Eli's Cheesecake World   

6701 W Forest Preserve Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
773-736-3417
www.elicheesecake.com

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All out-of-towners, in order to know the source of Chicagoans' friendly nature, must ingest deep-dish pizza, a Chicago-style hot dog, an authentic Italian beef sandwich and a slice of Eli's cheesecake. You might not want to take your relatives to a hot dog factory, but do pencil in a trip to Eli's Cheesecake World, where you can see Chicago's favorite dessert actually being made. Eli's busy bakers are the stars at the 62,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art bakery. Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jay Leno, Donny Osmond, Susan Lucci and Larry King are among the fans of its sumptuous slices. If you have 10 people or fewer in your group, take the Sneak Peek tour available to walk-ins at noon Monday through Friday, but larger groups must make a reservation. You'd be smart to call ahead anyway because bakery production is not guaranteed for all tours. You're treated to a behind-the-scenes guided tour and a slice of Eli's Cheesecake afterwards. Shop in the retail store, have a coffee in the 40-seat cafe, or for the truly addicted, visit the cheesecake bar where more than 30 different flavors are available by the slice each day. Will it be cappuccino, hazelnut, chocolate chip, pumpkin or peppermint twist? Using 3 million pounds of cream cheese annually, any slice of Eli's will be heaven.