The German soft pretzel is a delectable invention, as is its French cousin, the flaky croissant. So why not combine the two into one magnificent superbread? Providentially, a cozy Austrian cafe and bakery in Lincoln Park has done just that.
The croissant sandwich plate ($7.99) at Cafe Vienna includes a breakfast sandwich served on either a plain croissant or a pretzel croissant, the latter option being particularly swoon-worthy. The sandwich itself is huge, overflowing with fluffy scrambled eggs and up to four ingredients of your choice (ham, bacon, pork sausage, hot andouille sausage and smoked apple chicken for the meats; onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, mixed peppers, jalapeno peppers and spinach for the veggies; Swiss, cheddar, mozzarella, feta and American for the cheeses). But the best part of the sandwich is the bread: a warm, fresh and buttery baked croissant-pretzel hybrid that is melt-in-your-mouth exquisite. 2523 N. Clark St., 773-244-9922, http://www.cafeviennachicago.com
Leah Pickett is a freelance writer.