However, ABC7's Hungry Hound says there are several bakeries in the area, where gluten-free is no longer a foreign concept.
For the last few years, bakeries offering gluten-free goods included Bleeding Heart Bakery in the city and Rose's Wheatfree in Evanston. Now, there's another option right across the street from the Edison Park train stop where fans of baked goods with or without gluten can enjoy the sweet holiday season.
How sweet is it to be next to the train station in Edison Park? If you rely on commuter business, then Le Flour Bake Shop is ground zero for lovers of all things butter, sugar and flour -- especially this time of year, in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"Some of the holidays are a yule log or buche de noel. We have a peppermint cake, we have a cranberry jelly roll which really is a favorite of most people," said Nicole Bujewski, owner of Le Flour Bake Shop.
Temptations hit you from nearly every angle: a glorious hazelnut financier with poached pears; a stack of peppermint whoopie pies tucked next to the register as an impulse buy. Yet if you look closer, you'll see a number of signs promising gluten-free items here as well.
"One of our pastry chefs that works here found out that she has celiac disease, and she would bring in a few baked items. We started kind of playing around with new ingredients and learning how gluten free items sort of work together and alternative flours and how they all sort of fit so that they taste good," she said.
And just like that, the bakery is now on the radar for celiacs. Due in part to flourless chocolate cakes and raspberry-almond ganache tarts, made with gluten-free shells. The challenge is always finding that tasty alternative to flour.
"We have also just been exploring with some other flours like a sorghum flour, a garbanzo bean flour. And they're proven to taste good," said Bujewski.
One note: special orders require a day or two notice since this is the busy season.
Le Flour Chicago Bake Shop & Market
6701 N. Olmsted Ave
773-631-1400
leflour.com
Bleeding Heart Bakery
thebleedingheartbakery.com
West Town
1916 W. Chicago Ave
773.904.1414
Oak Park
1010 North Blvd.
708.358.0559
Elmhurst
116 S. York St.
630.279.2220
Rose's Wheatfree Bakery
rosesbakery.com
Evanston
2901 Central Street
(847) 859-2723
