Since opening as the first konditorei, or German pastry shop, in the city of Chicago in 1948, Lutz Café & Pastry Shop has collected praise from the New Yorker, the Food Network, and generations of sweets-savvy mouths. Beneath the curve of a wood-and-glass display case, strudels, cakes, and candies crafted from traditional European recipes preen in the light of pendant lamps. Pristine tablecloths and delicate china crown tables in the flower-filled dining room and private, outdoor garden (open Mother’s Day through October), where a blue reflecting pool mirrors yellow deck umbrellas. Individual pots of Viennese-style coffee energize guests for flurries of typing over the complimentary WiFi network or climbing expeditions to the peak of a towering chocolate-covered Baumkuchen cake.