Bang Bang Pie Shop!

This past Sunday morning, I had the pleasure of FINALLY going to a Logan Square establishment that has been sitting at the top of my "Must-Visit" list for nearly a year: Bang Bang Pie Shop! I was visiting a friend who lives in Logan Square and we decided to go to Bang Bang for some brunch. It was a gorgeous, brisk, and picturesque autumn day in Logan Square and I couldn't wait to check out Bang Bang's back patio that I have seen so many pictures of on Instagram. When we walked up to the tiny restaurant, there was a very long line going out the door. Even though we were both starving, I rarely get to come to Logan Square and knew that I was not going to head back to Lincoln Park without finally trying this famous restaurant. We waited in the line about ten to fifteen minutes and spent every single one of those minutes salivating every time someone opened the door and the fresh, delicious smell of biscuits and pie came wafting out. 

Cornmeal cheddar cookie sample

Lucky for us, one of the kind bakers at Bang Bang decided to walk up and down the line and hand out samples of their cornmeal cheddar cookies. These cookies are unlike anything I have ever had before! First of all, they were completely full sized cookies and I really can't justify calling them samples. It was very generous of the staff at Bang Bang to hand these out in the line. The cookies themselves were quite delicious. The texture was not that of a typical cookie but of a crumbly, cornmeal biscuit. The cheddar was extremely flavorful and it was a great little intro into what would become a delicious breakfast. When we were finally able to walk into the restaurant, I was taken aback by how delightful and fitting the decor was. There isn't really anything more American than pie, and the ambience reflects classic American vibes with checkered tables. The back patio, however, really takes the cake. Like I said, it could not have been a more picturesque fall morning and the patio tied it all together. There are rows of wooden picnic benches that have mason jars filled with napkins. The best part? A ring of chairs surrounding a delightful campfire. It smelled like burning leaves and I never wanted to leave. I'm truly dreading the sooner-than-later arriving days where it is below freezing and we can no longer enjoy al fresco dining. Deciding what to order at Bang Bang was a legitimately stressful experience for me. It seemed sacrilegious to go to a pie restaurant and NOT get pie, but it was peak brunch hours and the biscuits looked like just what I needed. Ultimately, I decided to order the Sausage Biscuit, pumpkin bread (a "dessert" of sorts to make up for my lack of pie) and a cup of coffee. 

Coffee ($2 for a small), sausage biscuit ($5.50), and pumpkin bread ($1.50 for two slices)

The Sausage Biscuit is described as "ginger sage sausage, cheddar cheese, and concord grape jelly." I was worried that a biscuit was not going to be enough to satiate my never-ending brunch hunger, but I was pleasantly surprised. This biscuit is essentially a breakfast burger... but better. The biscuit was warm, soft, and not at all crumbly like some "store-bought" type biscuits that you find at other breakfast restaurants. To be quite honest, I'm generally not the biggest fan of jelly but I actually found myself eating this jelly with my fingers. It was sweet but not too sugary, and the chunks of grape were fresh and delicious. It tasted great spread on the sandwich or just eaten straight from the container on its own ;) The sausage was plentiful and delicious. It was a thick cut of sausage that was slathered in cheddar cheese and paired perfectly with the biscuit. The pumpkin bread was moist, flavorful, and an excellent side to an all-around amazing brunch. I was especially impressed with the prices at Bang Bang. While the sausage biscuit was one of the lesser priced biscuit sandwiches on the menu, $5.50 was still a great deal for the amount of food I received and the quality at which I received it. I was also particularly impressed that I received two slices of pumpkin bread for $1.50. Considering the fact that one slice of pumpkin bread from Starbucks (of about the equivalent size of the combined to slices from Bang Bang) is nearly $4, two slices for $1.50 from an authentic, trendy restaurant in Logan Square is something of a steal. In summary: every penny of the $9 that I spent on this breakfast was worth it, which is extremely crucial as a broke college student.

Huevos ($7.50), orange juice ($3), and coffee ($2.50 for a large)

My companion, Sean, ordered the Huevos biscuit and an orange juice. Sean is a vegetarian, so he opted to get the vegetarian version of the biscuit which substitutes a vegetarian spice mixture for the chorizo. He let me steal a bite and let me say, this was such a treat. I am a big fan of chorizo, but the vegetarian mixture that they use is bursting with flavor and I might opt to order this dish vegetarian on my next visit to Bang Bang. The eggs were perfectly cooked and as soon as you broke into them the yolk ran down the biscuit. Possibly the most surprising treat of the entire meal was the sip of Sean's orange juice that I tried just before we left. I have nothing against orange juice, but rarely do I opt to order it at restaurants. Sean told me that it was the best orange juice he had ever tasted so, naturally, I had to steal a taste. I have no idea what it is about this orange juice that makes it so amazing, but Sean was not exaggerating. This was the most flavorful, tangy, and fresh OJ that I have ever tasted. Next time I visit Bang Bang I will definitely forego the coffee (even though it is fresh roasted and tasty as well) and get the OJ. Actually, who are we kidding? I will probably just do what Sean did and get coffee AND orange juice. I'm a slave to caffeine.

All in all, Bang Bang Pie Shop managed to exceed my ridiculously high expectations. The staff was extremely friendly, the ambience was picturesque, and the food was heavenly. I will definitely be making the trek back to Logan Square in the very near future to try out one of their drool-worthy looking pies. If you have the time, I highly recommend trying out Bang Bang during the fall while the patio is still open. It's such a treat!

Happy Fall!

-Megan

Happy Pi Day! A Trip to Greektown

Happy 3/14! As many of you fellow math nerds may know, today is officially pi day! So, what kind of foodies would we be if we didn't take this as the perfect opportunity to get some pie?! One of our favorite Chicago food blogs, Chicagoist, suggested in a recent article that you go to Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop in Greektown for their famous Spanakopita. We figured this was an excellent idea considering Spanakopita is a savory greek pie and pi is a Greek symbol! Double whammy! Pan Hellenic is an adorable pastry shop that has been sitting in a cozy location on Halsted (conveniently right off the 8 bus) since 1974. It has been family-owned since its opening, and Athena (the woman behind all the magic) was one of the most friendly bakery owners we have ever met. There were only a few other people in the shop when we arrived (granted we did arrive at an off time, around 3 pm) and the ambience was extremely cozy. Catch Greek music played over the radio and the smell of all the pastries was enchanting. 

 Greek Mountain tea

We both decided to order the Greek Mountain tea and Spanakopita. Neither of us had heard of Greek Mountain tea, but being tea enthusiasts we were excited to give it a try. Athena told us that it was similar to chamomile, which was exactly what we both needed after bearing all of this chaotic weather change in Chicago. She brought the tea out with wedges of lemon and it immediately soothed my throat and cleared my sinuses. I did a little research when I got home, and apparently Greek Mountain tea is a very popular tea in Greek culture that is known to do away with colds, aches, and pains. I second that! 

Spanakopita ($4.95)

I could not have picked a better treat for pi day than Pan Hellenic's Spanakopita. Athena was nice enough to heat it up for us and when she brought it out my mouth was watering. The Spanakopita is made with a phyllo dough that flakes as soon as you break it with a fork, followed by a creamy filling of leeks, spinach, feta, and onions. The flaky crust and gooey filling worked together perfectly to provide crunch and delicious creaminess with every single bite. The flakiness of the dough brought out a delicious hint of butter that also went really well with the cheesy interior. My personal favorite part of the dish was the accompanying yogurt spread. Athena informed us that the yogurt is handmade by her mother, and it is unlike any Greek yogurt I have ever tasted. It had a tanginess to it like Tzatziki, but it was thick and almost like a creamy butter spread which made it perfect for spreading on each bite of the pie. Everything about this treat was handmade, and you can definitely taste the authenticity. 

Apart from the delicious treats, the hospitality at Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop was one of the best that I've ever experienced at a bakery. Athena (a name which I think is gorgeous, by the way) was extremely attentive and even gave us refills on our tea! We got the opportunity to have a nice chat with her and learned that the pastry shop has been owned by her family for forty years and was where she grew up as a child. Many people often complain that the authenticity of neighborhoods such as Greektown and Little Italy in Chicago is being compromised by gentrification and the expansion of UIC, so it was extremely refreshing to hear such a nice story about a family-owned business. Greektown does have many chains (and some of them are very delightful!) but you can tell from the moment that you walk into this pastry shop that it is an original, family-owned, Greek establishment. This is exactly what we set out to find when we headed down to Greektown today, so I came home very happy. 

Before we finished up at the register, Athena surprised us each with a parting gift: their house speciality known as "Louie's Cookies." The mini cookies were made of two chocolate walnut meringue cookies with a chocolate ganache center, and they were the best treat I have tasted in a long time. They were so good, in fact, that I didn't even get the chance to snap a picture before I had completely devoured mine! Be that as it may, the chocolate walnut meringue cookies were extremely soft and had the shiny crackle that is seen in delicious brownies. The chocolate ganache center was warm and gooey, and every bite had a little hint of crunchy walnut which was an extra special treat. There is no doubt: we will be back for more of these. If you're ever in Greektown, be sure to stop by Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop and say hi to Athena and her family. It was a truly lovely experience that we will certainly be repeating soon! 

Visit Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop's website!

Did you do anything in celebration of Pi Day? Leave a comment below, we'd love to hear!