Nestled snugly at the end of Wilmette’s bustling Central Street sits a quaint, little boulangerie by the name of St. Roger Abbey. A great fan of European baked goods, and an even greater one of them on a cold Winter Friday, after discovering the bakery on Google Maps, I naturally had to check it out. Trust me, it did not disappoint.
The bakeshop, painted in pastel colors and housing several mini cafe tables and right-hand counter with stools to eat at, immediately strikes you with a familiar air of some foregone time, some forgotten, nostalgic era. The sweet scents of its pastries and breads entice you, the handwritten menu on the back blackboards implores you to entertain its tasty offerings. And yet, even before you have time to take in any of these various wonders, you’re quickly greeted upon arrival by the friendly pair of nuns working the cafe’s counter.
In business for over twenty years, the bakery is part of the mission of France’s Fraternité Notre Dame Catholic order. The international organization works to help needy communities from Detroit to Niger through various means. Its Chicago branch runs a food pantry, soup kitchen, and more, and uses the funds raised by St. Rogers Abbey’s two locations in Wilmette and Birmingham, Mich., to pay for these programs.
Talking with the nun at the counter, and noticing as much her distinct, authentic French accent as her distinct, authentic warmth and congeniality, it was clear that the money from the pastries I was buying would go toward a good cause. I was eagerly given a handout about all of the order’s many branches and wished a very merry Christmas on my way out—the type of thing you just don’t really get at Dunkin’ on a daily basis.
For those who have had the privilege of previously visiting Europe, St. Rogers feels rather reminiscent of those olde bakeries lining the cobblestone streets of Paris’ Montmartre. Its pastries are those of traditional French origin and their drinks, ranging from coffee to hot chocolate to tea and everything in between, are excellent. At a time when the state of American coffee shops can basically be summarized by the recent advent of Starbucks’ “Pink Drink,” St. Roger Abbey offers a familiar feel of the bygone homely neighborhood cafe.
If you ever find yourself in the area, bored after school, or simply at home, doomscrolling and captivated by videos of Europe’s famous cafe culture, do yourself a favor and find your way down to St. Roger Abbey. You’ll talk with one of the cafe’s lovely nuns. You’ll feel the ethereal winds of Nice or Marseille calling your name. Or, if nothing else, you’ll at least leave with a couple pastries for the road and that warm feeling in your chest of having donated for the greater good.
