Not quite--from their FB page--7:30-7:30 wed-Fri and 8-3 Saturday and Sunday.

Chicago Hokie wrote:However, the item that probably made the greatest impression on me was their version of a cinnamon roll, not yet mentioned in this thread. I don't know if this is a weekend-only item or they just started making them, but it was the perfect combo of roll, cinnamon syrup swirl, and icing. Stylewise, not a traditional cinnamon roll, but certainly the best one I've ever had.

I tried the aforementioned Cinnamon role this morning and was really great. What makes it different than other bakeries cinnamon role is that it tasted very rustic and grainy... possibly made with whole wheat flour, but very delicious non the less.

I also tried the caramelized onion and havarti hand pie which I thought was good but very grainy and in my opinion to much bread to ingredient ratio. I hardly could taste the Havarti cheese and there was little onion to how much breading there was. Maybe a I got a bad batch but i would have preferred more cheese.

My experience was more of a mixed bag. I enjoyed their take on bi bim bop - especially the molten egg and use of an unusual grain (farro? I can't remember and it's not on the website any longer). Unfortunately, the cider was fermented to the point of fizzy, and the crust on the butterscotch pie was rock hard. Given all the glowing reviews above, I'll chalk those missteps up to a fluke.

We popped into Baker Miller yesterday around 2:30, nearly closing time. We split an excellent slice of apple-cranberry pie, with lots of earthy crust and a lovely cranberry red filling, topped with a small spot of whipped cream. Folks, this is about as luxurious as it gets.

Nice article:

http://www.bonappetit.com/people/out-of ... ler-grains

spinynorman99 wrote:Nice article:

http://www.bonappetit.com/people/out-of ... ler-grains

Yep. I still have to get there.

Stopped in yesterday, color me unimpressed. The cinnamon roll was drowned in a huge glop of icing and had a strange aftertaste-- ended up taking most of it home and throwing it out. The breakfast sausage was tasty, but had the strong spicing and flavor profile of a kielbasa. Serve kielbasa if you want, but call a kielbasa a kielbasa. I had the "toast bar", which was okay but didn't blow me away-- breads seemed leaden with a kind of doughy crumb. I love a good healthy dense bread as much as the next aging hippie, but this didn't do it for me. Meh.

Also, the space itself was not pleasant-- it was hot, even with the door propped open, and aerosolized smoke, possibly from the sausages, adsorbed onto my fleece, making it smell funny (although not as bad as going to Korean BBQ). I wish more restauranteurs would attend the Hot Doug's school of table management-- nothing beats turning around with your hands full of coffee-OJ-toast-cinnamon roll-hats-gloves-etc. to find nowhere to sit but a lot of tables occupied by people saving places, waiting for someone or whatever. My luck, I happened to meet someone I sort-of knew...I'm sure she appreciated me butting in on her breakfast meeting.

To end on a positive note, the coffee was good, as was the OJ.

I stopped in yesterday for the first time to check out the space and see if they had any tasty items for take-out. It was pretty busy when i came in with almost all the tables full and people getting items to go. My first impression was that it had a very pleasant vibe. I don't think it's completely obvious if you are to sit down first and wait for somebody to take your order, or if you order at the counter and then sit.

The cashier was very pleasant and did a nice job of describing the products they had on hand. I ended up getting a half loaf of the sunflower and the fig, bacon and cheese hand pie to go. I enjoyed the contrast of the sweet fig, and saltiness of the cheese and bacon. It was very rich and filling. I ate about 1/4 of it and found myself quite full. I finished off the rest through the course of the day, and even had a few bites left for this morning. In terms of the bread, it was dense and very crusty. As much as I'd like to enjoy this type of bread, I think i've come to the realization I prefer less dense breads, as does my husband. I'm trying to decide what to do with my 1/2 loaf. Maybe it'll make a good french toast or bread pudding.

Overall, I was pleased enough with the flavors of the hand pie to want to come back and try some of the other dishes.

I had a very disappointing first visit to Baker Miller this past weekend. I didn't have a meal, just an oatmeal thumbprint cookie and a cup of coffee. The cookie had the flavor and texture of a mouthful of slightly sweet, buttery sand, and the coffee was full of grounds. Yeah, I know. You milled the grains yourself. Terrific.

I didn't exactly cut a broad swath through the menu, and maybe I just picked poorly, but after this experience I don't think I can justify a return trip.

--Rich

If you asked me about my two favorite bakeries in town, I'd tell you Cellar Door and Beurrage. For me, I don't necessarily care that Baker Miller is milling the grains themselves. It still comes down to flavor. And for the most part, I think they succeed. But there are items I don't love -- the cinnamon rolls lack the distinctive layers of dough I look for, for example, and I just don't love the flavor. And one of the hand pies I had was rather dry. But I'm a big fan of a lot of their items, including several of the pies (didn't like the sage in their pumpkin though), some of the breads and the oatmeal and the grits. And they're continuing to evolve and perfect certain items, though I'm sure they'll continue to have a few things that just don't please my palate.

As for the coffee, I have to say that's my favorite thing there, and I go there frequently just for the coffee (Sparrow, which they serve, and Dark Matter are my personal favorites), and I have never experienced the grounds issue. Hopefully, that was just a one-time issue.

i don't love everything either- i find the hand pies too dry and crumbly and overpriced. but i'm eating oatmeal regularly for the first time, as the way they roll the oats produces a smaller flake of oat, and for whatever reason, i love it. and the grits are great, as well. i'm ambivalent about the pies... some work, and some don't. but i totally approve of the effort that dave and meghan are putting out, as well as their very friendly staff.

In my experience so far, house-milling is a brilliant improvement for grits and oats, pretty pretty good for certain breads, and not my thing for pastries, including cookies. The grits and eggs are in my best breakfast trio with the Roost egg sandwich and whatever Jonathan has on the rack at Bad Wolf.

I was in Gene's Sausage Shop this evening, exploring the shelves for cocoa powder, and found four 1.5-pound containers of Baker Miller grains/flours for sale: Pastry flour, Bread Flour, (IIRC) All Purpose Flour, and the one I bought, Grits. More specifically, stone-ground rainbow corn grits. The B&M website lists retailers where one can find their products, including "Coming Soon: All Chicago Whole Foods Stores". I probably won't cook the grits until post-Passover, but hadn't seen mention of this product and I thought chametz-consuming folks might want a head-start.

Baker Miller Expanding to Ravenswood Manor With 'General Store' in the Fall

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150817 ... store-fall

As Baker Miller has expanded their offerings, they've offered many items I've enjoyed, and others I haven't enjoyed so much. Their loaves of bread tend to be heavier than I prefer, though not bad - just not for me because of their density. I've had a couple of their hand pies, and I don't know if it's just been my luck, but both have been really dry. And with the chicken pot pie I had some time back, I found the crust too thick and lacking salt, and the filling too thick and mushy. Again, not sure if this was just a one-time thing.

At the same time, I've seen improvement in several items the longer they've had them on the menu. Their bagels were too fluffy (not to mention the lack of a hole on the bottom when first offered), but are now pretty respectable. I'd still like to see more of a sheen, crisp exterior, but the texture is just dense enough and I really like the flavor of their everything bagel (salt, caraway, poppy seed, sesame seed):






They've also started offering croissants now and I have to say they're some of the most delicious croissants I've ever tasted, likely showing the value of house-milled grains and butter. That being said, they're too crisp and too heavy. I suspect they'll have to work on the flour blend they're using to ensure the proper lightness. The heaviness was even more apparent in the prosciutto and cheese croissant, but again, delicious. I only have pictures of the croissant with prosciutto and cheese:







Finally, Baker Miller now has biscuit sandwiches and breakfasts. The biscuits are not quite what they were like at Bang Bang. They're still more of the crumbly style (not flaky), but they're a little heavier. Note that you can just request a biscuit separately from the sandwiches and the meals (sorry, no picture).

Dave148 wrote:

Baker Miller Expanding to Ravenswood Manor With 'General Store' in the Fall

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150817 ... store-fall

Hot Bar by Baker Miller is scheduled to open Saturday in Ravenswood Manor. Dave Miller said this second location, 4642 N. Francisco Ave., will focus more on comfort food, the buttery items Chicagoans love, opposed to the original Lincoln Square spot which presents more grain bowls and pickled vegetables.

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/11/12/972 ... w-location

As I noted in the Openings & Closings thread, Baker Miller is taking over the Kitchen Sink coffee shop in Edgewater. Dave Miller himself was working the register this morning. I'll be anxious to see what they bring to this great little spot.

1107 W Berwyn Ave
Chicago, IL 60640

Baker Miller, the beloved bakery, cafe and mill house near Lincoln Square, will move from its current flagship location by Aug. 31 because of a landlord lease dispute. The new location will be the former Le Cafe space at 4655 N. Lincoln Ave.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

The GP wrote:As I noted in the Openings & Closings thread, Baker Miller is taking over the Kitchen Sink coffee shop in Edgewater. Dave Miller himself was working the register this morning. I'll be anxious to see what they bring to this great little spot.

1107 W Berwyn Ave
Chicago, IL 60640

The owners of popular North Side baked goods-focused cafe Baker Miller closed their new Edgewater location after just four months, as Edgeville Buzz reports it’s shuttered with a “for rent” sign in the window.

Dave148 wrote:

The GP wrote:As I noted in the Openings & Closings thread, Baker Miller is taking over the Kitchen Sink coffee shop in Edgewater. Dave Miller himself was working the register this morning. I'll be anxious to see what they bring to this great little spot.

1107 W Berwyn Ave
Chicago, IL 60640

The owners of popular North Side baked goods-focused cafe Baker Miller closed their new Edgewater location after just four months, as Edgeville Buzz reports it’s shuttered with a “for rent” sign in the window.

https://chicago.eater.com/2018/1/2/1684 ... sures-2018

Dave148 wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

The GP wrote:As I noted in the Openings & Closings thread, Baker Miller is taking over the Kitchen Sink coffee shop in Edgewater. Dave Miller himself was working the register this morning. I'll be anxious to see what they bring to this great little spot.

1107 W Berwyn Ave
Chicago, IL 60640

The owners of popular North Side baked goods-focused cafe Baker Miller closed their new Edgewater location after just four months, as Edgeville Buzz reports it’s shuttered with a “for rent” sign in the window.

https://chicago.eater.com/2018/1/2/1684 ... sures-2018

This hurts for this stretch of Berwyn. I think the Edgewater location for Baker Miller was a bit of an afterthought as they bought it around the same time they were moving their Lincoln Square location. They reduced the hours on Berwyn, stopped making sandwiches and other items on-site. Sad.

Super sad for me since I just moved right around the corner and loved having them nearby. My wife heard from the neighborhood it was because the landlord wanted to raise the rent, but I can't corroborate that.

I suppose this is just Baker Miller-adjacent now, but that Edgewater location off the Berwyn stop is papered over now with a sign that Rewired Cafe Edgewater is coming in 'Early 2019'. I haven't been to Rewired but it looks like they have a location in Lakeview currently.

We both ordered the same thing for brunch--the Avocado Eggs Benedict--and we both were wowed. The biscuits were unbelievably good and all the ingredients combined for a splendid experience.

We got a cherry-filled hand-pie to share for dessert tonight, and I can't wait.

Baker Miller announced on their Instagram that they are modifying their business model and morphing into Miller Bagel. They've been closed because of the holidays and Covid and decided to accelerate this change they were originally planning for February 2023. Customers will see changes starting Friday, January 6 when they reopen.
Instagram link

Edited: They pushed the reopening to Saturday now. Probably best to call ahead if you're jonesing for their bagels.

They complain about margins but I’ve never seen a restaurant with more inconsistent - and careless - execution survive. The food is good but the portion sizes were WILDLY different every time I went. I ordered the same dish on every visit and would sometimes get a quarter pound serving of bacon when a few strips would be fine.

Nice people, good food, they just need to tighten up their practices. Hope the new focus is successful.

Quote from story polster linked:

The Millers need to decide whether or not to renew their current lease for another five years by February 1. If the concept isn’t successful, they’ll move to a more affordable spot in Lincoln Square.

“There’s lots of tiny little vacancies all around the city right now, and landlords are begging for people to come take them,” Miller says.

If sales remain strong, they’ll stay put and possibly look at expanding the Miller Bagel concept to food halls and other locations throughout the city.

Miller Bagel may not last long. I seriously doubt that they will find a more affordable spot in Lincoln Square with anything near the foot traffic they have now.