Chicago Tribune
Good Eating section 16 Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007

By Susan Taylor

Triple-threat sweet shop

Lauren Pett owns Rich Chocolates & Candies, Cathay Rayhill owns The Sugar Syndicate and Alison Bower is owner of Ruth & Phils Gourmet Ice Cream. Together the three food artisans opened Sweet Collective, an unpretentious gem of a shop that sells all of their creations.

“We all have something we’re passionate about,” said Rayhill, adding that it’s nice to “have someone there to bounce ideas off of.”

Pett’s Windy City Collection of chocolates ($1.95 each), inspired by Chicago’s neighborhoods, includes “Humboldt Park” (white chocolate with guava and coconut) and “Gold Coast” (dark chocolate and Champagne dusted with edible gold).

Rayhill’s miniature pastries, such as one-bite cinnamon-apple cake with cream cheese frosting, are small in size but huge on fresh, clean flavor. Her special-occasion cakes (from $35) range from whimsical salad bowl to elegant wedding cakes.

Bower’s creatively flavored ice cream and sorbets include sour cream-cinnamon ice cream and chocolate spice sorbet (two scoops, $2.75; pints $7.85).

The trio will have items tailored to Thanksgiving, too, including pumpkin pie truffles, miniature pumpkin pies and apple tarts, and pecan caramel ice cream.

Next Article

Back to Press