Finding France in Flossmoor: Editor's Choice

I used to date a girl who worked at an esteemed European bakery in Chicago. Every night she'd bring back astoundingly delicious pastries and other baked goods. I've had the real thing in Europe, and those Chicago treats stood their ground strong.

A week ago, I stopped into in Flossmoor after a haircut next door and was astonished to see what happened to her usual display case. The cookies and other sweets before were fantastic, but there seemed to be some invaders this time. Invaders—from France.

Delicate macaroons, opera tortes with real gold leaf accents and some mysterious but picturesque-looking chocolate mini pies were featured alongside the usual baked goods. The new additions come courtesy of Sweet Annie's new pasty chef, Matt Pope.

I tried all three of the aforementioned and I've got nothing bad to say about any of them. In fact, I think they beat out my old standbys from the city.

The chocolate macaroon's raspberry filling magically avoided any sort of overly-jellied or congealed state while the cookies sandwiching it remained light and slightly crisp. The chocolate pie had a wonderful bitterness to it, complimented by sweeter tones from the other forms of chocolate nestled within the chocolate crust. A full spectrum of chocolate flavor for any enthusiasts out there.

The opera torte was simply one of the fanciest things I've ever eaten. In all honesty, it's probably fancier than just about anything any of us owns.

These treats are truly a gem in the South Suburbs. I highly recommend you stop by one of these days to sample such amazing quality in your own backyard. If you do, let us know what you think about it in the comments section.

Be on the lookout next week, for my latest local obsession.