A Part of
Our Heart
Once when I was 4 years old, my sisters Monica and Christine were making dinner. I asked if I could help, and they kindly agreed. They tied a dish towel around my waist as an apron, then showed me how to make apple pie. They taught me how to roll dough, and then how to peel and slice the apples. We then tossed the apples with butter, lemon, brown sugar and some spices, then poured them into the crust. Monica showed me how to make autumn leaves out of the rest of the pie dough, and we arranged them on top of the pie.
That night at dinner my sisters praised my modest efforts and I announced importantly that when I grew up I’d be a chef. Christine (who later became an accomplished artist) drew a picture of my pie and me on my school workbook, and from then on, I dreamed one day I’d open a restaurant.
Fast forward 25 years, I started baking for local coffee shops and department stores. In a relatively short time I was supplying
35 locations, including Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Nordstrom. I knew the next step was to open a small shop to the public, and in 1994, A Taste of Heaven opened at 1701 W. Foster.
In the beginning we served cakes, cookies, scones and muffins, but soon started making soups and sandwiches. When we moved to
5401 N. Clark in 2004, I expanded the menu to include full breakfasts, entrees, wraps, pasta dishes and salads, and we’ve operated as a full service restaurant ever since.
My goal since I started is that every person who comes into A Taste Of Heaven will leave in a better place than when they entered. I tell my staff that any small act of kindness, a smile, a warm greeting, a delicious scone could change a person’s energy, and ideally they’d bring that positive energy out into the world.
I still believe this today, and seek out the opportunity to make people’s day brighter. I sincerely believe this is my purpose in the world, and I’m very grateful to share the work I love with my customers and staff, who I genuinely care about. It’s not about money, it’s about making a small difference in this chaotic world.
When someone does something they love
and they share it with you,
it’s as if they’re giving you a piece of themselves,
a part of their heart, A Taste of Heaven.
Thank you for all the support you’ve given
me and my staff these past 27 years.
You have made my dream come true.
Dan McCauley