Places I enjoy greatly–coffee shops of any size. Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea on Lake Street in Oak Park is bright and airy.
And the cappuccino was perfect.
Tag: Coffee
dark matter coffee
I love upstart independent coffee roasters, so couldn’t help but be intrigued by this Western Ave. storefront in Ukrainian Village.
And this roaster has quite the origin story. Jesse Diaz served coffee at Star Lounge in 2007. Two months into his employment, the owners shared that they wanted to sell. So Jesse got a $2,000 loan from a childhood friend, and Dark Matter Coffee was born. The coffee is great, and the blends are quirky, edgy fun.
There is Unicorn Blood.
The Bourbons of Dr. Funkenstein. (Seriously, this artwork!)
And for Guns N’ Roses fans, Warm November Rain.
The staff at the mothership location could not be nicer, BTW.
a perfect cup of espresso: the Franziskaner from Julius Meinl
Sometimes the smallest of experiences can transport you to across-the-world places. A cup of espresso from Julius Meinl in #Lakeview did that for me earlier today.
It’s the Franziskaner–a double shot of Viennese espresso with steamed milk and a dollop of whipped cream. To visit Julius Meinl is like stepping into an Austrian cafe. All of their drinks are made to order and served on a silver tray with a spoon, complimentary caramel biscuit, and glass of ice water. Lovely taste-of-Vienna experience.
colectivo coffee on n. milwaukee ave. in chicago
It’s not often that two of my friends simultaneously rhapsodize about the new coffee player in town (#Chicago), but they were this past Sunday. And I was all ears.
The new player is Colectivo Coffee from Milwaukee so it was fitting to find a Colectivo on N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. I pulled my rental car over pretty immediately.
The coffee shop space is wonderfully conceived and designed. And the coffee itself is distinctive–sharp, acidic, strong. Really strong. Not for the weak willed.
Curious to try some yourself? You can check out all of their locations here.
cups espresso cafe
In the Jackson metro area is a locally owned coffee roaster and espresso cafe–Cups. You can find Cups in Fondren, Flowood, and Madison. And as I’ve learned, in 20+ locations throughout Mississippi. If you’re a coffee lover, I would put Cups on your map, wherever you might be in the Magnolia State. The house blend is perfectly strong but not too acidic. It’s warm, rich, and, to use a wine expression, it has a great mouth feel.
My current go-to is the Americano with skim and some artificial sweetener. But if seasonal drinks are your thing, Cups does not disappoint. I might make it my mission to try each of these. Coffee goals.
