- Aimee Levitt
- An almond butter and strawberry-vanilla jam sandwich with peach lemonade
You could argue that the appearance of Beurrage, a Viennese-style bakery, represents the further gentrification of Pilsen, and you could also argue that it’s ridiculous to pay $5.50 for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, “artisanal” or not. The counterargument is there is always room anywhere for a good croissant and, anyway, Beurrage itself is a product of Pilsen: it began two years ago as a booth in the neighborhood farmer’s market. Bakers Jeffrey Hallenbeck and Isaiah Simpson make everything with cultured butter: they allow their cream to ferment slightly into creme fraiche and then hand-churn it, which sounds like a real pain in the ass. And, finally, yes, that sandwich is completely worth the $5.50, even without chips or a salad. If all peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were like this, peanut butter and jelly would not be the default for brown-bag lunches. It would be reserved for special occasions.
Beurrage, 1248 W. 18th Street, 773-998-2371, beurrage.com
