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We've compiled the best of the best in Wicker Park - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Chicagoans got a sweet deal in 2022 when Mindy Segal, one of the city's best pastry chefs, opened her eponymous shop, where the focus is not on fancy-pants plated desserts, but more humble bagels, cookies, and breakfast pastries. If you see a line forming along Milwaukee Avenue in the early hours, it's likely locals out to get their morning croissant or bialy fix.
Things can get weird on the flavor front at this cheerful Ukrainian Village scoop shop---goat cheese, moscato, and even basil have been known to make appearances. Suspend disbelief and give it a go; flavors rotate throughout the year, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a dud in the mix.
Scads of neon signs and a pitch-black ceiling high overhead give a night market vibe to this full-service grocery store–meets–food hall, new to the neighborhood in 2024. The food court's the place for Korean tacos, bowls of steaming ramen, hojicha tea lattes, and char siu and egg sandwiches on freshly baked pineapple buns. On the grocery side, you'll find all the Pocky sticks and mochi you need to end your meal on a sweet note.
Division Street has long been a prowl of night owls but with the growing number of spas and boutiques in the area, not to mention the many work-from-home locals, this neighborhood needed a good breakfast and lunch spot. Milk & Honey exceeds expectations with hearty, healthful breakfasts and creative sandwiches at lunch—grab a seat on the sidewalk café in warm weather or in near the fireplace in cooler temperatures.
The antithesis of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, Piece’s thin-crust pies mimic those made famous in New Haven, Connecticut. They’re somewhat free-form in shape and come in plain (tomato sauce, Parmesan, and garlic), white (olive oil, garlic, and mozzarella), or traditional red, with lots of topping options. Salads balance out the menu, while the award-winning house-brewed beers pair perfectly with the food.
When Wicker Park's veggie-centric Earwax Café closed, vegans and vegetarians decamped to this new California transplant. Even devoted carnivores scarf down the café's satisfying vegan dishes featuring house-made tempeh, seiten, and other faux meats. Don't miss the decadent-tasting desserts, made without refined sugar. Additional locations in Lakeview and the Loop.
