Katherine Anne Confections — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

After receiving a gift of Katherine Ann Confections truffles, I was very curious to try it. I heard how delicious their hot chocolate is as well. No wonder they were named as one of the best 15 hot chocolates in America by Fodor travel. Hearing that they are also able to cater to special diets (e.g., vegan and food allergies) made this place a must for our next visit to Chicago.

On a very snowy day in February we made the drive from Wisconsin for a special birthday celebration and finally got to visit and enjoy the worry free (more on this later) delights at Katherine Ann Confections in Logan Square. And by we, I mean, a vegan, a dairy free person and someone with nut and peanut allergies. As we walked in, the place eluded a warm casual atmosphere. Unlike some other places in Chicago, we could sit down and enjoy our hot chocolates (don't recall the place in Wicker Park, but they had no seating, just a restaurant). For those familiar with the microbrewery experience, the hot chocolate experience is similar.

The staff is very friendly and they pay attention to detail and special dietary needs. And in our case the skill was critical. I don't eat dairy but am not a vegan, then we had a few vegans in the group, and one person who has a nut allergy. Only one of the five had no special diet or requests. So yes, this was a complicated order for 5 people. I placed the order and while they cannot guarantee nut free (that is reasonable, it is not a nut free facility), they do take extra care to segregate the ingredients and make a deliberate effort not to cross contaminate during preparation. So yes, it's not 100% risk free, but I felt comfortable trying it because the staff was very knowledgeable. When I ordered my dairy free drinking chocolate (this is not just hot chocolate, but heaven in liquid form), they double-checked that marshmallow was ok for me. This is because marshmallows are often made with animal products. It was fine for me because I'm not a vegan. They pay attention to detail and truly understand their ingredients. But the vegans in the group were ok with nuts and they had nut milk (which I avoid and we had someone with a nut allergy). A fairly complicated order and they got everything right.

The order: It was delicious and served in an aesthetic way. The flight of hot chocolate/liquid chocolate drink was out of this world. I am not even a big fan of hot chocolate but do make it for special events. I make it with fine Dutch cocoa and it's still nowhere near as good as what I drank Katherine's. Each one with unique flavors and the marshmallows were out of this world too; they were delicious.

The truffles, again like no other. I am a fan of Godiva truffles and was told, once you have truffles at Katherine's you will not be so fond of Godiva. They were right. And the person with the nut allergy was also able to enjoy these truffles. A first experience for them. Most confections are at high risk of cross contamination with nuts.

Also, no mess up with the order and because the server asked the right questions, no worries either that there was a high probability of an error for the allergy or special diets (vegan and dairy free).

I cannot recommend Katherine's Confections highly enough. To be able to cater to all these diets and allergies and yet provide the ultimate chocolate experience deserves more...

I can never figure out why this place doesn't have a line snaking around the block. This is the richest hot chocolate in the city, possibly the country. It's basically pure chocolate melted in hot cream and topped with a torched house-made marshmallow. Let the marshmallow melt then suck down the gooey 'mallow heart in the last delicious dregs of your decadent beverage. Cold drinks have a delicious lightly salted ball of frozen whipped cream instead of a marshmallow. My favorite specials include the elusive white chocolate chai and the milk chocolate fennel orange. They often have liquor themed drinks and you can have the drink made with coffee instead of cream if you want a nice bitter contrast to cut the sweetness (and if you like being extra awake). The Mexican or the hazelnut chocolate on the regular menu are always outstanding backup drink choices if the specials don't appeal. The truffles are very good, the caramels are great, and the variety of marshmallows is a lot of fun. I also love the shabby vintage charm of the place, like the chandelier and the antique silver-plate spoons. They also have food, but I have never had the food here because we always reserve this place for dessert. After COVID is over, I'm going to go get a hot chocolate flight and celebrate. Oh, and they have vegan choices! I'm no vegan but vegan friends love it when I drag...

From the moment you walk in, the entire atmosphere of Katherine Anne's Confections wraps you in a wonderful smelling hug. The layout is classy without being stuffy. The menu is diverse without being overwhelming, and the theme is french without being snobby. When you step to the counter, a friendly staff member, or maybe even the owner herself, will help you decide on a hot chocolate varying from levels of bitterness to special options like cardamom rose. Once that choice is made, you get to figure out how your dream drink will be topped and while I chose a simple whipped cream, the homemade marshmallow options enticed me so much I'll have to return and give them a chance. I don't regret my selection for a moment, though. The hot chocolate was smooth, slightly thick, creamy, frothy, and left little to no residue on the bottom of the cup. The temptation to slurp is down quickly presented itself, but with some self-control I was able to spread my enjoyment of the drink over the length of an hour and even when room temperature, I found myself relishing each drop. Do yourself a favor and visit this slightly hidden gem. You will find no regret here, simply the most pleasant drinks...