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Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

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Behold This Gourmet Chocolatier’s New Wonderland of Sweets

Katherine Anne Confections unveils a second location in Irving Park with an espresso bar

CORRECTION: Katherine Anne Confections opening in Irving Park is pushed back due to city inspection delays. A spokesperson contacted Eater with clarification. The amended story follows.

For over a decade, Katherine Anne Confections has operated out of a tiny Logan Square space as Chicago chocolatier Katherine Duncan has created a charming candy haven highlighted by some of the city’s most decadent drinking chocolates, truffles, and gourmet marshmallows.

But as with the rule with chocolate, more is usually better, and after more than four years of preparation, Duncan will unveil a second location in the coming weeks at 3653 W. Irving Park Road near where Irving Park and Albany Park meet. Inspection delays have pushed back the opening date.

At 1,900 square feet, Duncan’s new cafe is more than twice the size of her Logan Square shop and is equipped with an espresso bar and 12-seat cafe that will serve sweet and savory pastries, such as bacon-cheddar scones with black pepper and rosemary cookies with a tart cherry glaze.

An airy cafe space with exposed brick walls and a wall display that reads “Something sweet is about to happen.”
Katherine Anne’s airy Irving Park cafe seats 12.

Patrons hungry for something more substantial will be able to choose from a selection of open-faced sandwiches on slices of Publican Quality Bread. An independent business owner, Duncan says she likes to partner with other local spots including Factotum Coffee, a two-year-old roastery in Avondale that provides Katherine Anne’s coffee and espresso.

The Irving Park location will also be a boon to Katherine Anne's staff, who will gain some additional elbow room in a larger production facility. The team has visions of growing its own herbs in a back hallway to infuse extra complexity into caramels, truffles, and the savory cafe menu. It’s the little details that make Duncan most excited: “There’s a parking space for our van!” she exclaims.

Two rows of chocolates.
Owner Katherine Duncan has made a name for herself in the local chocolate scene.
An elaborate wooden display holds chocolates and pastries.
An eye-catching display brings the goods out from behind the counter.

In addition to the joy of a new building and menu items, Duncan says the larger space will allow her to better serve the neighborhood. “People would always come in [to Logan Square] and say, ‘Can I have a tour?’” she says. “I’d say, ‘Yes, stand here and spin.’” In Irving Park, she’ll be able to offer real tours, hold truffle-making classes, and host sustainable floral arranging events with urban agriculture project The Roof Crop. “We’re going to be good members of the community,” says Duncan.

Take a look around inside Irving Park’s newest cafe and sweets shop in the photographs below.

Katherine Anne Confections Irving Park, 3653 W. Irving Park Road, Scheduled to open in May.

A storefront chocolate shop.
The new cafe has been more than four years in the making.
A person pours drinking chocolate into a white mug.
Rich drinking chocolate is a staple at Katherine Anne Confections.
A hand places a marshmallow into a white mug of drinking chocolate.
A fancy marshmallow is the cherry on top.
A blowtorch caramelizes a marshmallow in a white mug of drinking chocolate.
A dose of fire completes the cup.
A white counter and open kitchen beside a cafe space.
The espresso bar uses beans from local roastery Factotum Coffee.
A row of four caramels covered in chocolate and topped with a few grains of salt.
Fleur de sel caramels.
A display of baked goods.
The shop’s pastry chefs will offer a rotating selection of sweet and savory treats.
An airy cafe space with a large wall mural of a tree that reads “Chocolate.”
A larger space allows room for classes, events, and community gatherings.
A slice of bread topped with green spread, roasted cauliflower, and pickled onion.
A vegan open-faced sandwich features pistachio herb spread, roasted cauliflower, and pickled red onion.
 A slice of bread topped with ham and cheese.
The menu also includes classic combinations including ham and aged cheddar with onion marmalade.
A shelf display of boxed chocolates.
Three packages of gourmet marshmallows.
Three packages of four truffles each.
A blue box of 12 chocolates.

Morsels of joy, sold by the dozen.

An airy cafe space with large windows.
Katherine Duncan hopes Irving Park patrons will linger over their coffee and caramels.
Two cookies topped with caramelized marshmallows.
S’more cookie (graham streusel, torched marshmallow).
Four white truffles topped with carrot cake crumble.
Carrot cake truffles.

Katherine Anne Confections Irving Park

3653 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60618 Visit Website
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