Vanille Patisserie Chicago Menu

Viennoiserie

Laminated and enriched morning pastries, baked first thing and best before noon.

• Croissant aux AmandesVegetarian · Contains nutsDay-old croissant soaked in syrup, filled and topped with almond cream and sliced almonds, then rebaked; dense, sweet, and crisp-edged.
• Pain aux RaisinsVegetarianA spiral of croissant dough spread with crème pâtissière and rum-soaked raisins, soft in the middle and crisp at the edges.
• Chausson aux PommesVegetarianPuff pastry turnover filled with chunky apple compote, scored on top and glazed to a lacquered finish.
• Kouign-AmannVegetarianA Breton pastry of laminated dough layered with sugar and salted butter, baked until the outside caramelizes into a toffee-like shell.
• Brioche à TêteVegetarianFluted brioche with a little topknot, rich with eggs and butter, yielding a golden, faintly sweet crumb.
• Croissant au BeurreVegetarian · Popular pickAn all-butter croissant with a honeycombed interior, shattering crust, and deep caramelized color from a long, slow proof.
• Pain au ChocolatVegetarianCroissant dough rolled around two batons of dark chocolate, flaky and buttery with bittersweet pockets.

Pain

Long-fermented loaves with crackling crusts, sold whole, halved, or sliced to order.

• Pain aux NoixVegan · Dairy-freeHearty whole wheat loaf packed with walnuts, earthy and faintly bitter, a natural partner for a cheese board.
• FougasseVegan · Dairy-freeProvençal leaf-shaped flatbread slashed with openings, brushed with olive oil and studded with olives or herbs.
• Brioche NanterreVegetarianA loaf of buttery brioche baked in a pan from several dough balls, ideal for toast or pain perdu.
• Pain de SeigleVegan · Dairy-freeRye bread with a dense, moist crumb and earthy sourness, traditionally served with oysters and salted butter.
• Baguette TraditionVegan · Dairy-freeMade only from flour, water, salt, and leaven, with a crackly crust, irregular holes, and a creamy, wheaty crumb.
• Pain de CampagneVegan · Dairy-freeA rustic country loaf blending white and whole-grain flours, leavened with levain for a thick crust and mild tang.

Pâtisserie

Individual pastries and tarts from the glass case, built on classic French components.

• OpéraVegetarian · Contains nutsThin almond sponge layers soaked in coffee syrup, alternated with coffee buttercream and ganache under a glossy chocolate glaze.
• Tarte TatinVegetarianUpside-down apple tart of butter-caramelized apples on a pastry base, deeply amber and soft-set, often served with crème fraîche.
• Éclair au ChocolatVegetarian · Popular pickLong choux pastry filled with dark chocolate pastry cream and topped with glossy chocolate fondant, crisp-shelled and creamy within.
• Tarte au CitronVegetarianSweet shortcrust shell filled with sharp, satiny lemon curd, sometimes crowned with torched Italian meringue.
• Mille-FeuilleVegetarianThree layers of caramelized puff pastry with vanilla pastry cream, iced with marbled fondant; crisp, creamy, and messy to eat.
• Paris-BrestVegetarian · Contains nutsA wheel of choux pastry split and filled with hazelnut praliné mousseline cream, scattered with toasted almonds.
• Tarte aux FraisesVegetarian · SeasonalCrisp pâte sucrée with vanilla crème pâtissière and glazed fresh strawberries arranged in tight rows.

Petits Gâteaux & Biscuits

Small cakes and cookies sold by the piece or boxed as gifts.

• MacaronVegetarian · Contains nutsAlmond meringue shells with smooth tops and ruffled feet, sandwiching ganache or buttercream in flavors like pistachio, raspberry, and salted caramel.
• MadeleineVegetarianShell-shaped butter sponge cakes with a characteristic hump, lemon-scented and tender, best eaten fresh from the oven.
• FinancierVegetarian · Contains nutsSmall bar-shaped cakes of browned butter, almond flour, and egg whites, crisp at the edges and moist in the center.
• CaneléVegetarianA Bordeaux specialty baked in fluted copper molds, with a dark caramelized, almost crunchy crust and a custardy, rum-and-vanilla interior.
• Sablé BretonVegetarianThick salted-butter shortbread from Brittany, sandy and crumbly with a golden, crosshatched top and rich dairy flavor.
• PalmierVegetarianPuff pastry rolled in sugar and folded into elephant-ear shapes, baked until glassy and caramel-crisp.

Salé

Lunch-hour savories from the boulangerie, from quiches to pressed sandwiches.

• Quiche aux ÉpinardsVegetarian · SavorySpinach and goat cheese quiche with a silky custard and flaky crust, tangy and verdant.
• Croque MonsieurSavoryHam and Gruyère on pain de mie, covered in béchamel and broiled until browned and bubbling.
• Jambon-BeurreSavoryThe Parisian lunch standard: a split baguette spread with salted butter and layered with thin slices of ham.
• Croissant Jambon-FromageSavoryA croissant filled with ham and Swiss cheese and baked again until the cheese melts into the flaky layers.
• GougèresVegetarian · SavoryCheese puffs of choux pastry and Comté or Gruyère, hollow, crisp, and savory, ideal with a glass of wine.
• Quiche LorraineSavory · Popular pickDeep, buttery crust filled with a wobbly egg-and-cream custard, smoky lardons, and nutty Gruyère, served warm by the slice.

Saisonnier

Holiday specialties that appear around Christmas, Epiphany, Carnival, and the autumn months.

• Pain d'ÉpicesVegetarian · SeasonalHoney spice loaf with anise, cinnamon, and ginger, dense and moist, popular around the winter holidays.
• Mont-BlancVegetarian · Contains nutsAutumn pastry of meringue topped with whipped cream and piped vermicelli-like strands of sweetened chestnut purée.
• Bûche de NoëlVegetarian · SeasonalYule log cake of rolled sponge filled and covered in chocolate or chestnut buttercream, decorated with meringue mushrooms.
• Galette des RoisVegetarian · Contains nutsEpiphany puff pastry pie filled with almond frangipane, with a small fève hidden inside and a paper crown on top.
• BugnesVegetarian · SeasonalLight, crisp fried dough ribbons dusted with powdered sugar, made in Lyon around Mardi Gras.

Drinks

• Cold brewVeganCoarse grounds steeped in cold water for twelve hours or more, yielding a smooth, low-acid concentrate served over ice with chocolatey undertones.
• AmericanoVeganEspresso stretched with hot water into a full-size cup; lighter in body than drip yet keeps the toasty edge of the shot.
• CappuccinoVegetarianEqual-ish parts espresso, steamed milk, and airy foam cap, giving a drier, stronger-tasting drink than a latte with a velvety top layer.
• Caffè latteVegetarianEspresso with plenty of steamed milk and a thin microfoam layer; mellow and creamy, often finished with latte art and offered with oat or almond milk.
• Flat whiteVegetarianA smaller, stronger cousin of the latte: a double ristretto under silky, barely-foamed milk for a dense texture and pronounced coffee flavor.
• MochaVegetarianEspresso, chocolate sauce, and steamed milk, sometimes crowned with whipped cream; a dessert-leaning drink balancing cocoa richness with coffee bite.