About


Situated in the picturesque Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago, Alliance Bakery features fine European pastries and desserts, custom-designed cakes to suit any occasion, and a full espresso bar. Come visit us and enjoy our free wifi room and outdoor café.

Chef Peter Rios operates the Alliance Bakery & Café. Chef Rios has served as executive pastry chef at the Fairmont Hotel Chicago leading a team of ten in the pastry department. He created Asian and global inspired desserts at Aria, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant. The Aria Sushi Bar, Lobby Lounge and the Club Lounge were other outlets at the Fairmont which offered international desserts.

Prior to Fairmont Hotel, Chef Rios served as executive pastry chef at Sofitel Hotel Chicago for almost four years. He enjoyed the challenge of preparing modern French pastries for the flagship hotel of this French hotel company.

As executive pastry chef for the Art Institute of Chicago for six years, Chef Rios created many themed buffets and displayed his talents in matching modern and traditional pastry to art exhibits and shows for this famous museum.

Chef Rios has trained extensively in Europe and has participated in demonstrations in Paris, Lyon and Nice, France and most recently in Chocolate and Pastry seminars in Istanbul, Turkey. Chef Rios is a graduate of Kendall College. He has participated is multiple advanced courses at the French Pastry School Chicago since 1994 were he continues to learn and evolve in the art of Pastry.

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Awards & Accolades


CARBA Regional Cake Decorating Competition 2012: 1st Place Overall Grand Prize, 1st Place Wedding Cake Category, 2nd Place 2D/3D Cake, 3rd Place 10″ Fondant Cake Category

Pillsbury National Cake Decorating Competition 2011: 3rd Place overall, 1st Place 2D/3D Cake Category, 1st Place Fondant Cakes, 2nd Place Wedding Cake Category

CARBA Regional Cake Decoration Competition 2011: 1st Place Overall Grand Prize, 1st Place Wedding Cake Category, 1st Place, 2D/3D Cake, 3rd Place 10″ Fondant Cake Category

Food Network: Sugar Showpiece Construction and Cake Truffles

TLC Amazing Cakes: 4′ Chicago Themed Cake for WGN and Chicago Tribune

Cooking Channel: Devils Food Chocolate Cake Class

Food Network: Chocolate Challenge- Love Theme 4′ Sculpture

Grand Prix of Chocolate, Paris France: Chocolate Sculpture and Chocolate Candies, Finalist

Patisfrance U.S Pastry Competition: Gold Medal, 1st Place Overall

Patisfrance U.S Pastry Competition: Best Taste Award – Entremets

Albert Uster Plated Dessert Competition: 1st Place

U.S.A. Pastry Team: Chocolate Showpiece, Candies and Entreme

2017 Cake Hunters, Cooking Channel: 1st Place

2018 RBA Cake Decoration Competition: 1st Place

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Press

 
 

This bakery makes Halloween cakes that’ll haunt your dreams

Mashable highlighted some of the craziest and spookiest Halloween cakes we’ve made! Check them out … IF YOU DARE!!


Chicago’s Best Breakfast 5

Brittney Payton and “Chicago’s Best” stopped by our Wicker Park bakery to try one of our unique, delicious breakfast pastries! Stop by one morning and try one for yourself!


Chicago Businesses Take Part In “Open To All” Day of Action

We partnered with the ACLU of Illinois to support their “Open To All” campaign to prevent businesses that are open to the public from refusing to serve LGBT people, in violation of laws that protect all of us from discrimination.


Chance the Rapper Had the Most Amazing Birthday Cake

We helped Chance celebrate his 24th birthday with an awesome Harold’s Fried Chicken-themed cake, and were featured in Pitchfork, Billboard, WGN, People Magazine, Eater (national), Eater (Chicago), Time Out Chicago, Vibe, JET, DNA Info, The Fader, Complex, XXL, The Daily Meal, Yahoo! Music, Page Six, New York Daily News, MySpace (RIP) and Worldstar (!).

Company We Keep


American Dental Association
Andy’s Jazz Club
Aramark
Architectural Artifacts
Bloomingdale’s
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Plate Catering
Chicago Cultural Center
Chicago History Museum

Chicago Social Magazine
Conn’s Catering
Crafty
Crystal Gardens
Dineamic
Entertaining Company
Fairmont Hotel
Food for Thought
Four Seasons Hotels

Galleria Marchetti
Germania Place
Google
Hubbard Inn
Harry Caray’s
Hyatt Hotels
Industrious
Inspired Catering
Intercontinental Hotel
Ivy Room


J&L Catering
The James Hotel
Kimpton Hotels
Knickerbocker
Marchesa
Newberry Library
Nordstrom
North Loop Market
North Park University
Olivia's Market

Paramount Events
Pazzos
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Perfect Cup
Picolo Sogno
Plum Market
Punch Bowl Social
Prairie Productions
Quadrangle Club
Remington’s

Ritz Carlton
RockIt Ranch
Saddle and Cycle Club
Salvage One
The Signature Room
South Loop Market
Spin
TAO Chicago
Vital Proteins
W Hotel
Westin Hotels
Wahlburgers Chicago

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