Spilt Milk Pastry delights

Everything is made from scratch daily at Spilt Milk; the chefs are so dedicated to freshness they get up before the sun rises and bake until its time to open for business. Pro tip: Get there earlier in the day for the best selection, especially on the weekends, as things sell out. On my first visit we arrived later in the day and they were sold out of several pie flavors. I am thankful, however, because limited late-day options forced me to try my now-favorite key lime pie. Now I like going later in the day because it gives me an excuse to try new things!

I quickly learned Spilt Milk is so much more than pie, though.

Featured above: A large paper roll and crayons welcomes kids at Spilt Milk. My five-year-old daughter loves the banana bread.

Next, I explored the breakfast sandwiches. My favorite is the Hammy, a Cubano-style breakfast sandwich, topped with Slagel Farms ham, melted cheese, chipotle mayo, fresh greens, and a sunny side up egg. I even recommended it to some friends and they were speechless as they savored their first bites. They just made agreeable noises, muttered the word “yum," and nodded their heads. The darn sandwich is so good that I can't wait the extra few seconds it takes to snap a photo before diving into that drippy egg, so I have yet to capture a beautiful photo of it.

Featured above: The Sammy is just as pretty as the Hammy. This bacon, egg, and cheese creation is served up on Spilt Milk's signature biscuits.

Despite my deep biscuit love, I probably order Spilt Milk's quiche the most. It always features different ingredients, but I have yet to try one I don’t like. I was even told in passing that the crust will always be flaky, but may taste slightly different depending on who the baker is; each person puts their own personal touch on it. I haven’t gotten to the point of knowing which of wonderful bakers on staff has made my quiche on any given day, but I am told the crimp might give me a clue. I guess I will have to sleuth it out by eating more quiche! Fun little details like that remind me that Spilt Milk goods are truly homemade.

Featured above: Quiche served with mixed greens and apples make a wonderful breakfast or lunch. The quiche and salad changes daily and are made with seasonal ingredients. Spilt Milk also serves Hellion Cold Brew by Metric Coffee.

Details, like carefully selecting each ingredient, elevate Spilt Milk's dishes and give them a real wow factor. The salads that compliment the quiche are made with greens grown right in the owner's garden in Chicago! 

The salad also changes with the season. Some days it’s a nice side of fresh pineapple and some days it is mixed greens with apples. A recent salad contained some new-to-me greens and I enjoyed learning more about them. The salad was made up of Spanish radish, baby arugula, sorrel, sangria (The lettuce, not the wine. It’s a red butterhead lettuce), pea shoots, shaved carrots, baby kale, caper sprouts, mustard greens and segments of basil, all lightly tossed in a lemon honey vinaigrette and then topped with edible flowers cut fresh from the patio. Every bite was flavorful and fresh.

Featured above: Spanish radish, baby arugula, sorrel, sangria lettuce, pea shoots, shaved carrots, baby kale, caper sprouts, mustard greens, basil, edible flowers and lemon honey vinaigrette salad is served along side quiche with ham from Slagel Farms, french cheese, thyme and roasted garlic.

Although the words “farm-to -able” are not officially listed on their website, Spilt Milk practices the essence of the term. They partner with local farms to bring the best ingredients in season from farmers they know and trust. Eggs and ham come from Slagel Family Farms in Fairbury, Illinois. You may even recognize the name; the farm has been around since 1888 and their products are sourced by many top restaurants in the Chicago area. Their livestock is processed at their own facility, Slagel Family Meats, in Forrest, Illinois, which is only five miles away from the farm. 

Spilt Milk brings in fruits and vegetables (besides the greens grown in the garden) from a few different farms: Mick Klug Farm in St. Joseph, Michigan, Ellis Family Farm in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Nichols Farm & Orchard in Marengo, Illinois. Most of Spilt Milk's dairy products hail from Kilgus Farmstead. 

Spilt Milk has also recently formed a hyper-local partnership with Carnivore, another Oak Park business. On special Sundays, they collaborate to make an out-of this-world lox bagel.

Featured above: Homemade biscuits topped with peach lavender preserves by Rare Bird Preserves.

The bakery also often branches out by offering a refreshing asparagus and pea soup. The soup, which can be served cold or hot upon request, is topped with sorrel, fresh pea shoots, squash seeds, garlic oil, squeeze of lemon juice, edible flowers and vibrant asparagus tips. It is served with a mini jalapeño cheddar biscuit. Honestly, I wasn't sure how I would feel about asparagus and pea soup as they are not my favorite vegetables, but it was downright delicious! I am excited to see it on the menu again soon.

Featured above: Asparagus and pea soup, served hot or cold, is topped with sorrel, fresh pea shoots, squash seeds, garlic oil, squeeze of lemon juice, edible flowers and asparagus. The soup is served with a mini jalapeño cheddar biscuit.

Spilt Milk is located on Oak Park Avenue just across the street from the Green Line Oak Park stop. It is a small "if you blink you might miss it" space ironically located right next to the dentist office on the corner of Oak Park and South Boulevard.