Sweet of the Week: Palmer Bread Pudding at Lockwood Dining Chicago

If I didn't know any better, I'd say the chef who makes bread pudding with brownies and doughnuts was actively trying to kill me. Such extravagance seems like brutal overkill, more on par with state fair freakshow food than an elegant restaurant dessert. But lo and behold, when dining Chicago Lockwood, an opulent jewel in the heart of the Loop, serves such a heinous-sounding dessert with class and aplomb. Sure, it may shave a couple years off my life, but at least they did so with class. If I'm going down, I'm going down with dignity and with a forkful of brownie-doughnut bread pudding in my mouth.

(Bread pudding at Lockwood)

Being the birthplace of the brownie, I would expect nothing less than a decadent brownie dessert at the Palmer House Hilton's resident restaurant. When Bertha Palmer originally contrived the idea for the brownie, I bet she didn't have brownie bread pudding in mind. At any rate, it's happening. The hotel's world-famous brownies can now be found baked into a cavity-tastic bread pudding with treacly doughnuts and caramel corn. It sounds and looks dangerously excessive, but it's oddly satisfying and addictive. Since much of the bread pudding real estate is saved for brownies and doughnuts, the pudding is softer and doughier than most bread puddings. The luscious, buttery texture makes it all too easy to continue eating and dining Chicago. It's a sugar bomb to be sure, mercifully balanced out by a bit of salt from the popcorn and caramel. Still, if you're planning on consuming the entire thing, I'd suggest filling out a waiver.