Delightful Pastries Back to School Specials

 

Nothing says back to school better than a lunch box filled with wholesome goodies and tasty snacks. Delightful Pastries at the Chicago French Market says no lunch box is complete without one of its fabulous brownies ($3.50 each). Whether it be the Paradise (a brownie filled with layers of pecan and caramel, topped with bittersweet chocolate ganache), Fudge (amazing brownie combining an all butter crust and Belgian Callebaut chocolate), or Triple Decker Peanut Butter(brownie topped with peanut butter and delicious chocolate), your child will be the envy of the class.

If you’re not into chocolate or have nut allergies, try Delightful’s Lemon Bar (made of all-butter-crust with freshly squeezed lemon juice) or their Cranberry Orange Squares (sweet cookie dough made with fresh cranberry and orange filling, topped with cinnamon streusel), always a crowd pleaser. 

Can’t decide? Don’t despair. Delightful Pastries also offers a sampling brownie tray ($25/40 pieces) a perfect gift for the class to start the year out right. The temptation may be too great. (We suggest that you also pick up extras for yourself and to share with office colleagues.) 

Looking for healthy choices, perfect for you and your kid’s lunch? Delightful Pastries also is the creator of wonderfully fresh homemade sandwiches and soups all made from scratch using family recipes. "Even the sauces in the sandwiches, such as homemade horseradish sauce, are made in-house daily. We believe that every customer deserves the best quality food just like how we make them at home,” says co-owner Robert Hawryszczuk. What this means is that all Delightful Pastries sandwich ingredients are freshly prepared without preservatives or other fillers.  

“If you can imagine a sandwich where the homemade bread is just-baked, the meat is local and all natural, the bacon is lean, thick-cut and locally cured, and where the ham and pork cutlets are from a local Polish butcher, then you have a good idea as to why our sandwiches have so many fans,” says Delightful Pastries co-owner Nico Hua. 

Chicago French Market sandwich favorites include The Polish ($8.25), with Polish ham, Swiss cheese, homemade horseradish sauce, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, tomato and field greens, served on a fresh butter croissant; The Thanksgiving ($8.25), hand carved turkey breast, Swiss cheese, homemade horseradish, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, cranberry sauce, tomato and field greens on a fresh butter croissant; The Fusion ($8.25), shrimp salad, mayonnaise, spice, pickles and field greens on a fresh butter croissant, and The Three Piggly Wigglys ($10), made with Polish ham, lean crispy bacon, pan fried schnitzel and pickles, served on an “everything” bun. Peanut butter lovers can’t resist He Lives! ($8.25 with peanut butter, grape jelly, lean crispy bacon, banana, house secret sauce, all served on a fresh butter croissant.

Celebrate National Apple Pie Day on May 13 at Benny’s Chop House with a Sumptuous Fuji Apple Tart

National Apple Pie Day on May 13 puts America’s favorite pie front and center on the dessert stage at Benny’s Chop House (444 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago; 312-626-2444). For this year’s celebration, Benny is showcasing the delicious Fuji Apple Tart from Pastry Chef Aaron Lindgren. 

To create this thrilling dessert, Chef Lindgren starts with fresh Fuji apples, known for their

crispness and sweetness. He caramelizes them to bring out their natural sweetness and tosses them in a blend of cinnamon, sugar and citrus zest. The mixture is then baked in tangy cream cheese dough; the baking process continues to caramelize the apples while leaving the crust ever so delicate and fluffy. To complete the creation, the chef accompanies the tart with Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream topped and a haystack of fresh Fuji apples. The result is a beautiful, mouthwatering and memorable finale to a wonderful dining experience at Benny’s Chop House.

This great dessert really should be no surprise, since Benny’s long list of regular customers comment frequently that the desserts are nothing short of amazing. Paired with the perfect dessert wine, the dessert course is a signature event every time. It’s another reason Benny’s Chop House is considered one of Chicago’s best the steakhouses for those who desire the best in modern and sophisticated dining.

To make National Apple Pie Day more intriguing, here are some fast facts about this perennial classic. According to a 2004 survey by the American Pie Council, one out of four Americans prefer apple pie, followed by pumpkin or sweet potato, anything chocolate, lemon meringue and cherry. In 2004, 36 million Americans identified apple pie as their favorite.

With regard to pie as a favorite, one in five Americans admits to having eaten an entire pie by themselves. More than one third of Americans have craved pie in the middle of the night and have eaten pie in bed. Apple pie in history: the first time fruit pie was mentioned in literature was when Robert Greens Arcadia wrote, in 1590, "Thy breath is like the steame of apple pyes." People have had a love affair with apple pie ever since.

About Benny’s Chop House 

Benny’s Chop House is located at 444 N. Wabash Ave. in Chicago, IL 60611. Whether your preference is for 100% USDA Prime natural, dry-aged, and wet-aged steaks, fresh fish and seafood flown in daily, or many other superbly prepared appetizers, salads, entrées and desserts, there are many ways to enjoy a memorable experience at Benny’s Chop House.

You’ll relish perusing Benny’s wine list that has earned Wine Spectator’s "Best of" Award of Excellence. Benny’s extensive wine collection includes more than 1,500 labels. Yet, the enjoyment doesn’t stop there. If spirits are your penchant, you’ll be pleased to know that Benny’s has one of Chicago’s most completely stocked bars and an elegant and creative specialty cocktail menu.

The restaurant is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Hours are 11 a.m. to midnight. The bar and lounge remains open an hour later. Live jazz from some of Chicago’s best musical artists is presented Wednesdays through Saturdays, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Benny’s participates in many events and holds by invitation only events at the restaurant. To learn more and register to receive invitations, contact Benny’s at (312) 626-2444 or visit www.bennyschophouse.com.