Loose teeth, loose leaf, choose feet, none of these is like the other.

I'm sure everyone has been in a panic due to my lack of a chai latte post this past weekend ;-) I did visit a coffee shop on Broadway but due to my small time slot there I didn't have much to say about it or to take pictures. The place I visited was Looseleaf Lounge on Broadway Avenue just passed Borders & next door to the Buffalo Exchange thrift store, and I had high hopes for this place but was let down. 

The cafe was super super SUPER small and crowded. They lacked any sort of pastries or cookies, so I settled on a Pumpkin Spice Chai latte w/2% and it was very tasty and smelled delicious to boot. Not much I can say besides this. The atmosphere was alright but because it was such a small place people had to sit very very closely so when I was studying I also felt like I was apart of the conversation of the people sitting next to me which I didn't want to be.

They did have a great array of loose leaf teas which I'd like to try more of but the 40 minute bus ride does not make this place an idea gathering on a regular basis.

~Looseleaf Lounge~

Chai latte - 8/10

Studying atmosphere - 4/10

Cheers!

The tea party is already in session, and you're late!

I popped over to Argo Tea over on state & washington (I believe). I've heard good things about Argo Tea. It's a Chicago based tea-cafe (correct me if I'm wrong) who have recently spread to other places in New York City so it's no longer Chicago's little tea-gem. The Argo Tea I visited has two floors so I was looking also for the study-like atmosphere. But there's nothing special about this place. The upstairs was awful in the arrangement of chairs and tables. Everything had a hard surface so it echoed worse than the Grand Canyon. And the people who were studying there obviously weren't very seriously about their studies because they blabbed more about E! than their homework thanks to the upstairs acoustics I heard every last detail.

The tea was the best part, as it should be in this case. I ordered the Red Velvet tea w/skim and it was delicious! A little pricey but it was a treat and I can't wait to go back to try more teas. They have a great selections of all sorts of hot and cold tea mixtures and just thinking about it gets me in the mood for another.



My cafe wanderings may have to slow down a little bit now that my dance education has gone into full swing for the semester.  But I hope to get to the Looseleaf Lounge this Saturday sometime.

Cheers!

Do a Dollop. Doooo doooo a Dollop of Daisy.

Now that I've said the name of this coffee place several times I cannot get the Daisy sourcream commercial jingle out of my head! It's maddening. At the moment it's funny but if it goes on any longer I may have to go to harsher extremes in hopes of extracting this song out of my head. If only I had a pensieve like that of Dumbledore's where I could cast this memory/song into and lock it away forever.

The Dollop Coffee & Tea on 4181 N. Clarendon Avenue near Irving Park is not the cleanest of coffee shops I have been too but I do love the old library/1900s era back room-kitchen-esque feeling. Waiting at the counter to order I made friends with a small fruit-fly who was looking longingly at the S'more cookies through the glass case. To see what all his fuss was about, perhaps he knew how good it was from previous experiences, I ordered the cookie along with my usual staple of a chai latte w/skim.




I found a long wooden table near the back, where I sat next to a lamp that leans awkwardly to the side. If this lamp had arms and legs I'm sure it'd be splayed out on the table with its head in its hands with a tired expression and droopy eyes. From my wooden table, beside my leaning lamp companion, I have a great view of the entire cafe, great for people watching. My favorite part of this shop is the free wi-fi. I had read that Dollop had recently changed to the 2-hour card carrying limit for wi-fi access but I was pleasantly surprised to find my macbook instantly found the connection which purred instantly with its accomplishment.

Over head the music selection is blasting that "wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up" song which brings a smile to my face and adds to the funky, eclectic feel of this shop, later "Sloop John B" comes on and I laugh out loud to myself as I am reminded of my previous high-school years in the musical review show "Sing-Out" that I spent five amazing years in with some of the most amazing and generous friends I have had the pleasure of having.

The trek out here was a long one. Taking the 146 bus from State to Gordon Terrace took approx. 35-40 mins. It is still early in the semester so my work load has not completely taken up my weekend so I'm able to take the luxury of going long distances to these places but I fear that as the semester rears its ugly head in the season of midterms I may be confined to shorter distances.





Alright enough chit-chat let's get down to business shall we? The chai latte, the latte version is a syrup which I can tell easily because it has a similar taste to about the majority of all other coffee shops in the area. There is a great selection of loose leaf teas which include chai but those are separate from the lattes and I guess are brewed differently.

The S'more cookie which sounds just devine fell flat in keeping up with its name. Apart from the occasional chunks of chocolate, the cookie tasted bland and the texture was stale and kind of chewy (but not in a good way).

I have formally worked at my aunt's bakery business back in New York off and on as the main cookie baker for almost nine years so I am able to say with confidence that I have turned into a cookie snob and know the art inside and out of baking a decent cookie or two.

This cookie was probably leftover from the previous day and left out over night in the case instead of being wrapped up like it should have been. The one thing I hate is getting day-old baked goods, if you're going to keep it longer than a day be sure to wrap it up during the night where not a lot of air can get to it so that it doesn't taste or feel like I'm eating something only slightly softer than a brick. Too harsh? Maybe, but in the food business one bad tasting can turn a customer off which will lead them to never returning. Trust me, I know! I won't hold the cookie against them, but the chai was dissapointing. But I am interested in trying their vanilla rooibos tea which I have recently fallen in love with.

It's starting to get a little busy as the morning turns into an early afternoon. Instead of keeping a chairs distance apart, strangers have succumbed to sitting next to each other to share a table or two. All for the love of coffee... or free wi-fi... which ever keeps your boat buoyant.

The service was very friendly.

All in all...

Chai latte 5/10 (no foam art?! Saddening).
Atmosphere 7/10 (would have been higher if my fruit-fly friend would stop bothering me with his chit-chat about the S'more cookie).
Studying atmosphere 9/10 (needs comfier wooden chairs... I think my butt is numb).


Cheers!

A last alliance of men and elves... Oh wait sorry I meant a last alliance of baked goods and coffee

Last weekend my chai latte path took me to the Alliance Bakery & Cafe lounge of 1736 West Division Street.

It is prized and has won many notable honors for the chocolate work, cakes, mousse, and their various other bakery sweets and treats.

This bakery is extremely small so upon entering I was almost pushed back out the door by customers waiting to buy their breakfast croissants and espressos. The wait was extremely long for my simple small chai latte and cinnamon bun (they had 4 people behind the counter, yet it didn't help the service any).

It was a little confusing at first but after leaving the bakery portion and a little investigating outside Jen and I found their lounge which is connected to the bakery but you must exit outside to go next door.

The room was not as cozy as earlier reviewed by a customer on yelp.com. Instead the room was chilly and lacked the ability to retain heat because the front door refused to budge all the way closed. Apart from one section of the front window with 2 comfy chairs and a couch the rest of the room had ill portioned wooden chairs and tables, with one corner booth as the exception.

The cinnamon bun was heaven. The bread was soft and light with just enough cinnamon. The icing, which I believe to be the most crucial part, was perfectly light and buttery with the slightest hint of vanilla. The chai latte as I had expected was extremely sweet but bland on the spicy side. It was made from loose tea which might have change the brewing (they might've rushed it) time which could've taken part in how bland it turned out.

After spending about 1.5 hours in the Alliance Lounge working I started to feel restless and cooped up. I thought about another drink but the thought of having to put my coat back on and bundle up to go back outside and into the bakery was disheartening (in warmer weather of course it wouldn't be a problem). I probably won't go back because it was a bit of a trek to this bakery and especially because it was 2 days after the Chicago Blizzard of 2011 which dumped about 20 inches of snow and the sidewalks looked like a scene from the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Alliance Bakery & Lounge

their chai latte (loose leaf)  5/10

lounge atmosphere 4/10 (bakery 5/10)

For studying 3/10

Cheers!

Rain may fall and wind may blow, And many miles be still to go, But under a tall tree I will lie, And let the clouds go sailing by

The title of this most recent blog is a quote from J.R.R Tolkien's character Frodo Baggins from the first book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I admit I just finished watching the extended edition with cast commentary of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King, not all at once of course. But I fell in love with the story and the characters and actors who portrayed these beloved characters all over again which sparked my interest in venturing to this Noble Tree Coffee in Lincoln Park. It reminded me somewhat of the "white tree" that sat on the top level of Minas Tirith in "a courtyard of stone" as described by Pippin in the third installment of the trilogy.

(third floor)

On the 3rd floor of this 1930s three-story house turned cafe known as Noble Tree Coffee on 2444 West Clark Street in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago's westside, I sit amongst my fellow studious neighbors, with their macbooks glowing, books spread out on various roundtables and highlighters squeaking against the laminate papers of books, I find myself almost wanting to have more homework to do to feel some sort of camaraderie in the struggle to finish our work before the school/work week starts. The atmosphere is extremely work-oriented and hushed in tonality. When the need to talk the voices travel across in a hushed whisper so as not to disturb those who are working diligently around us. The most noise comes from the first floor where the coffee counter & a smaller cafe-like room is situated. A narrow staircase with an ornate banister leads to the second & third floors that are similarly set up with all sorts of wooden chairs mismatched to add depth and interest, a few small couches sit in the corners, library-esque lamps hang over the round tables that give  warm glow that offer a juxtaposition to the snow that has piled up against the window sills. The walls though could use some sprucing, they remain painted white without so much as a photo to grace it, their stark-ness reflects the white and cold world outside.

(third floor, view from my table near the stairs, the stairs were like a sound tunnel)

The staff wasn't overly friendly or welcoming as Jen, my roommate, and I walked in. I got the "please just order something so I can get on with making it for you" vibe from both workers behind the counter. I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that it's Super Bowl Sunday and they were both males who didn't want to be working today... But I doubt this was the case but I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt. I wasn't too thrilled to get my 12oz chai latte cup without a saucer because I had a long trip up a narrow staircase with an over-filled coffee mug. I had to stand and sip my latte before I could make the trek up these looming stairs and even then the idea of tripping up the stairs with latte in hand was not a warming thought.

(Their Chocolate cream pie, was way too dense and heavy)

I did have my eye on their homemade chocolate cream pie which I might even risk the trip back downstairs to try. I'll allow my sweet tooth to linger on the chai for a moment longer before I subject it to another attack of a sweet sensory overload.

(second floor)

Today, being Sunday, it is extremely busy in here. Each floor is packed with students. The music that is played over head is some sort of Mexican-like mix that I don't particularly care for. I did the old headphone try and played a few tunes to see how overwhelming the music might have been through my own music and much to my gratitude the cafe music did not seep through my own which gives the Noble Tree a bonus point in my book. *note: as the afternoon proceeded and a new shift of baristas entered the music changed completely and was enjoyable. I am delighted to say that "All I Need" by Radiohead played overhead which I have a strong connection to after dancing to it in a student-choreographed piece in my dance department.

(their bathroom, believe it or not)

Now on to the important part of all of this. The chai latte. I regret to inform you that it was as mediocre as the General Mills powder mix I can make back at my apartment. The chai was made from a syrup, and was made a little too foamy for my liking (1/4 of the cup was steamed milk foam). Thank you for the mustache. Much to my disappointment I was not granted any latte art! The new thing in cafes these days I have happened upon is the art that is made when pouring the steamed milk in the chai mixture. I was simply given my cup of chai and sent on my way. This is not to say the chai was bad but nothing I could not have gotten at a Starbucks or Caribou Coffee.

(A feeble attempt at latte art in Jen's Soy Latte)

The atmosphere of its victorian era charm triumphs over their product which I don't think should be something to strive for. None-the-less if you're looking for someplace to study I would highly suggest Noble Tree Coffee, though a word of advice would be to come on a slightly off day or at an off hour. Getting here and having to go up and down stairs looking for someplace to sit is a magic trick when caring a chai latte in one hand and a piece of pie in the other with your heavy book-bag bringing up the caboose.

(while the building itself remains cute and quaint the product nor the service lived up to the hype)

Noble Tree...
Chai latte 4/10
Atmosphere 6/10
Spot for studying 7/10


Cheers!

...To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Word Origin & History

chai 

"tea," 1919, from Rus. or Arabic word for "tea" (see tea). Now used esp. of spiced teas.

"Chai Latte" simply would be a tea with steamed milk.

Now when you order a chai, please refrain from sounding redundant and somewhat unintelligent when stepping up to the front of the line and ordering a "chai tea" in this case you have just ordered a "tea tea," now why would you do that? The same goes for a "chai tea latte" if it was put in english terms would you really say to the barista "Hi, I'd like a tea tea with steamed milk"? No. So please people, for the sake of all that is good in this land please stop calling chai "chai tea." This is not Hawaii where something is so nice they named named it twice. No. Please just don't.

So take this with you and even when you see that it has been scribbled out on those infamous blackboard menus "Chai Tea Latte" just simple order the chai latte, they'll know what you mean and you'll keep yourself from falling into an American made word-ditch. Bottoms up!

My first visit of coffee land in Chicago worth mentioning was The Wormhole Coffee of 1462 N. Milwaukee in Wicker Park. A nerd, dork, geek, hispter's dream rolled into the essence of a coffee shop, if there ever was one. 
 The Wormhole is filled with mismatched furniture paired with coffee tables galore. A single long wooden table that looks like it was taken from a harvard library sits situated between the livingroom styled chairs and side tables. Amidst the livingroom-like set up a several-decade old TV set paired with a vintage Nintendo gaming system complete with any 80s gamer's fantasy list of games just waiting to be played. The walls are lined with fad movie posters such as Star Wars, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club and more. A faux fireplace is suited with the Millennium Falcon that looks as if it's about to take off up the faux brick chimney. Lining the shelves and boxed cubbys along the wall is as much Star Wars memorbilia as you can imagine, cups, figurines, pictures, posters, and cutouts of the Star Wars characters and most-beloved props that could rival the Smithsonian (if they had a Star Wars section that is). Sitting nicely tucked in the coffee shops front window is a complete replica of the Delorean from Back the The Future which complete the facade of the Wormhole.

Please note that the "Wormhole" in their title does not allude to our creepy, crawly friends of nature but the wormhole of space and time travel that we have come to know so well in movies such as Star Trek and Star Wars.

The atmosphere is of mostly college-age students, most of which are there to work. The wormhole has its busy hours but because of its work-like atmosphere and study/lounge appeal rarely do you see people coming in "just to chill." It's busier on the weekends of course, if you go earlier in the morning it's more likely to be quieter if that it what you're looking for, towards the afternoon hours the clientele mingles with 20-somethings to 40-somethings on their coffee/study breaks.

The seating arrangement is perfect, nobody is up in anyone's business unless they specifically want to be then in that case there is something else that needs to be addressed (Please refrain from the PDA people). I suggest, if it's colder outside, sitting closer to the back because the door opens constantly with foot traffic from the sidewalk and even the coffee won't keep you warm enough from those bitter bursts of cold air.

Now I have personally not tried their food. Apart from a few macaroons on the house, which were delightful, I have heard nothing bad or good about their food.

(Winter Formal)

Now their coffee is what they are well known for. I first have told you that I am not particularly a coffee drinker nor will I be in the future, my interest is more for tea but I have been known to try a few coffee-infused drinks. For instance, their "Winter Formal" which is a latte-like coffee infused with basil did give me much needed caffeine boost but the bitterness of the basil was hard to overcome.

Their "Chider" was divine, it's simple a mix of apple chider and chai. It is beyond sweet, listen up sweet tooth, and will make anyone slightly pucker at its super sweet and tangy taste.

Last but not least their chai latte. I have had this each time I have visited (5+) and each time it gets better and better. It is definitely on the sweeter side with a slight tang to it. I don't know how they make it... whether with loose tea or a syrup but either way it's good!!
I had one loose tea that comes with tea infuser and all (love it!) I believe it was the "Dragon" tea... The exact title escapes me but it was a white tea and was just flavorful enough not to overburden the senses.

I have easily spent a good five hours studying at the place in a single sitting and have yet to get tired of it. Their free and unlimited Wi-Fi doesn't hurt either ;-) The staff is spunky and super friendly and always willing to offer you a new option to try if you are bored with your usual cup of joe. They are well versed in the language of the coffee bean and are no stranger to offering you their expertise in the matter of such things or others if you wish to venture off into new territory of conversation. I always see them testing out new concoctions behind the counter and experimenting with the steamed milk art creations. I secretly wish to work here someday.

I give the Wormhole Coffee's chai latte a 9/10 (subject to change).

The atmosphere gets a 10/10

Cheers!

Caffeine addicts and workaholics are welcome here

When asked what I do in my spare time here in Chicago by my friends and family back home in New York I'm often stumped... What do I do?! After a minute or two of thought I've come to the conlcusion that I don't do a whole lot... I go to class, go to rehearsals, perform, go to class, go to rehearsal, perform. Is this really how I want to remember my time in the second largest city? 

 It shocked me to think that after all these years I still know nothing about the city I live in. Having my undergraduate college in the South Loop area I hardly find time to venture too far from my apartment. As a dance major I have countless rehearsals that swallow up my nights while I spend the majority of my daylight hours in technique class or even more rehearsals, weekends are spent attending various dance performances and catching up on homework that was put off because of rehearsals.

Upon my three years of residence in the city of Chicago I have found not only a passion in dance but a passion for loose leaf tea and for that of chai.

All sorts of chai interest me, loose leaf, powder, syrup, whichever. And most recently I've stumbled upon the idea of scouring the Chicagoland for the best cup of chai. 

As a college student I saver the moments I can spend in a coffee shop sipping a latte and enjoying the aromatic atmosphere to goes hand in hand with a cafe. I have come to resent the big-business coffee corporations due to their lack of imagination in their locations and store fronts. I delight in finding those hidden gems coffee shops and bakery cafes that stay tucked away from the beaten paths. These are the treasures that college students, like myself, are holed up in for countless hours pouring over research papers, worksheets, music theory notation, and the countless other array of work that's thrown at us.

A few months ago I was introduced to the Wormhole Coffee. A semi-large coffee shop/study lounge that is tightly tucked away between two large display windows. If I had not been previously made aware of the Wormhole I probably would have completely passed this coffee shop by without a second look. The outside shows no resemblance of a coffee shop nor does it allude to even housing tenants of any sort.

This coffee shop sparked my interest in coffee/study lounges that are directed towards the college-type student who needs that perfect place to study that will fuel not only their caffeine addiction but allow them to keep working for hours on end without bothering them as they work.

In my search for the best cup of chai in Chicago I have also taken it upon myself to search out the best study lounges and cafes for a student like myself. I have made a checklist in hopes to finding a place that will knock off at least 4/5 of the necessary amenities needed for a college student like myself.

A coffee shop/study lounge should have...

1) Properly prepared coffees, teas, and other assortment of beverage options, caffeinated and non-caffeinated options are appreciated. Freshly brewed & ground beans preferred (local is a plus).

2) Food is not a must, but various sweets (cookies, muffins, scones, croissants, danish) that might suppress a growling stomach and add an extra sugar boost is greatly a start in the right direction. Organic/Vegan options are a plus.

3) Proper seating arrangements & lots and LOTS of plug outlets for our hip Apple laptops. Proper seating includes an assortment tables & chairs. Hard backed chairs and tables for those who need a desk-like structure to study and comfy couches and coffee tables for those who study best on their beds. Also making sure chairs & tables are nicely spaced from other chairs and tables, I do not want to feel like I am sharing an intimate meal with the table next to mine. Personal space is key.

4) Adequate music selection. Not too loud and not too quite. When I can hear the music over my own headphones then we have a problem. Music selection ranges from eclectic/indie to contemporary-adult, from Guster to Coldplay. No head-banging thrasher metal selections or irish jigs please.

5) Ambiance. Some prefere the bright sunshine, to be near windows, and daylight to motivate them to continue working, others prefer dark corners and dimly lit lamps with the glow of their computers illuminating their furrowed brows as they tap away at their keyboards. Sometimes we can't always get both so in my personal preference I prefer the latter to daylight and windows. I find that I work better with darker surroundings, darker colors, surrounded by shelves filled with books and old photographs lining the walls.

-When thinking about the ambiance and atmosphere, sound control is an issue, adding in abstract art to cover the walls and oriental rugs to absorb sound is always a great choice. Keeping in mind that making coffee can be a often loud and clanging job. Keeping the lounge & the coffee bar in separate locations of the room is ideal.

Again this is not a crucial list but some of these things without the other will make or break a great coffee shop.

So far I have visited five different cafes that all bring a different vibe to the surrounding areas of Chicago.

I am more than open to different opinions and suggestions and I look forward to my ventures outside my Loop bubble and hope to fall in love more and more with the wonderful city that I live in. 

In the follow posts I will give in greater detail the coffee shops that I have more previously visited (pictures made available when possible).

Cheers!