On one wall of Cadinho Bakery is a mural by Mario Mena that catalogs the places owners Maria Alejandra Rivera and Eric Carlson have lived. There’s Rivera’s native Honduras, where she and Chicago-bred Carlson met and married; China, where they once taught; Portugal, where their dream of a pastry shop took root; and McKinley Park, where it’s become a reality.

Rivera launched the business from the couple’s home kitchen in 2021, selling bolo de bolacha and pasteis de nata, Portugal’s ubiquitous custard tarts. In the brick-and-mortar shop, home now comes across as a mood. Carlson, an extroverted former Chicago Public Schools teacher, welcomes diners to the cozy and warm bakery, while Rivera and her team bake in back.

Rivera is self-taught, but the perfectly tender bite of her pastel de nata — anchored by a technically challenging laminated dough — proclaims her skill. In addition to the traditional heat-blistered custard, there are almond and coconut variations. Other highlights include assertive passionfruit tarts and bolachas húngaras, delicate butter cookies sandwiching dulce de leche. There are smoothies and coffee drinks, but a stiff cortado is the pastries’ ideal foil. Grab a cushy stool at the counter; it’s an excellent spot to make yourself at home.