Restaurant Review – Pride Month at The Goddess and the Baker

Pride Month brings out the best in Chicago’s restaurants. Many are bringing out special rainbow-themed concoctions and potions, as well as donating a portion of their proceeds to LGBTQIA+ causes.

One casual, fun café going all-out for Pride Month is the Goddess and the Baker. Along with their cousins at the Goddess and the Grocer, their locations are serving breakfast, sandwiches, salads, baked goods, and coffee  “all day, every day.” Just like their cousins, the team is donating $1 from the sale of each Rainbow Cake slice to Center on Halsted, the Lakeview LGBTQ+ service and community center, according to Eater Chicago.

The breakfast and bakery combination produces healthy and fresh combinations like the Iron Man Scramble, fit for Tony Stark. Egg whites are scrambled with red peppers, chopped poblanos, onions, and arugula, then topped with sliced avocado and served with multigrain toast, a side of salsa verde, and your choice of mixed greens or fresh fruit. Shashuka is a classic Israeli dish of baked eggs in a hearty spicy tomato & pepper sauce, topped with feta and served with toasted sourdough bread. Their Mediterranean Frittata combines eggs, kale, mushrooms, caramelized onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, artichoke hearts, Chihuahua & parmesan cheeses, and topped with arugula, served with toast or pancakes and your choice of hash browns, fruit or mixed greens.

They call this a dessert, but it also looks like a great breakfast- their Blueberry Chia Rice Pudding Jar ismade with almond and coconut milk, chia seeds, and basmati rice, then topped with fresh blueberries and toasted coconut.

Sandwiches and salads should not be missed, including their Grilled Salmon Kale Caesar Salad topped with Grilled salmon and a 6-minute egg, and served with asiago-herb crackers, or their Chicken Gyro Naanwich, combining Chicken gyro, Greek salad and Tzatziki on toasted Naan.

Wash it all down with a specialty drink, including their Goddess Gringo Horchata, with espresso, rice milk and cinnamon over ice, or a fancy Glitter Gold Latte.

For Pride Month, besides their famous Rainbow Cake, they also offer a vegan and gluten-free Pride Confetti Cookie Sandwich, with sweet vanilla cream sandwiched between two savory, sprinkle-filled sugar cookies and garnished with festive sprinkles for Pride Month. They also have Macarons, with their 5-pack Rainbow, inclusive of strawberry, passion fruit, lemon, pistachio, and white chocolate. Proving that love is love is love, there’s a rainbow-festooned Heart Cookie. 

One recent TripAdvisor reviewer gushed about the Goddess. “THANK GOD FOR THAT AVOCADO TOAST! My mom is difficult when it comes to breakfast: she doesn’t like anything sweet and she doesn’t like eggs… so what else is left? Their AMAZING avocado toast. Sourdough slathered in smashed avocado, crisp greens, and cotija cheese. Needless to say, she loved it, and she loved it every single morning…”

For me, I had something different every day. A sandwich one day, protein bowl the next, some salad another time, however my favorite dish I tried had to be the huevos rancheros. As a frequent visitor of Mexico, huevos rancheros are something I eat on the regular while I’m there. Crunchy tostadas with a delicious red sauce and chorizo mixture, topped with a fried egg? Yum!”

A Google reviewer was equally gushy. “Super lovely bakery!! I love my glitter latte, protein bowl and the rainbow cake. The weather was great so we sat outside. This place made my day :). Only downside is it is close to the subway, the train noise is loud.”

Another source of PRIDE for the Goddess and the Baker? Don’t miss their patio at 165 W. Superior, which has been “decked OUT with a fabulous Luft Balloon installation!”

During the summer months, the Goddess and the Baker partners with Yoga Now to host Yoga + Coffee on Tuesdays at 8am, 9am and 5pm at their 165 W. Superior location. 

The Goddess and the Baker’s downtown Chicago locations include 33 S. Wabash Avenue,  225 N. La Salle Street, 44 E. Grand Avenue, and 181 W. Madison Street. For their extensive menu, online ordering, and location hours, click here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago