings, and exersaucers are the focus here. If Junior is sud-
denly up and walking and you need to baby-proof your home, this store is your
source for gates, electrical-outlet covers, and cabinet locks. It's a chain, but you
can't beat the convenience of being able to buy so many gadgets in one location.
2121 N. Clybourn Ave. (at N. Wayne St. in the Market Square Shopping Center).
&
773/296-4420.
www.therightstart.com. Subway/El: Brown Line to Armitage.
SWEETS FOR THE SWEET
Bittersweet
Run by Judy Contino, one of the city's top pastry chefs and bak-
ers of all things sweet and sinful, this Lakeview cafe and shop is sought out by
brides-to-be and trained palates who have a yen for gourmet cakes, cookies, tarts,
and ladyfingers. The rich chocolate mousse cake, a specialty of the house, is out
of this world.
1114 W. Belmont Ave.
&
773/929-1100.
Subway/El: Red Line to Belmont.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop & Soda Fountain
This Midwest outpost of the
famed San Francisco chocolatier, just half a block off the Mag Mile, gets swamped
in the summer, but they've got their soda-fountain assembly line down to a sci-
ence. In addition to the incredible hot fudge sundaes, there's a veritable mudslide
of chocolate bars, hot-cocoa drink mixes, and chocolate-covered espresso beans to
tempt your sweet tooth.
830 N. Michigan Ave.
&
312/337-9330.
Subway/El: Red Line to
Chicago.
Margie's Candies
This family-run candy and ice cream shop hasn't
changed much since it opened in 1921. It still offers some of the city's finest hand-
made fudge, whether it comes in a box or melted over a banana split served in a
clamshell dish. The store is known for its turtles—chocolate-covered pecan and
caramel clusters—and may be the only place in the city still selling rock candy on
wooden sticks.
1960 N. Western Ave. (just north of Armitage Ave.).
&
773/384-1035.
Subway/El:
Blue Line to Western.
Sweet Thang
When bopping around Wicker Park's boutiques and quirky
shops, don't miss Bernard Runo's Euro-style cafe for a tasty treat to tide you over.
Runo, a classically trained pastry chef who has worked in the kitchens of the
city's best hotels and learned his trade in France, imports most of the ingredients
for his croissants, cookies, tarts, and other pastries from across the pond. The
cafe has a laid-back atmosphere, with red distressed walls covered with abstract
art and Parisian-style tables and chairs that are set outside in warm weather.
1921
W. North Ave.
&
773/772-4166.
Subway/El: Blue Line to Damen.
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Some of the works of chocolatier Katrina
Markoff might be a reach for kids (such as wasabi-flavored truffles), but choco-
late bars and the best toffee I've ever tasted are a hit no matter what the age
range. Markoff studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and honed her skills through-
out Europe and Asia. Her exotic gourmet truffles—with fabulous names such as
absinthe, mint julep, wink of the rabbit, woolloomooloo, and ambrosia—are
made from premium Belgian chocolate and infused with rare spices, seasonings,
and flowers from around the world. The store—which looks more like a mod-
ern art gallery than a chocolatier—includes a gourmet-hot-chocolate bar, where
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