Photo: Maggie Faircloth
Photo: Maggie Faircloth
With a mission statement like “Be the change that you would like to see in the world,” Hannah’s Bretzel strives to offer not only fantastic organic fare, but also acts as an admirable model for other retailers with their sustainable green business practice. Let me begin this review with a call to action: as a Conscious Choice reader, it is your duty to try Hannah’s Bretzel.
Named after owner Florian Pfahler’s daughter Hannah and an old Germanic form of the word pretzel, meaning twisted or ring bread, Hannah’s Bretzel offers breakfast and lunch to Loop residents who choose where and what they eat to satisfy more than just hunger. “Since I came to states 1986 I have seen an incredible change in the food scene. People have clearly become more conscious about the holistic approach of living and the fact that food is not only something to fill a hungry stomach, but it also has the ability to greatly influence health and mental well being,” Pfahler explains.
The menu includes breakfast items such as a full service, all-organic coffee, espresso and tea line, all ranging from $2 to $7. Hannah’s mainstay however is their lunch menu with offerings such as freshly baked Swabian and whole grain bretzels; whole grain sweet and savory scones including an excellent one made of artichoke, spinach and feta. The menu includes a variety of organic salads like the whole grain and flax seed pasta salad, and freshly prepared sandwiches with imported European ingredients such as the Italian Prosciutto di Parma with Mozzarella, Madrange Ham with French Camembert; the Vegetable Bomb with Hannah’s chef’s secret vinaigrette and a favorite of mine, the Wild-caught Alaskan Smoked Salmon with Sprouts and Dill Crème Fraiche.
Hannah’s serves two daily soups: whole grain barley vegetable and a seasonal soup: currently a 99 percent organic potato and leek soup with a hint of curry and garlic. However, I imagine that with our unenviable Chicago winters, more diners would appreciate numerous soup options, so we’re hoping they’ll grow that section of the menu; lunch prices range from $4 to $7.
The desserts are plentiful and mostly homemade. The Blondie that my friend and I shared was unusually light and incredibly flavorful with a healthy sweetness to it that I came to find out was an agave sweetener, which Pfahler tells me is a slow burning low-glycemic sweetener derived from the agave plant. The glycemic scale measures the burn rate of carbohydrates; for example traditional sugar ranks 100, honey ranks around 85 and the agave sweetener comes in at 11. So it provides steady energy but is a slight bit sweeter than honey. That makes for a tasty dessert with a healthy sugar component that will give sustained energy.
Of course, we can’t leave out Hannah’s chocolate wall where they offer more than 20 labels of organic chocolates with more than fifty different flavors.
Hannah’s is the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design as defined by the U.S. Green Building Council) certified “green” retail building in Chicago. Environmentally friendly business practices are at the core of the company’s values and they aspire to be a model to other businesses for the merits of environmentally friendly practices. Hannah’s uses biodegradable containers made of corn, non-toxic paints and biodegradable cleaning materials by Ecover and Ecolab, recycled grain boards instead of wood, low emission delivery vehicle; energy saver light bulbs; recycled napkins, plates and utensils. The informative and entertaining website even has recipes for non-toxic cleaning alternatives for home use.
Hannah’s Bretzel is a leader in Chicago for offering honest and healthy food and its business foundation is one to be admired—and emulated—by other Chicago businesses. As conscious citizens, it is imperative that we support their green business initiative, which is a fine call for all of us.
Hannah’s Bretzel accepts all major credit cards and offers catering—via their Mini Cooper.
Hannah’s Bretzel, 180 W. Washington, Chicago. Open Monday through Friday 7am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm, Closed Sundays. 312-238 9636, hannahsbretzel.com.
Ed’s note: This month Hannah’s is opening in Illinois Center at 233 N. Michigan Ave. Hours will cater to the business crowd: Monday through Friday 7am to 5pm, closed Saturdays and Sundays.
Tanya Fritz is a professionally trained chef, oenophile, slow food fanatic and yoga enthusiast. She has covered the restaurant scene in her former hometowns of New York, San Francisco, Dallas and Lyon, France.