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RPM Steak’s Baked Alaska has become a signature dish at the River North steakhouse.

Where to Enjoy Sensational Plated Ice Cream Desserts in Chicago

Go beyond Good Humor and scoop shops

by Kat Odell Jul 3, 2019, 2:56pm CDT

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RPM Steak’s Baked Alaska has become a signature dish at the River North steakhouse.

| Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises/John Stoffer

by Kat Odell Jul 3, 2019, 2:56pm CDT

As summer commences in Chicago, frozen dessert season kicks in. Luckily, Chicago is rife with great scoop shops, but for those interested in more unique and plated ice cream-based desserts, local restaurants are ready to serve. A myriad of eateries offer inspired sundaes, like Sunda’s jackfruit and coconut gel-garnished dish with avocado, sweet corn, cheddar cheese, and ube-macapuno ice cream. Others riff off frozen cream via creations such as Aba’s iteration of kulfi — the classic Indian sweet — with Turkish coffee, coriander caramel, and Marcona almonds. From North to South, here’s where to cool off this summer with Chicago’s most compelling composed ice cream dishes.

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Mon Ami Gabi

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’s French bistro chain Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park dips into the ice cream pool via house-made profiteroles ($10) filled with vanilla bean ice cream, topped with hot fudge, and garnished with a mix of sea salt and powdered sugar. Fun fact: This dessert has been on the menu (created by former pastry chef, the late Michel Briand) since the very first location opened in 1998.

2300 N Lincoln Park W, Chicago, IL 60614

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Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park serves these profiteroles.

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Dos Urban Cantina

New to Dos Urban Cantina’s menu in Logan Square is a chef Jennifer Enyart’s Mexican take on the classic sundae ($10). Think horchata ice cream, rice pudding, and whipped cream, topped with puffed white rice, sitting on a bed of toasted and crumbled rice flour shortbread.

2829 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

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Dos Urban Cantina’s Horchata Sundae

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Café Cancale

French newbie Café Cancale — from the forces behind Blackbird and the Publican — is embracing the season with a strawberry sundae ($9). Executive pastry chef Erika Chan spins grey French sea salt into a strawberry ice cream base, then adds strawberry caramel, white chocolate cardamom streusel, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Chan says the combination of cardamom and citrus zest brings out the fruitiness of the strawberries.

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1576 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

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Café Cancale’s strawberry sundae

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Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods

Over in Wicker Park, Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods just rolled out New Orleans-style Sno-Balls ($4-$9) for dine-in guests, and those who’d like to grab and go. On offer, nearly 20 options, in flavors like Bywater Boho (fresh pineapple, cilantro, lime) and “stuffed” versions like Ultimate Peach Cobbler (fresh peaches combined with sugar, spices, and butter, topped with soft serve, flambéed peaches, whipped cream, cookie crumble, and a caramel drizzle).

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1415 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622

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Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods’ assorted Sno-Ball desserts

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Somerset

The Viceroy Hotel’s new American eatery Somerset, in Gold Coast, is offering a sundae for two, schemed by James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef finalist, Boka’s Meg Galus. On the menu since this past spring, the loaded dessert calls for strawberry and tonka bean ice creams, strawberry sorbet, white chocolate crunch, pound cake, and tonka bean whipped cream.

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1112 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610

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Somerset’s Sundae for Two

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IO Godfrey Rooftop Lounge

New to the summer menu at River North’s I|O Godfrey, the Godfrey Hotel’s rooftop lounge/eatery, chef Alfonso Martinez has rolled out ice cream tacos ($12). Expect a house-made waffle cone shell with pistachio gelato, chocolate-covered banana, Froot Loops, strawberry marmalade, plus the requisite whipped cream and sprinkles.

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127 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654

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IO Godfrey’s ice cream tacos

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Sunda

River North’s Southeast Asian eatery Sunda is offering an exotic take on the classic sundae. The restaurant’s Sunda Sundae ($15) — on the menu for the last decade — calls for scoops of avocado, sweet corn and cheddar cheese, and ube-macapuno ice cream. Atop, sweet red mung beans, jackfruit, berries, coconut gel, plus a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk and toasted coconut flakes to round it out.

110 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654

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Sunda’s Sundae

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Flora Fauna

River North’s new Latin American meets Asian-inspired joint, Flora Fauna debuted its “Giant F*%$ing Banana Split” ($14). The creation is decked out with horchata ice cream, toasted banana, dulce de leche, shaved chocolate, caramel, Angostura peanuts, macerated strawberries, plus fresh blueberries, and blackberries.

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11 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654

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Flora Fauna’s Giant F*%$ing Banana Split

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RPM Steak

When stalwart River North steakhouse RPM Steak opened in 2014, Lettuce Entertain You introduced a Baked Alaska ($18) which has remained on the menu ever since. Sizable enough to feed two to four humans, this fiery sweet involves salted caramel ice cream and vanilla sponge cake, enveloped in toasted Italian meringue. Order one up and expect a rum-fueled table side flambé.

66 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654

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RPM Steak’s Baked Alaska

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Travelle at The Langham, Chicago

Travelle, within River North’s Langham Hotel, recently debuted its new piña colada-inspired dessert ($12). Created by pastry chef Danielle Marelli, the treat combines pineapple-buttermilk ice cream, coconut sorbet, rum-caramelized pineapple, and coconut crunch. Says Marelli, “I can never decide between having dessert or a cocktail at the end of my meal, therefore I created a dish that solves that problem.”

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330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

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Travelle at The Langham

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London House Rooftop Bar

Up at the rooftop bar of LondonHouse, executive pastry chef Samantha Santiago Torres has organized a tribute to honeybees. Her Honeycomb ($10) dessert incorporates vanilla frozen yogurt, crème de cassis, dried honeycomb, granola cookies, and raspberry cremeux. The hexagonal frozen yogurt centerpiece is also drizzled with local Heaven’s Honey tableside.

85 East Wacker Drive At, N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601

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London House’s Honeycomb

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Aba

Chef CJ Jacobson’s Middle Eastern-flavored number Aba — Lettuce Entertain You’s Fulton Market masterpiece, is looking to India for inspiration to create this kulfi dessert ($8). Though in India kulfi is often sold on sticks, his version is plated, flavored with Turkish coffee, served atop coriander caramel, and garnished with marcona almonds.

302 N Green St 3rd floor, Chicago, IL 60607

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Aba’s Kulfi

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Joe's Imports

Newish Fulton Market wine bar Joe’s Imports is celebrating ice cream via meringue gelato. Created by chef Elvia Granados, the marshmallow-ish dessert is built from house-made meringue gelato, Spanish peanuts, and covered with toasted meringue. Joe Fiely, Joe’s Imports’ wine director, suggests pairing it with a glass of sweet Vietti Moscato d’Asti.

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813 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

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Joe’s Imports’ Meringue Gelato

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Yūgen Restaurant

Japanese tasting menu haunt Yūgen in the West Loop is celebrating the classic milk and cookies combo via this minimalist dessert ($16), available à la carte or via 10-course tasting. Hiding under those meringue shingles is caramelized hojicha milk ice cream.

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652 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

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Yūgen’s Milk and Cookies

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Bad Hunter

Heisler Hospitality recently reopened its veggie-friendly eatery Bad Hunter along Randolph Street. It’s going vegan with its sunflower butter ice cream sandwich. Pastry chef Danielle Snow is behind this vegan sweet, which is made from sunflower brittle, chocolate “ice cream,” and fresh apricots.

2308, 802 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

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Bad Hunter’s Sunflower Butter Ice Cream Sandwich

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Blackbird Restaurant

Over at fine dining haunt Blackbird on Randolph Street, dessert includes a pretty milk chocolate sassafras sundae ($13). New as of last month, pastry chef Nicole Guini makes a sassafras-Valrhona chocolate ice cream, and pairs it with chicory cocoa nib crumb, chicory brownie, hot chicory root beer chocolate sauce, tonka bean whipped cream, chocolate cocoa nib meringue, and she finishes it with Maldon salt, shaved tonka bean, tarragon, and flowers.

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619 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

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Blackbird’s Milk Chocolate Sassafras Sundae

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Mon Ami Gabi

2300 N Lincoln Park W, Chicago, IL 60614

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’s French bistro chain Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park dips into the ice cream pool via house-made profiteroles ($10) filled with vanilla bean ice cream, topped with hot fudge, and garnished with a mix of sea salt and powdered sugar. Fun fact: This dessert has been on the menu (created by former pastry chef, the late Michel Briand) since the very first location opened in 1998.

2300 N Lincoln Park W, Chicago, IL 60614

Visit Website

Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park serves these profiteroles.

Dos Urban Cantina

2829 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

New to Dos Urban Cantina’s menu in Logan Square is a chef Jennifer Enyart’s Mexican take on the classic sundae ($10). Think horchata ice cream, rice pudding, and whipped cream, topped with puffed white rice, sitting on a bed of toasted and crumbled rice flour shortbread.

2829 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Visit Website

Dos Urban Cantina’s Horchata Sundae

Café Cancale

1576 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

French newbie Café Cancale — from the forces behind Blackbird and the Publican — is embracing the season with a strawberry sundae ($9). Executive pastry chef Erika Chan spins grey French sea salt into a strawberry ice cream base, then adds strawberry caramel, white chocolate cardamom streusel, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Chan says the combination of cardamom and citrus zest brings out the fruitiness of the strawberries.

Open in Google Maps

1576 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Visit Website

Café Cancale’s strawberry sundae

Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods

1415 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622

Over in Wicker Park, Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods just rolled out New Orleans-style Sno-Balls ($4-$9) for dine-in guests, and those who’d like to grab and go. On offer, nearly 20 options, in flavors like Bywater Boho (fresh pineapple, cilantro, lime) and “stuffed” versions like Ultimate Peach Cobbler (fresh peaches combined with sugar, spices, and butter, topped with soft serve, flambéed peaches, whipped cream, cookie crumble, and a caramel drizzle).

Open in Google Maps

1415 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622

Visit Website

Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods’ assorted Sno-Ball desserts

Somerset

1112 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610

The Viceroy Hotel’s new American eatery Somerset, in Gold Coast, is offering a sundae for two, schemed by James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef finalist, Boka’s Meg Galus. On the menu since this past spring, the loaded dessert calls for strawberry and tonka bean ice creams, strawberry sorbet, white chocolate crunch, pound cake, and tonka bean whipped cream.

Open in Google Maps

1112 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610

Visit Website

Somerset’s Sundae for Two

IO Godfrey Rooftop Lounge

127 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654

New to the summer menu at River North’s I|O Godfrey, the Godfrey Hotel’s rooftop lounge/eatery, chef Alfonso Martinez has rolled out ice cream tacos ($12). Expect a house-made waffle cone shell with pistachio gelato, chocolate-covered banana, Froot Loops, strawberry marmalade, plus the requisite whipped cream and sprinkles.

Open in Google Maps

127 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654

Visit Website

IO Godfrey’s ice cream tacos

Sunda

110 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654

River North’s Southeast Asian eatery Sunda is offering an exotic take on the classic sundae. The restaurant’s Sunda Sundae ($15) — on the menu for the last decade — calls for scoops of avocado, sweet corn and cheddar cheese, and ube-macapuno ice cream. Atop, sweet red mung beans, jackfruit, berries, coconut gel, plus a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk and toasted coconut flakes to round it out.

110 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654

Visit Website

Sunda’s Sundae

Flora Fauna

11 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654

River North’s new Latin American meets Asian-inspired joint, Flora Fauna debuted its “Giant F*%$ing Banana Split” ($14). The creation is decked out with horchata ice cream, toasted banana, dulce de leche, shaved chocolate, caramel, Angostura peanuts, macerated strawberries, plus fresh blueberries, and blackberries.

Open in Google Maps

11 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654

Visit Website

Flora Fauna’s Giant F*%$ing Banana Split

RPM Steak

66 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654

When stalwart River North steakhouse RPM Steak opened in 2014, Lettuce Entertain You introduced a Baked Alaska ($18) which has remained on the menu ever since. Sizable enough to feed two to four humans, this fiery sweet involves salted caramel ice cream and vanilla sponge cake, enveloped in toasted Italian meringue. Order one up and expect a rum-fueled table side flambé.

66 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654

Visit Website

RPM Steak’s Baked Alaska

Travelle at The Langham, Chicago

330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Travelle, within River North’s Langham Hotel, recently debuted its new piña colada-inspired dessert ($12). Created by pastry chef Danielle Marelli, the treat combines pineapple-buttermilk ice cream, coconut sorbet, rum-caramelized pineapple, and coconut crunch. Says Marelli, “I can never decide between having dessert or a cocktail at the end of my meal, therefore I created a dish that solves that problem.”

Open in Google Maps

330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

Visit Website

Travelle at The Langham

London House Rooftop Bar

85 East Wacker Drive At, N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601

Up at the rooftop bar of LondonHouse, executive pastry chef Samantha Santiago Torres has organized a tribute to honeybees. Her Honeycomb ($10) dessert incorporates vanilla frozen yogurt, crème de cassis, dried honeycomb, granola cookies, and raspberry cremeux. The hexagonal frozen yogurt centerpiece is also drizzled with local Heaven’s Honey tableside.

85 East Wacker Drive At, N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601

Visit Website

London House’s Honeycomb

Aba

302 N Green St 3rd floor, Chicago, IL 60607

Chef CJ Jacobson’s Middle Eastern-flavored number Aba — Lettuce Entertain You’s Fulton Market masterpiece, is looking to India for inspiration to create this kulfi dessert ($8). Though in India kulfi is often sold on sticks, his version is plated, flavored with Turkish coffee, served atop coriander caramel, and garnished with marcona almonds.

302 N Green St 3rd floor, Chicago, IL 60607

Visit Website

Aba’s Kulfi

Joe's Imports

813 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

Newish Fulton Market wine bar Joe’s Imports is celebrating ice cream via meringue gelato. Created by chef Elvia Granados, the marshmallow-ish dessert is built from house-made meringue gelato, Spanish peanuts, and covered with toasted meringue. Joe Fiely, Joe’s Imports’ wine director, suggests pairing it with a glass of sweet Vietti Moscato d’Asti.

Open in Google Maps

813 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

Visit Website

Joe’s Imports’ Meringue Gelato

Yūgen Restaurant

652 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

Japanese tasting menu haunt Yūgen in the West Loop is celebrating the classic milk and cookies combo via this minimalist dessert ($16), available à la carte or via 10-course tasting. Hiding under those meringue shingles is caramelized hojicha milk ice cream.

Open in Google Maps

652 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

Visit Website

Yūgen’s Milk and Cookies

Bad Hunter

2308, 802 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

Heisler Hospitality recently reopened its veggie-friendly eatery Bad Hunter along Randolph Street. It’s going vegan with its sunflower butter ice cream sandwich. Pastry chef Danielle Snow is behind this vegan sweet, which is made from sunflower brittle, chocolate “ice cream,” and fresh apricots.

2308, 802 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

Visit Website

Bad Hunter’s Sunflower Butter Ice Cream Sandwich

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Blackbird Restaurant

619 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

Over at fine dining haunt Blackbird on Randolph Street, dessert includes a pretty milk chocolate sassafras sundae ($13). New as of last month, pastry chef Nicole Guini makes a sassafras-Valrhona chocolate ice cream, and pairs it with chicory cocoa nib crumb, chicory brownie, hot chicory root beer chocolate sauce, tonka bean whipped cream, chocolate cocoa nib meringue, and she finishes it with Maldon salt, shaved tonka bean, tarragon, and flowers.

Open in Google Maps

619 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661

Visit Website

Blackbird’s Milk Chocolate Sassafras Sundae

Related Maps