Chicago - November 30, 2005

Pastry for the People

The Bleeding Heart Bakery

Baked goods are different things to different people. A rock after a breakup. A companion late at night. Dinner.

With the opening of The Bleeding Heart Bakery, you can add do-gooder to the list.

Owner Michelle Garcia is mixing her passion for pastry (training: Kendall College, French Pastry School; experience: Whole Foods, Blind Faith Bakery, Citizen Cake, and Vosges Haut-Chocolat) with her do-good politics (she joined Greenpeace at age 5). How? Every single one of the tarts, candies, cakes, and cookies that she whips up is made only with organic and sustainable ingredients.

Sound boooooring? One look at the charming bright pink and green walls says otherwise. And then there’s the rotating roster of treats: pumpkin-pecan scones, rosewater madeleines, ginger root brownies, tamarind-chili lollipops, pecan sticky buns, and pumpkin-spice marshmallows. Savory treats include potato Gruyère tarts, cheddar and chive scones, and refrigerated homemade soups and sandwiches.

So the next time you find yourself face to face with an apricot and goat cheese tart, just remember: You’re doing it for the farmers.

The Bleeding Heart Bakery, 2018 West Chicago Avenue, between Damen and Hoyne Avenues (773-278-3638 or thebleedingheartbakery.com).