Profile: Mindy's Hot Chocolate
By Lauren Wulf
Mindy's Hot Chocolate
747 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60647
www.hotchocolatechicago.com
Pastry creator and mastermind chef behind Mindy's Hot Chocolate, Mindy Segal, specializes in contemporary American cuisine with a focus on quality, local ingredients and technique. Her focus is evident throughout the warm, delicious smelling, Bucktown restaurant. Each element of the dining room, menu, decor and take-home products is a modern twist on a classic.
My personal favorites here include anything with a house made marshmallow, bacon or espresso. Lucky for me, there are plenty of these options to choose from.
Below are a few menu staples and some of my favorite picks!
Starters:
• Cheddar biscuits served warm with whipped honey butter
• Pretzel house-crafted soft pretzel, Carr Valley pepper jack cheese sauce
• Wild king mushrooms sautéed with lardoons and fois gras butter
Salads/Entrees:
• Wild king mushrooms sautéed with lardoons and fois gras butter
• Mac & cheese
• Pasta- sheets of house-made pasta, roasted butternut squash, King mushrooms with Buffalo milk ricotta, sage pesto and Green Acres spigarello
• Lamb and Creama Kasa Sandwich- house-ground lamb sausage, Carr Valley
• Creama Kasa cheese, arugula & oregano oil on flat bread served with pickled beets and grainy mustard
• Crab Cake Sandwich- New England crab cake, Werp Farms' bibb lettuce, and house-made roasted giardiniera tartar sauce on a house buttered bun served with cottage chips
Brunch:
• House made Brioche French Toast - vanilla bean custard, sweet cream and local strawberries and rhubarb side of organic sausage
• Hash -Gunthorp farms duck confit, sweet potatoes, kale, parmesan and arugula pesto served with a poached duck egg
The Main Attractions (Dessert, Coffees and Hot Chocolates... obviously):
• Apple pie- Timeless Prairie Orchard Honey crisp apples, double crust, pecan candy, cider caramel ice cream
• Banana brioche bread pudding cocoa nib semi freddo, brown sugar streusel coffee cake, Burton's maple butterscotch
• Doughnuts- brioche doughnut squares with hot fudge and caramel corn
• Ice Cream: sour cream-apple cider caramel, salted caramel, mint chocolate chip, grapefruit gin sorbet
Hot Chocolates (Served with house made marshmallows):
• Dark 72% French chocolate
• pumpkin white chocolate with pumpkin spices and a touch of molasses
• medium milk chocolate with a touch of dark chocolate and a hint of caramel
• Mexican 2/3 dark chocolate, 1/3 milk, fresh cinnamon and cayenne
• black & tan 1/3 hot fudge, 2/3 medium hot chocolate
• half & half half espresso, half dark hot chocolate
• chai 1/2 chai, 1/4 Mexican and 1/4 dark
• Afogato with a scoop of coffee cocoa nib ice cream
Local Support
As a restaurant focused on local ingredients and products, Mindy's Hot Chocolate supports local producers and sustainable agriculture including;
Three Sister's Farm • Spence Farm • Werp Farm • Heritage Prairie Farm • Kilgus Farm • Iron Creek Farm • Timeless Prairie Orchard • Tim Burton • Carr Valley Cheese Adrian Plapp • Green Acres Farm • Nichols Farm • Mick Klug Farm • Kinnikinnick Farm • Gunthorp Farm • City Seedling Farm • Heartland Meat
Hot Chocolate To-Go
When you just can't leave without it, you can purchase hot chocolate, treats and the house made marshmallows to take home. The following Hot Chocolates are also sold online:
• Dark Hot Chocolate Blend
• Medium Hot Chocolate Blend
• Light Hot Chocolate Blend
• Butterscotch
• Malted Milk & Espresso
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix
Whether it is a casual lunch, weekend brunch, dinner or a late night dessert rendezvous, Hot Chocolate continues to be one of the city's most unique dining destinations.
After visiting, it's easy to see how chef Mindy Segal was recently awarded James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef.
Get yourself over to Mindy's Hot Chocolate if you haven't already (and if you have, go back) -- it's warm, cozy and delicious.
Lauren Wulf, CBS Chicago
Lauren Wulf writes about living in Chicago on a budget on her website, A Poor Girl's Guide Chicago.
