Chicago - June 01, 2009

Les Croissants, Les Croissants

Fritz Pastry Opens

Third wheels can be tricky.

Jack, Janet, and Chrissy made it work. But, hey, it was the ’70s. Everyone was baked.

Still. Thirty years later, not much has changed. Just ask Nathaniel Meads, Elaine Heaney, and Jared Nance, a threesome who bakes tirelessly to fill the display cases in their très adorable French cafe, Fritz Pastry.

Meads (Tru, Everest) is the resident chef; Healey is the biz manager; Nance has years of resto experience under his belt. Taking cues from Fritz, his baker gramps, Meads whips up classic, Euro-inspired noshes using fresh, local ingredients: croissants, pain au chocolat, brioche, Danish, bostock (brioche soaked in orange flower water syrup and topped with almond cream), springerle (an anise-flavored cookie), and several vegan options.

Fritz’s pastries aren’t just delicious; they’re affordable. Go eat some.

It’s as easy as one, two, three.

Fritz Pastry, 1408 West Diversey Parkway, at Southport Avenue (773-857-2989 or fritzpastry.com).