2013 Best Bite #17: Brown butter & blueberry pie, Hot Chocolate

Each day in December, I’m celebrating the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2013, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at 2012’s Best Bites.

Why it’s another 2013 Best Bite: Two friends and I ended up at Hot Chocolate after a much-hyped hybrid dessert sold out before we could nab one. But all’s well that ends well, because the composed desserts here are phenomenal – pastry chef and owner Mindy Segal didn’t win a James Beard award for nothing! This pie was a lovely way to celebrate blueberry, corn, and the last bits of summer. Each element played off the next, from tart curd and nutty pie crust into fruity, floral sauce, and from crunchy kettle corn into melty sweet corn ice cream. And I won’t even get started on the white mint hot chocolate I drank along with it, except that it’s like none other in the city (and was one of seven hot chocolate options on the menu).

The details: Hot Chocolate, 1747 N. Damen Ave., Chicago.