Letizia's Natural Bakery

07/28/08

Best Cheesecake ever!

by southsidepaul at Citysearch

this place makes a lot of good stuff, cookies, muffins tarts and pies. But a few years a go I had the "bad" idea of bringin one of their caramel cheesecake to christmas dinner.

Everyone in the family flipped! now, no matter if it's easter or thanksgiving, or anyone's birthday I am required to bring a caramel cheesecake. While I dont love the commute from Pilsen to get there, I certainly look forward to eating the cake myself!

07/22/08

excellent food and pastries

by disanto at Citysearch

I am interested in seeing all these reviews on a place that I have come to view as an almost daily necessity. I love the pastries and the pizza, and the espresso drinks are usually first rate. Several years ago the place had a much more homey feel, and the owner and her son were the ones who waited on everyone. It just isn't that place anymore, but the quality of the baked goods has not waned at all.

I think that the issues with service are probably a function of the high turnover; there seem to be different tatooed men and women working the espresso machine on a weekly basis. I have had moody service before but mainly very friendly and personable employees make up the staff.This makes the consistency of the drinks a bit of an issue, and I agree that all are overpriced. But it still has an incredible charm, and sitting outside on a nice day (in front, since the back area torched up the other day) with their drinks and a panini is a great experience. I never understood why one would suggest going to a starbucks instead. There are a million of those, and just one Letizia's, and the coffee is better. Their adjoining Enoteca is terrific.

• Pros: unique pastries, delicious paninis, excellent pizza
• Cons: expensive, crowded, at times inconsistent coffee quality

07/01/08

Cute Cafe with tons of Character

by DGibbons56 at Citysearch

This cafe has grown so much over the years. I've seen it grow from a little pastry shop to a place that not only sells delicious pastries (the cupcakes and cookies are to die for!!!) but they also have amazing coffee and great sandwiches. I ordered a panini that came on some of the best bread I have ever had. No question this stuff is home made. The staff is also really friendly and a lot of fun. Even though it gets pretty busy on the weekends, I still find myself in here all the time. The food is comepletely out of this world

06/22/08

Great Panini

by Mrobert71 at Citysearch

I've always loved the panini in this place. Made on this home made focaccia-y type bread and then grilled to order. super-tasty. They are popular however and on the weekends the place is nuts. weekdays is busy but not so nuts. if you're there on the weekends you gotta get the express panini. They have a selection of 3 or 4 daily in a small display cases right by the register. those are fast. also the soups are quite tasty and take no time at all. I am one of those crazy people that has soup even when it's 80 degrees outside. If you've never been here you should definitely try it. They also have great espresso bar and pastries.

04/28/08

Best Cupcake I've ever had!

by butterfly7978 at Citysearch

I have to say that this place has the BEST cupcakes ever! You have to check it out if your in the neiborhood

04/05/08

Best ever...

by santiagowj at Citysearch

Planning my trip to Chicago I spoke to friends that had lived in the city and I pulled some places to go on City Search. I came across Letizia's and since I was traveling with my girlfriend, who is starting an organic and natural baked goods company herself, decided to check out Letizia's. We started the evening having dinner downtown at Ed Debevic's which was pretty cool but we saved the best for last. We traveled down Division St and were immediately in love with Wicker Park. We found Letizia's in a quite but what seemed perfect corner. At first it looked as though it was closed but through the glass windows and door I saw movement. My girlfriend, her mother, and I decided to move in and check out the place. The lights were dimmed. To the left sat a group of ladies sipping wine and having what appeared to be a great time. On the right the tiled bar was empty except for the soft blue candles which lined the centered of the bar from one end to the other. We asked a member of the staff for assistance and shortly after a man by the name of Fabio appeared and explained in detail the beautiful pastries displayed behind the glass. Not only was Fabio passionate about the restaurant / bakery but as soon as he learned I had searched him from Florida and through friends he was enthusiastic to converse with us and tell us not only about the restaurant but also about his family. I must say that I have never visited a restaurant that has made me feel as though I wanted to move to that city just so I could become one of the regulars. Fabio not only makes his guest feel welcome at the restaurant he actually makes you feel as part of the family. Letizia, I congratulate you on a job well done, as a business woman and as a mom. Take care and hope to see you soon?Walter Santiago. Oh and by the way the pastries were incredible?yummy.

Rev your engine on the Division Street strip with this bakery's java, sweets and monster cookies.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
A popular wake-me-up spot, this cafe is frequented by a mixed crowd of condo owners, hungover rockers, inline skaters and hospital workers. There's window stool seating and a back-room lounge; outside, big red sidewalk umbrellas shield customers from the sun. The menu offers dunkable chocolate/hazelnut biscotti along with a variety of muffins, fruit salad, gelato and pizza by the slice. Or get wound up with an espresso drink, with regular or soy milk.

06/01/06

User review by mo77

by mo77 at Citysearch

The coffee here is great, as is the outdoor space. And I really like the staff. Not effusively friendly but I've never seen them be rude. I was a little shocked to read complaints of bad service. Good muffins and whatever else I've had has always been solid. Prices are a little expensive.

I just moved further away but consistently find myself making the extra 15 minute walk for this place.

• Pros: Coffee
• Cons: Prices

04/03/06

Well, I've had good cookies

by jennifre at Citysearch

No signs about wi-fi costs, annoyingly.

Costly cookies. While I love their sandwich shortbread cookies, stuffed with frosting, they are $3.00+ each. I recently bought two of those + one biscotti (normally around $1.00), and my tab was $9.00. No coffee, no smile even (I agree wholeheartedly with the snobby-service note here). In addition to snobbiness from their servers, I once ordered soup and it took about a half an hour to get to me. Not so great, no?

Cost-wise, space-wise (pretty cramped, though I like how the outdoors is, when it's nicer out), and service-wise, I'm not sure I can recommend it.

*My friend reports that the normal cookies she's purchased there, are tasteless.

They should indeed, also, post prices. The $9.00 was a little bit of a shock.

• Pros: Some cookies great
• Cons: Service, Cookie prices, Service!

03/24/06

Terrible service, food nothing special

by jennanderson at Citysearch

I've been to Letizia's four times this past year, and each time, I get the same terrible service and same mediocre food. It's the same guy each time, and he's never once smiled at me, and it extremely cold and curt. The first few times, I thought he had a bad day, but clearly, this guy is just a mean spirited person. And I know I'm not the only one who thinks so, and the owners certainly must know he has no people skills and they could care less. Further, their food and bakery goods are nothing special. If you like getting "attitute", and if you like to be treated like you are invisable, please... go there. Personally, I'll never go back.

• Cons: no parking, unfriendly staff, food below average