Sweet Rabbit Bakery owner and baker Andrew Cheng took a 14-year hiatus from professional baking before emerging with his extraordinary French, American and Asian contemplation on grains and pastries in Chicago. The small, corner shop sits in the Roscoe Village neighborhood. The space was previously a Starbucks, but originally the building was a tied house.
The Schlitz Brewing Co. built the tavern in 1903. A signature globe can still be seen at the top of the designated landmark.
The symbol seems fitting above the bakery exploring borders both global and personal. The ham and cheese croissant has become the bestselling item since the shop opened last May despite the baker’s own lament. “I call it a failure in editing,” Cheng said, laughing quietly.
“Because it just has all my ideas thrown in there.” Those ideas begin with a buttery and brilliant croissant dough made with rye flour by Janie’s Mill. The organic artisan grain farm and stone-ground miller is located in the tiny rural village of Ashkum, about a two-hour drive south of the city.
Its flours have as well as home bakers. “So rye flour helps with the ham and cheese and rye kind of idea,” the baker said. “And inside it has a bechamel with mustard, sort of like a .
” You may know the croque monsieur as the French ham and cheese sandwich that’s ideally served hot and crunchy, but has more variations than there are cafes in France. Cheng folds ham and Gruyere cheese inside his rye dough before baking an.
