Hot Chocolate

I had wanted to try Hot Chocolate in Wicker Park for months and I finally did last weekend. This place has received a lot of attention due to the pastry chef, Mindy Segal. She's been featured on Oprah and Martha Stewart and has won a James Beard Award multiple times. So, obviously I went in with some high expectations. I can't say that every detail of the meal won me over, but I was definitely impressed.

I went for Saturday brunch and had to wait 30 min. for a table (more waiting - it's a theme this week)! My group started with a sweet assortment for the table to split. It came with four different baked goods, all of which were very unique. The croissant was filled with pate, the raspberry danish had a spicy kick to it, the sweet lemon-tasting bread had a strong nut taste, and I am not sure what the final item was - something like a biscotti. I enjoyed all the baked treats, except the croissant. I'm a croissant lover, but the flavors did not work for me. The pate overpowered the buttery goodness of the croissant.

Hence the restaurant's title, hot chocolate is kind of there 'thing.' They have a bunch of specialty options. I ordered the medium version and it's one of the most popular. They start with a milk chocolate base, top it with a touch of dark chocolate and caramel, and then it's served with a large homemade marshmallow. Wow! It's richer than it even sounds. It tastes incredible, but I could only handle about half before I had to stop for fear of a tummy ache. The real highlight is the homemade marshmallow - it's less chewy than the processed variety and starts to melt quicker.

For the main event, I ordered a toasted ciabatta sandwich of an over-easy egg, roasted red peppers and goat cheese. The sandwich was fantastic. Every ingredient is something I enjoy, and although the combination was foreign to me, it melded together perfectly. The goat cheese in particular was exactly right - and so fresh.

This place has some gourmet food - and the prices to match, but it's not intimidating. You should definitely check it out - I can't wait to head back for dinner (I've heard the burgers, grilled cheese and mac & cheese are phenomenal). Just need to save up!

Tab: $21 for brunch entree, hot chocolate, and one/fourth of the sweet assortment