Rakki Cafe Black sesame ube swirl soft serve: This Japanese dessert shop next to Reckless Records, in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, has some of the best soft serve I've had. I got their black sesame and ube swirl, a super refreshing and balanced combination. The black sesame was especially great, with a deep nutty flavor that was as savory as it is sweet. Wish I could have tried the matcha This Japanese dessert shop next to Reckless Records, in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, has some of the best soft serve I've had.... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional icecream chicago dessert sweets rakkicafe black sesame ube swirl soft serve 4.5
Trader Joe's Chicago Popcorn Mix: A combination of caramel and cheddar popcorn. No doubt, this is an indulgent snack. Both flavors are a little too rich for my taste, but that didn't stop me from consuming the whole bag in an embarrassingly few number of days. 3.5/5.0
traderjoes popcorn cheddar caramel recommended chicago mix 3.5
Tsaocaa Rose oolong tea with pear: Tsaocaa is a small trendy bubble tea shop a block away from the Chicago CTA subway stop it's large enough to seat groups of teenagers hanging out for hours. I ordered a cup of rose oolong tea with pear with a topping of honey aloe. Served in a sturdy cup, the tea had a slice of orange and lime and a scattering of goji berries floating on the surface alongside a pyramid-shaped tea bag. While the honey aloe was on the sweet side, the drink on the whole had a cleansing and refreshing herbal f... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks chicago fruittea fruit tsaocaa rose oolong tea pear 3.5
G.H. Cretors Chicago Mix popcorn: A sweet and savory popcorn mix that is more sweet than savory. The caramel coating is thick and crispy, but the cheese flavor is comparably lackluster, with a flat flavor profile. The popcorn texture is also not as fluffy as other options – The Chicago mix from TJ's is better, for example. 2.5/5.0
cheddar caramel ghcretors chicago mix popcorn 2.5
Firecakes Pistachio Donut: I was hopeful about this highly regarded donut chain in Chicago. The offerings looked enticing, and fresh donuts were taken from the racks rather than those left sitting on display. But this pistachio cake donut was barely better than Dunkin, with a slightly dry, crumbly texture and too-sweet shamrock-green glaze, all compounded by an unnecessary brown sugar crumble. At least it was reasonably priced, at under $3. 2.5/5.0
chicago nuts sweets firecakes pistachio donut 2.5