Childhood fare, grown up
By Gregory Ellis January 29, 2013 9:39AM
Chef Greg Ellis and his Nutella Pop Tarts at 2Sparrows, 553 W. Diversey. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times
Updated: February 5, 2013 8:26AM
When I was a kid and wanted a snack before or after school, Pop-Tarts fit the bill. They were fun to eat, easy to prepare, sweet enough to give me a boost (no energy drink needed!) and curbed my appetite.
To make things interesting, my friend and I would toast the pastries, then peel off the icing and eat it first. I won’t go into details about the time we tried to skip Pop-Tarts across a lake, but needless to say, eating Pop-Tarts was always a fun time for me growing up.
At my restaurant, a more grown-up version of the Pop-Tart is on the menu, stuffed with intriguing fillings.
In keeping with our mission to feature the season’s best flavors, I feature foie gras and cherry pastries during the winter months.
Other flavor combinations have included rhubarb-apple, peaches and cream, and blueberry-lemon. Nutella with orange has been the most popular flavor, but my favorite is the foie gras and cherry. It’s the ultimate example of the pastry’s evolution from convenience fare to fine breakfast dining.
We make our pastries in the front of the restaurant so guests are able to watch. We plan on offering classes so they can make their own versions at home.
Gregory Ellis is the chef
at 2Sparrows, 553 W. Diversey.
