No. 6: Forest Bakery in Oak Park lures long lines with masterfully crafted pastries
On a frigid Saturday morning just after 10 a.m., when the bakery opens, a line snakes around Forest Bakery, the 488-square-foot shop in Oak Park. Guests, largely families with friendly dogs on leashes and small children in tow, are there to nab the bakery's selection of sweet and savory pastries before they're gone.
On any given day, the inventory is typically bare by 12:30 p.m., just two and a half hours after opening. Inside, there's a small selection of kitchenware and specialty beverages, jams and teas, cookbooks and tea towels. But the real highlight is the pastry case lined with baked goods crafted by Jo Burke, Kyle Suczynski and Humna Tak, a trio of skilled bakers with nearly 30 years of collective experience.
There's a daily rotation of goods, from chocolate chip cookies with a tahini base to croissants laminated with French butter. Here, savory items are as impressive as the sweets. A grilled cheese sandwich served on griddled slices of a buttery croissant loaf, is both crunchy and chewy at once. And a ricotta and spinach galette is balanced and topped with a handful of fresh arugula.
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The gluten-free brown butter polenta financier is a showstopper. With a texture similar to a coarse cornbread and a melt-in-your-mouth feel, it's a pastry experience like no other.
8140 W. Nine Mile Road, Oak Park.
Save the Date: On Saturday, Sept. 6, Forest Bakery, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover event showcasing the best the bakery has to offer. Stay tuned for ticket information at Freep.com.
For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Forest Bakery in Oak Park
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