Scones are the new doughnut. Which were the new pie. That progressed from the good ‘ol cupcake. And before we just ate… ice cream on a cold stone? How vintage.
Bakeries are always on trend. Whether it’s classic French pastries (my favorite), cronuts (not), or cupcakes the size of your face, the sweets continually reign supreme. There’s positively no shortage of spots to get your sugar coma on in Chicago. Until very recently it was doughnuts and macarons giving us the most action, but, there’s a new kid on the scene and Scone City is giving us all of the crumbly glory we can handle.
Located in Wicker Park on a bustling stretch of Division Street, Scone City is in good company amongst many restaurants, lovely shops and, shockingly, just one other bakery. For now.
photo credit: Eater Chicago
The shop is positively a contemporary form fan’s dream. There are unique art installations, neon chandeliers, and exposed brick beside gleaming, white marble. Bottom line: it’s a cool place to hang out.
Owner, Jessica Canning, did a brilliant job with the décor and an even more stellar job with the menu. Speaking of that menu, let’s chat scones, shall we?
The menu is divided into ‘sweet’ scones, ‘savory’ scones and even gluten free scones for y’all that just aren’t willing to suffer for your pastries. There are approximately a dozen or so choices at any given visit and upon my stay, 4 scones were sampled. And by sampled I mean devoured.
I just L O V E D these scones.
brie, honey, thyme scone
I know some folks aren’t huge scone fans. You’ll hear complaints that they’re too dry or too dense. In those cases I’m 99.99% certain it’s just because they’ve never experienced the beauty of a truly well-executed scone. Because really, where do you find a great scone? It sure ain’t at Starbucks. The great scones I’ve had can be counted on one hand. Aside from in Paris (though yes, scones are inherently British), the others were at very high-end, fancy shmancy teas. Rarely can you just pop into a coffee or bake shop and leave with a house-made scone of glory.
Until now.
blackberry orange scone
serrano pepper, chorizo, chihuahua cheese, cilantro scone
These two pictured above were my favorite scones. The blackberry orange was a sweet, moist masterpiece. With hugely ginormous, fresh chunks of blackberries and a delicate, orange glaze, it’s the ideal accompaniment to an early morning espresso buzz. I would kill for this on my daily jaunt to work.
Then there was the “Mexican” scone as I’m affectionately calling it. It’s a South-of-the-Border meal in itself. With chorizo, chihuahua cheese, serrano peppers and a nice little side of Sriracha, it spicy, smoky, punchy and totally BOSS. Go ahead and ditch Taco Tuesday in favor Sconey Sunday from now on. Do not miss this one!
My experience was rounded out by a beautifully poured café latte and preposterously above-and-beyond service. If you can’t taste the love and passion in these scones, your taste buds have taken a wrong turn.
Get on the right track and take a trip to Scone City!
Scone City | 1632 West Division Street | Chicago | IL | 60622
I’m totally one of those never been a fan of scones people…guess I need to get to Scone City! Also, always love your writing 🙂
Yes!! You must get there and try them scones… maybe we can meet up over a blackberry one? Yum! My girl Kat Levitt was just mentioning to me how much she likes you… we’ll drag her out, too!
I COMPLETELY AGREE! Hubby always said he hated scones until we went over to London and he finally had a decent one! That brie, honey & thyme scone is just calling my name!!! Adding this place to my must try list ASAP!
I walk by there on my way to work everyday. What roaster do they use?