There once was this boy who tried to woo me by appealing entirely to my sweet tooth. He would leave me candy by my car and bring me brownies in the Reg, which my friends and I would promptly devour. He tried to lure me on dates with him with promises of floats at the Med and croissant French toast for brunch at Bistro 110. Although I do like a boy who is willing to whip me up a batch of cupcakes whenever my little heart desires, this guy just didn’t appeal to any of my other senses.

And so it goes that this boy may remain a baking bachelor, and I have been forced to appease my appetite for the sweet stuff by other means. Luckily, I happened upon the dessert bar Sugar, by fate or chance. It must have been serendipity, because Sugar and I were meant to be together. Located on Kinzie, off of Clark, Sugar is a little loud for my taste in terms of décor and music, but it’s important to remember it’s what’s on the inside that counts. And by inside, I mean what will be inside my tummy.

The desserts are delish. Wistful, if you will. What’s more, the owner of the joint was an English major at DePaul, and so all of the sweets are named after famous literary works. The Tell Tale Tart (peach tart topped with pistachio ice cream and honeyed caramel), MacDeth by Chocolate (gooey molten chocolate cake topped with chocolate goodness), Banana Karenina (unique banana and chocolate combination)…come on, any U of C kid can appreciate that. My Cream and Berry Tales—an array of strawberries and blueberries with mounds of honey whipped cream—held my attention far longer than the actual Canterbury Cathedral did.

I must say, though, that I’m not as keen on the drinks. Sure, the names are cute and the glasses are fun to hold, but they are much more appetizing on the menu than in actuality. What they may lack in flavor, however, they do make up for in potency. The already surreal beehive-style bar will seem even more dreamlike after just one of these beverages.

Take a little trip to Wonka-land for an evening that will satisfy your appetite. Who doesn’t feel better after stuffing themselves with non-Atkins friendly food? Let’s be honest, honey. Food can most definitely make you happy.

Address:  108 West Kinzie Street

Phone:  (312) 822-9999

Directions: Via CTA: Red line (towards Howard) to Roosevelt. Transfer to CTA bus #62 Archer Northbound to Kinzie & Dearbourne. Walk west (away from Michigan) on Kinzie. The bar is on the right.

Via Car: LSD north. Exit at Grand Ave. Turn left from Grand to Clark. Turn right onto Kinzie. Sugar is almost immediately on the right.