my unexpected goal for 2018 is to try out more independent coffee shops; not because I'm a coffee junkie but because I want to better my own local coffee shop

• of interest
  • Mission House Cafe || FB
  • Back of the Yards Cafe || FB || Tribune
  • they look like they are deeply in touch with their local community
    • Cafe El Meson

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• Back of the Yards Coffeehouse → Back of the Yards
• by far, the most humble and the most impactful on the community
  • Ipsento Coffee → Bucktown (2035 N Western Ave)
• their latte is so fresh and so appealing. I enjoyed it very slowly, so slowly that
• somewhat cramped backroom, but it doesn't look like this place would be super duper popular? I shouldn't call it cramped when it resembles a house... maybe there is seating upstairs?? I shouldn't have fear but here I am
• today, the yellow room is reserved for a class this evening, and the blue room is dedicated for quiet study
• they play comfort music, like the Jackson 5's "I'll be there" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World"
• I'm more likely to revisit Ipsento over The Wormhole, any day... even though just a half-mile difference
  • The Wormhole → Wicker Park (1462 N Milwaukee Ave)
• I walked by this coffee shop months ago, but got greatly intimidated by its dark exterior that I walked passed it, didn't go inside, and instead took the bus to my go-to coffee shop
• lowkey I feel like it's more of a bar (like the Intellegencia, but not so bright-looking?) except adorned with 80's memorabilia, including old-style lunchboxes and a race car?? It wreaks in a brand of vaporwave-like future nostalgia
• I feel a little hypocritical because I'm on a coffee shop tour, and I ordered a chai latte. Like... I should be trying different coffee shop's coffees
• the chai is spicy and the milk is creamy, and it was served in an adorable baby blue ceramic mug
• I took note of how they kept a log of their drinks, writing it on a laminated, dry-erase tab with the customer's name and their drink. It's a superb alternative to writing that information on the side of an insulated plastic cup
• their playlist is generated through spotify hooked up on an ipad and generated through speakers, the type of music where you think it's over while in reality, there's 40-60 seconds of electronic reverberations
• the barista took my mug after loitering there for a while, but I think she did it just to keep busy (and not out of my own idea of self-imposed malice, huhu)
• they proudly pour Halfwit, apparently
• final thoughts: I still feel somewhat intimidated by the friendly customer banter and 80's nostalgia,
  • Bridgeport Coffeehouse → Bridgeport (3101 S Morgan St)
• the latte itself was pretty meh (served in a plastic cup with a sleeve as opposed to a mug), but maybe I should've added more sugar (or just pay an extra 50 cents for a flavor shot, idk)
• also ordered a bagel, and man did I inhale that bagel (and it was totally worth the $2.50 I paid for~)
• a bunch of cops came in, and it felt oddly reminiscent of a certain neighborhood
• there was a Chinese chess club meeting there? that was kinda cool
• SO MANY AVAILABLE SEATS and it has the niftiest bathroom after taking three right-hand turns, that was the coolest thing... I'll definitely have to revisit this coffee house, but next time, walking down Halsted rather than Ashland
  • Sip Coffee House →
• upon entry, there is a wall with bulletin boards of local's business cards and other advertisements, leaving a good first impression of how connected they are with the surrounding community. I also noted their oh-so alluring pastry display case and humble, kitchen-like countertop with vintage magnets on their coffee shop equipment
• today I opted for a latte and added a great deal of sugar into the white, plastic cup with a sleeve that advertised travel to Arizona... (I think it was because I had my coat on, the barista assumed I would get my drinkto go...)
• if my name was Robert or Rebecca, I could've gotten a cup of drip coffee for free... follow their social media for their latest updates~
• feel kinda stupid, and asked the barista if there was more seating in the back (as opposed to the solitary couch and accent table across from the pastry display case), and she said there was more seating back there
• this coffee house has a back patio for outdoor, which would be a lovely visit during the late spring or early summer (re: more seating~)
• I'm counting my lucky stars, I still can't believe I scored a seat on the 2nd floor of the coffeehouse
• it's a coffeehouse because it was, like, built in a house
  • Intellegencia → Milennium Park
• it's a bar, a high-end coffee bar
• their menu was a sheet of paper in a frame on the countertop (as opposed to, say, an overhead menu hanging behind the counter)
• I asked what the difference was between a latte and a mocha and the barista was super sweet about the painfully obvious differences there are between the two
  • but like... it's practically in the loop, and I'm sure they have a lot of weirdos stumbling into their business, asking painfully obvious questions about their $5 espresso drinks
• "to stay or to go" was the sweetest way of saying "for here or to go" I've ever heard
• I was doing my best at human observation as for "what to do" with my ceramic mug and found out that you return it to the bar after you're done
• there was a trans barista working at the bar and wow I might have crush
  • Dollop Coffee Co. → Streeterville (345 E Ohio St)
• apparently they are a Chicago-based operation that started in Uptown 13 years ago, serving Metropolis coffee
• the barista was so nice to me and made me feel guilty about my mediocre personhood (which is exactly how a coffee shop barista should be)
• I took note of their graphically-appealing WiFi display, which cross-promotes their social media profiles
• lots of Working Adults present at the shop, doing their work, and seating in the shop was very limited
• high ceilings and off-white walls helped to create a bright atmosphere
• poured my apple cinnamon latte in my thermos to slowly sip and enjoy during the movie theaters, hhuhuuha
  • Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea → The Loop
• there's one in Bucktown and another in downtown Chicago, and opted for the downtown location bc I was short on time (but just another reason to visit their Bucktown location)
• located inside of a hotel; there's probably patio seating on Michigan Avenue when the weather's warmer
• SUPER trendy, and also super pricy; it's not a coffee shop but rather a craft roasting experience
• looking at their machines made me realize that being a barista is like being a chemist, or more specifically, a chemist who asks if it's okay to switch out your requested whole milk for skim milk because they are out of whole milk (and that's okay~ I appreciated the heads up)
• the espresso was really strong, but also all so rich; I paid for a top tier experience and I received every penny's worth in my latte
  • New Wave → Logan Square (3103 W Logan Blvd)
• my (one and only) go-to coffee shop, located in close proximity to public transportation and in the heart of Logan Square; I'm trying out different coffee shops to go to NW less frequently
• I also like it because I can work there for hours and be productive without any interruptions
• absurdly hipster, as I feel older than the majority of NW's millennial customers, even though I am significantly younger than the majority of NW's millennial customers
• highly recommend ordering a Hail Mary, which is a chai latte with 2 shots of espresso; I think about this drink whenever I go to a coffee shop that isn't New Wave