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Wicker Morsels: A Baker's Tale Revamps, Whiskey Business to Open Friday

By Alisa Hauser | January 18, 2016 9:52am
 A Baker's Tale, 2127 W. Division St. in Wicker Park.
A Baker's Tale, 2127 W. Division St. in Wicker Park.
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DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser

WICKER PARK —  Just shy of its 2-year anniversary, a whimsical bakery inspired by fairy tales has briefly closed its Division Street shop and plans to reopen next Monday with an expanded lunch and breakfast menu.

"All new salads, all new sandwiches, a spin on banh mi, we are revamping the lunch menu to shake things up," said pastry chef Christine LaSorda, owner of A Baker's Tale, which opened in March 2014 at 2127 W. Division St., just west of the Damen Avenue and Division Street intersection.

Though A Baker's Tale currently offers a few lunch sandwiches, LaSorda said she did not expect her bakery to appeal to a lunch crowd. 

"When we opened we were pastry driven but didn't realize how many people would come back to us for lunch," LaSorda said.

Though still in draft mode, all of the salads and sandwiches on the new Baker's Tale menu  (view it here) will be named after characters or familiar objects, such as a "ruby slipper salad" starring beets and a "20,000 Leagues" tuna salad sandwich with lemon and capers.

Currently, A Baker's Tale has 42 seats but the space is being remodeled so there will be more places to sit for a greater variety of groups.

"The whole layout will be more spacious; there will be more two tops for smaller groups," LaSorda said.

Though A Baker's Tale has been closed since Jan. 1, LaSorda said herself and a team of seven have continued to fulfill cake and cookie orders, as well as sell frozen cookie dough for those wanting to bake at home.

 

In other restaurant news:

Whiskey Business, the 80s and 90s-themed companion bar to Cheesie's Pub & Grub, which opened on New Year's Eve at 1367 N. Milwaukee Ave. is on track to open on Friday, according to owner Chris Johnston.  

TV Chef Jeff Mauro's Pork & Mindy's opened earlier this month at 1623 N. Milwaukee Ave.,  offering BBQ sandwiches, sides and "Pig Candy," or brown-sugar glazed bacon.

Kukai Ramen, which has replaced MAX'S Wine Dive, 1482 N. Milwaukee Ave., put up a sign last week and will become Milwaukee Avenue's third ramen joint when it opens in mid-February.

Dollop Bakeshop, which anchors 5 new luxury condos at 1000 N. Damen Ave., hopes to open by mid-February, according to its owner.

The Bristol's Old Fashioned cocktail was spotlighted in a Cool Material feature on drinks under 200 calories. Located at 2152 N. Damen Ave. in Bucktown, The Bristol has also published its Chicago Restaurant Week menu.  The week, which is really more like two weeks, kicks off Friday and ends Feb. 4.

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