Kosher bakery, north burbs

There's gotta be several. The catch is we need a birthday cake, not rugelach, cookies, etc. Anyone know of a kosher bakery that makes great cakes? Looking for anything in the large-ish area beginning in Evanston and on up to Deerfield. If need be we can go to the city or west(ish). Thanks!

I really like a lot of the items from Leonard's. I can't recall ever having one of their cakes but it would certainly be worth a call to see if they can make one to your specifications.

=R=

Leonard's Bakery
2776 Dundee Rd
Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 564-4977

Gypsy Boy wrote:There's gotta be several. The catch is we need a birthday cake, not rugelach, cookies, etc. Anyone know of a kosher bakery that makes great cakes? Looking for anything in the large-ish area beginning in Evanston and on up to Deerfield. If need be we can go to the city or west(ish). Thanks!

Kosher as in with an actual certification or "Jewish"? I believe Leonard's falls into the second category. The Jewel on Howard in Evanston (okay, not the most artisanal) has a certified bakery. Zelda's in Skokie does some cakes also but I've never asked about birthday cakes, so I don't know how well they'd fit your expectations. Both can do Parve cakes.

Crumbs, the cupcake chain, has a non-standard certification and has a wider selection of dairy cakes - but it depends on what your definition of "Kosher" is (and they're mostly downtown Chicago).

spinynorman99 wrote:

Gypsy Boy wrote:There's gotta be several. The catch is we need a birthday cake, not rugelach, cookies, etc. Anyone know of a kosher bakery that makes great cakes? Looking for anything in the large-ish area beginning in Evanston and on up to Deerfield. If need be we can go to the city or west(ish). Thanks!

Kosher as in with an actual certification or "Jewish"? I believe Leonard's falls into the second category. The Jewel on Howard in Evanston (okay, not the most artisanal) has a certified bakery. Zelda's in Skokie does some cakes also but I've never asked about birthday cakes, so I don't know how well they'd fit your expectations. Both can do Parve cakes.

Crumbs, the cupcake chain, has a non-standard certification and has a wider selection of dairy cakes - but it depends on what your definition of "Kosher" is (and they're mostly downtown Chicago).

Leonard's products are Kosher but since they are open on Saturdays, they refer to themselves as Kosher-style.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

Gypsy Boy wrote:There's gotta be several. The catch is we need a birthday cake, not rugelach, cookies, etc. Anyone know of a kosher bakery that makes great cakes? Looking for anything in the large-ish area beginning in Evanston and on up to Deerfield. If need be we can go to the city or west(ish). Thanks!

Kosher as in with an actual certification or "Jewish"? I believe Leonard's falls into the second category. The Jewel on Howard in Evanston (okay, not the most artisanal) has a certified bakery. Zelda's in Skokie does some cakes also but I've never asked about birthday cakes, so I don't know how well they'd fit your expectations. Both can do Parve cakes.

Crumbs, the cupcake chain, has a non-standard certification and has a wider selection of dairy cakes - but it depends on what your definition of "Kosher" is (and they're mostly downtown Chicago).

Leonard's products are Kosher but since they are open on Saturdays, they refer to themselves as Kosher-style.

=R=

I was referring to independent certification. I believe they're "self-policing" like Kaufman's or New York Bagel & Bialy, that is, they may prepare a product that's subjectively Kosher but they don't pay for independent supervision which limits broader acceptance in the community.

spinynorman99 wrote:I was referring to independent certification. I believe they're "self-policing" like Kaufman's or New York Bagel & Bialy, that is, they may prepare a product that's subjectively Kosher but they don't pay for independent supervision which limits broader acceptance in the community.

Yes, you are correct. They're not under Rabbinical supervision, which could definitely a deal-breaker for Gypsy Boy's intended giftee. Of course, even if they were under supervision, it doesn't necessarily mean that the folks to whose house he intends to bring the cake would accept that particular organization's authority.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:I was referring to independent certification. I believe they're "self-policing" like Kaufman's or New York Bagel & Bialy, that is, they may prepare a product that's subjectively Kosher but they don't pay for independent supervision which limits broader acceptance in the community.

Yes, you are correct. They're not under Rabbinical supervision, which could definitely a deal-breaker for Gypsy Boy's intended giftee. Of course, even if they were under supervision, it doesn't necessarily mean that the folks to whose house he intends to bring the cake would accept that particular organization's authority.

=R=

Which is why my first question asked for a clarification on "Kosher." Jewel and Zelda's have the broadest certification (CRC) of the bakeries I find palatable. Crumbs has a renegade certification and the other places are "Jewish" more than "Kosher."

Oy. Such a tzimmes.

It seems (if paulette is to be believed--and why shouldn't she?--in this five-year-old post):

paulette wrote:Leonards is an old fashion Jewish Bakery. Take this to mean good challe, good rye bread and good rolls. Coffee cakes aren't bad either. They are not kosher but are pareve so they don't use dairy products in their baking.

It is an old family bakery, grandfather around Maxwell Street or Roosevelt Road, father on Devon, son opened in Northbrook about 15 years ago.

And, somewhat to my surprise, Zelda's website carries this statement:

"Our entire product line and retail store are kosher certified by the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc). Our wholesale products are certified by the cRc and Star-K. Kosher consumers should note that our bakery products are non-dairy (pareve), pas yisroel and yoshon. We offer dairy and pareve chocolates; all chocolate items offered for sale on this web site are pareve unless indicated to contain dairy.

In addition to cRc kosher certification our wholesale product line is kosher certified by Star-K."

I would say "who knew?" but undoubtedly someone would rise to the, um, occasion.

The answer to the discussion upthread is simple: certified would be best but we might (might) squeak by with good intentions. All in all, certified--by someone--would be best.

And so. Both Tel Aviv and North Shore (on Touhy) are certified. Anyone have any experience with either? I was in both, once upon a time, but it was too long ago to rely on my memory.

Tel Aviv and NorthShore have their strengths but cake ain't it. BreadSmith is actually superior for a lot of things (also no cake, but good cookies/sweets).

Tel Aviv Kosher Bakery (2944 W Devin) and Breadsmith (3750 Dempster Skokie) are excellent kosher bakeries - I also like Zelda's - If you a 'Jewel' style sheet cake you can get a kosher one from the Jewl on Howard in Evanston - They have a full service kosher bakery -

Shalom Kosher Bakery
1165 N. Arlington Heights Rd. (corner of Route 83 and Arlington Heights Rd., next to BMO Harris Bank)
Buffalo Grove
(847) 808-9300
Delicious bread, rolls, and pastries. Call them and inquire as to how they can accommodate your birthday cake needs. Chicago Rabbinical Council certified.

Hungarian Kosher Foods in Skokie also has a bakery that does custom orders. I don't know what their cakes are like.

I don't know when the birthday is, but bear in mind that Passover starts Friday, which will limit your cake options considerably.

Hungarian Kosher Foods
4020 Oakton, Skokie, IL 60076
847-674-8008

My son's wedding cake will be coming from Zelda's.
We did a tasting there, and for cakes with no dairy, they were really quite good.

Not a fan of North Shore's cakes. Tel Aviv Bakery has fantastic rye bread, not sure about cakes. Levinson's, also on Devon, is not kosher certified but definitely kosher style. They make a terrific babka, which I recommend, but that probably doesn't qualify as a birthday cake.

We've ordered a number of birthday cakes from Tel Aviv Bakery (773) 764-8877 (2944 W Devon) over the years and they were all great. Especially considering they are pareve.

If you can work with cRc certified dairy:
Bulldog Bakery
(773) 539-9781
3207 N Elston Ave.
Chicago, IL 60618
http://www.bulldogbakery.com/cur/
Never had a cake from there. Pastries are quite tasty.

I had to interject.
There are a number of good suggestions here, but of course it is important to know the degree of Kashrut the OP is referring to to get a solid answer.

I just wanted to post that I stopped by Leonard's Bakery this morning and I was absolutely blown away by their pesachdik selection of baked goods. An unbelievable selection of macaroons, beautifully decorated cookies, brownies, mondel, cakes, you name it.
It must be seen to be believed. I have lived in the north suburbs for 50 years, and I can not believe I have never heard about Leonard's before for Pesach baked goods. I did a small sampling of assorted cookies, each one was better than the other - and I am almost always disappointed by pesachdik baked goods that are not homemade.

Definitely worth the drive - no matter where you are coming from, HOWEVER.....
this is not a bakery for anyone who follows the laws of Kashrut in their home.
It is Kosher Style for what that is worth - if you have to ask, my guess is it will be ok for you.
People who follow the laws of Kashrut to almost any degree know where they can and can not go to buy certified Kosher food.

jilter wrote:There are a number of good suggestions here, but of course it is important to know the degree of Kashrut the OP is referring to to get a solid answer.

People who follow the laws of Kashrut to almost any degree know where they can and can not go to buy certified Kosher food.

OP here: as I said in my original post, I am getting a cake for my brother-in-law. I know my sister keeps a kosher house. How kosher? Pretty--but not exactingly--strict. Nothing trayf in the house. Nothing made in my house in her house. Whose certification will she accept? I have no idea. My sense is that I should buy the cake from somewhere that I can say I know is kosher. Not Leonard's, sadly, because that's now high on MY list. But somewhere that has a verifiable claim to being kosher. Whether it's this certification or that, I don't know. And no, I am not going to ask her.

The Chicago Rabbinic Council (CRC) is the Kosher certifying organization for Chicago and a good portion of the Midwest it is widely accepted so I am sure it will be accepted by your sister and brother-in-law-

weinstein5 wrote:The Chicago Rabbinic Council (CRC) is the Kosher certifying organization for Chicago and a good portion of the Midwest it is widely accepted so I am sure it will be accepted by your sister and brother-in-law-

Ditto on that. The CRC is nationally recognized at a high level of Orthodox observance. In the hierarchy of Kosher, the CRC is at the top level, along with national certifications like OU and Star-K.

For local establishments the CRC is the standard because regular inspections are required and it's cost-effective to use local certifications.

Where it gets really goofy is that certain communities (mostly East Coast, but smatterings throughout the US) have their own preferred certifications so you'll see some products or establishments that carry more than one certification. I've seen some with three or four.

As for independent certifications like the one Crumbs uses, they tend to have less widespread acceptance so (for future reference) it's best to confirm with the intended recipient what their preferences are.

As for places like Leonard's (and Kaufman's and others) - it's entirely likely that they use 100% certified ingredients and acceptable levels of care in preparation (no introduction of dairy in non-dairy products) but, like a tree falling in a forest, unless someone can independently certify their ingredients/methods it's not going to widely accepted by observant Jews.

As an aside, I don't know how the Halal system operates for Muslim meat products but I think they're more on the honor system.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I really like a lot of the items from Leonard's. I can't recall ever having one of their cakes but it would certainly be worth a call to see if they can make one to your specifications.

=R=

Leonard's Bakery
2776 Dundee Rd
Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 564-4977

Per a recent FB post:
To our wonderful customers, friends, and neighbors,

After 34 incredible years Marc has decided to retire and close the Leonard’s storefront.

On behalf of Marc and the entire Leonard’s team, we wanted to sincerely thank each and every one of our customers for your unconditional support and loyalty throughout all of our years in business.

The business has allowed Marc and the team to meet so many wonderful people and we feel honored and privileged to have had the opportunity to serve you.

All of our customers were sweeter than the sweets here at Leonard’s!

We will sincerely miss you all.

Many thanks from the bottom of all our hearts,
Marc and the Leonard’s team

email: [email protected]

Wow, this is incredibly sad to read. Leonard’s has an amazing selection of “ethnic” bakery items. These types of family-run bakeries have become rare indeed. What a loss.
Looks like Leonard’s will be sold at the Once Upon a Grill family of businesses.
Posted just now on Facebook.
Can not post here for some reason.

jilter wrote:Wow, this is incredibly sad to read. Leonard’s has an amazing selection of “ethnic” bakery items. These types of family-run bakeries have become rare indeed. What a loss.
Looks like Leonard’s will be sold at the Once Upon a Grill family of businesses.
Posted just now on Facebook.
Can not post here for some reason.

Text from the FB post:
Shana Jablo Geffen and I are thrilled to announce that Leonard's Bakery has joined the Once Upon Family of Restaurants!!! Leonard’s has been a staple for 73 years, first on Devon Ave in Chicago and then in Northbrook. And now Leonard’s is coming to Once Upon A Bagel in Highland Park, Once Upon A Bagel in Winnetka as well as Once Upon A Deli & Once Upon A Grill in Northbrook!

We eventually plan on having most if not all of Leonard’s products available but please bare with us as we grow. We want to make sure we do this the right way and not rush things. As some of you have already assumed we have already been selling the Leonard’s famous coffee cakes, kiddush cakes, rugalach, mandel bread, butter cookies, smiley cookies and black & white cookies. We even had macaroons this past weekend!

To say we are excited about this is an understatement! We’re thrilled about the future of Once Upon and Leonard’s! A match only described as a fairytale wedding!

Please call us to place your Father’s Day orders!