Two Zero Three | Loop - Chicago, IL

Address: 203 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60601

Coffee roaster: Bow Truss Coffee Roasters

B's brew: 12oz latte w/ whole milk & cinnamon

C's brew: 12oz I Love You Honey Bear (honey and orange flower latte)

Sweet: West town bakery - Cranberry & Orange scone

Tunes played: Elton John - vinyl

Website: virginhotels.com/dine-and-drink/two-zero-three/

Our 3rd annual staycation was a success!  Despite the 72 mph wind gusts, we made the best of our time together exploring this great city.  Our last stop before hopping on the brown line home was Two-Zero-Three in The Virgin Hotel.  It's always strange spending time in a hotel for which you're not a guest, but we were welcomed immediately.  Everyone was extremely kind, and they even comped one of our drinks since it was our first time in, which is always nice!  It was also a great surprise to see that they were serving Bow Truss coffee as they are one of our favorites.  

We grabbed a window seat, sipped our perfectly prepared lattes, and watched quietly as thousands of people marched in a demonstration down Wabash.  We were literally locked in, which was absolutely fine by me considering we had a pile full of records to choose from, a case of West Town Bakery sweets to eat, and two wonderful barista's to chat with in a beautiful space.  The Virgin Hotel is now on our list for our next staycation. 
 

Star Lounge Coffee Bar | West Town - Chicago, IL

Address: 2521 W Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60622

Coffee roaster: Dark Matter Coffee

B's brew: 12oz latte w/ honey, cinnamon, cayenne & whole milk

C's brew: 12oz latte w/ honey, cinnamon, cayenne & whole milk

Bonus brew: Chocolate City draft iced coffee sample

Sweet: West town bakery - granola scone

Tunes played: Ghost Town DJ's, Jamie XX, Carole King

Website: darkmattercoffee.com

One of the first coffee shops that we visited last year was Star Lounge's sister shop, Osmium.  Everything about our experience there was great except one sour barista.  She made such an impression on me that I've shied away from Dark Matter's other locations. I naively assumed that all of the baristas were going to be the same!  I finally came around, mainly based on the fact that Charlie really wanted to go to Star Lounge.  I'm happy to say our experience with the barista's were the complete opposite at this location, and I would even go as far to say that Star Lounge is one of my new favorite shops.  Everyone was so friendly, they even made us our own custom drink!  I'm a sucker for cayenne pepper in my coffee, so whenever it's on the menu somewhere I ask for them to add it in. 

It took a minute for us to find a seat at the bar, but once we settled in and warmed up, we stayed cozy for an hour.  Charlie started talking to one of the guys behind the bar, and he told us all about their draft iced coffee, and he kindly offered each of us a sample.  I don't know much about draft coffee, but it literally tasted like smooth chocolate, which went well with our granola scone.  We plan on going back to Star Lounge when the weather is warmer to take advantage of their patio.  The walls of the fence and the picnic tables are covered with work by street artists such as JC Rivera.  Based on our awesome experience at Star Lounge, we'll definitely have to try Osmium again soon.

Bridgeport Coffeehouse | Bridgeport - Chicago, IL

Address: 3101 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60608

Coffee roaster: Bridgeport Coffee

B's brew: 12oz latte w/ whole milk

C's brew: 16oz latte w/ whole milk

Sweet: Bake For Me! - chocolate glazed donut

Tunes played: classic rock (front room), classical (back room)

Website: bridgeportcoffee.net

Finally, we ventured over to Bridgeport! This neighborhood has been on our list for a while.  We're constantly researching new shops to visit, and Bridgeport Coffeehouse is in the top ten of so many Chicago lists.  I finally understand why. 

We went around 11:30am on a Sunday morning.  Before we even got in our car, we were already making a Plan B in case there wasn't anywhere to sit.  To our surprise, even though the shop was full of people, we were able to score a prime window seat overlooking (what we thought) was the entire shop.  Shamefully, we "reserved" our seats before ordering our coffees and donut worried that it might fill up quickly!  In fact, after 15 minutes, the place was full.  We sat and listened to classic rock while we took note of the original tin ceiling and all of the unique artwork covering the walls of the shop. Charlie somehow figured out that there were two other rooms filled with tables of people, so in true fashion we took our coffees and moved to the back room to get another perspective. 

As we sat listening to the UofC med students study for an exam with Tchaikovsky playing over the speakers, I looked around and realized the diverse community we have ventured to.  It's moments like this that make me proud of what this project has turned into - a way for us to embrace things outside of our comfort zone.  We honestly didn't want to leave... and before we did,  we somehow started chatting up Donnie, one of the baristas.  We only talked to him for about 5 minutes but learned that he has a strong desire for being involved in the creative community and is hoping to start classes at the Chicago Portfolio School, where Charlie is an instructor.  I love making those connections!

Sip Coffee House| West Town - Chicago, IL

Address: 1223 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

Coffee roaster: Intelligentsia Coffee

B's brew: small latte w/ whole milk & cinnamon

C's brew: medium latte w/ whole milk & cinnamon

Sweet: slice of banana bread - owner's mother!

Tunes played: Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Band, Cat Stevens, Steve Miller Band, Pink Floyd

Website: sipcoffeehouse.com

Every time Charlie goes to Isaac at Handcrafted Barbershop, he notices Sip only a few doors down.  For some reason, though, we always pass it up when considering our weekly coffee shop.  Finally, we decided it was time to head in! 

From the second we walked inside, we knew we were going to have a unique experience.  Before ordering our lattes, we asked what sizes they offered.  Since this was our first time at the shop, the very friendly baristas pointed out a shelf with a variety of mugs and told us to pick one out.  I loved this idea!  After picking out our mugs, we then noticed a glass case full of baked goods.  We couldn't pass up the banana bread, especially after we found out it was homemade by the owner's mother.

Once we had our coffee in hand, we walked through a hallway to a large space with cathedral ceilings and floor to ceiling windows.  This was so unexpected.  We grabbed a seat up on the loft and spent a few minutes looking at all of the people working hard on their laptops.  Every single table was filled, but it was strangely quiet for the size of the space. 

We ended up having to move downstairs because someone had reserved the loft space for a meeting.  Once downstairs, we had the coziest seat in the house - a vintage leather chair tucked away next to a smaller chair and end table.  It was as if we were the only ones in the shop. 

Spyhouse Coffee Roasters | North Loop - Minneapolis, MN

Address: 907 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Coffee Roaster: Spyhouse

B's brew:  12oz Latte w/ whole milk

C's brew:  12oz Spygirl (latte w/ lavender & honey)

Sweet: Black Walnut Bakery - buttermilk scone w/ currants

Tunes played: L.A. Leakers, 2 Milly, T.I., Lil Dicky, IamDLOW

Website: spyhousecoffee.com

 

We were only planning on visiting one coffee shop while we were in the Twin Cities, but after hearing Kirstin at Quixotic's fervor for Spyhouse we figured we couldn't head back to Chicago without trying it out!  It's always nice to see small businesses supporting each other! 

The first thought I had when we walked up to the floor to ceiling windows was, "How is this place not crowded right now"?  As much as I love people watching in Chicago, it's always a breath of fresh air to be able to walk into a coffee shop and not worry if we'll be able to get a seat.  I can't help but say that out of all of the coffee shops we've visited thus far, Spyhouse wins for the most attractive. Even the light that filled the space was hard not to fall in love with.

I am a creature of habit, and typically order a 12 oz latte at each coffee shop we visit.  Charlie, on the other hand, is more adventurous. I am pretty sure that regardless of what we ordered though, it would have been satisfying.  We paired our lattes with an equally tasty butternut scone with currants and sat at a small round marble table waiting for Charlie's Mom to join us for a bit.  We love having guests on our coffee shop adventures, and it was a perfect way to end a family filled weekend.

Quixotic Coffee | Highland Park - St. Paul, MN

Address:  769 Cleveland Ave S Saint Paul, MN 55116

Coffee roaster:  Bootstrap Coffee Roasters

B's brew: 12oz con miel w/ Autumnwood Farms organic whole milk

C's brew: 12oz con miel w/ Autumnwood Farms organic whole milk

Tunes played: Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday, Santo & Jonny, Amy Winehouse, Ernestine Anderson

Website: quixoticcoffee.com

Leaving Chicago for Minneapolis in the middle of winter isn't always ideal.  When you have a new nephew to meet, though, the quick flight to colder temps is definitely worth it.  We stayed at The Grand Hotel downtown Minneapolis, and split our time between there and St. Paul.  It was a perfect weekend for overdue family time.  We had read a lot of good things about Quixotic, and we managed to sneak away from family for a quick 30 minute visit before they closed. 

The staff was so friendly, especially Kirstin who was sincerely excited for our new blog and even gave us a list of other coffee shops to try!  We told the baristas that we love getting coffee in the Twin Cities because of the Cafe Miel, or Cafe Con Miel that is oftentimes on the menu.  We explained that you won't find the word "miel" on coffee shop menus in Chicago.  Little did we know that it is just the French word for honey.  I read somewhere that said a Cafe Miel "is basically the liquid version of the world's best graham cracker".  I would have to agree 100%.

Aside from the friendly staff and our delicious Cafes Con Miel, the atmosphere was lovely.  Even though our visit was short, we spent 15 minutes sitting in the window admiring the abnormally quiet street and the Highland theater across the way.  After a few of the patrons left, we were able to slip into a cozy wood booth to finish up our drinks.  Our visit ended with the baristas sharing with us their enthusiasm for Quixotic.  They wanted us to know everything that makes them such a wonderful shop.  For instance, the milk they use is organic, and comes from a local farm! 

C.C. Ferns | West Town - Chicago, IL

Address: 2806 W Augusta Blvd, Chicago, IL 60622

Coffee roaster:  Metropolis Coffee Company

B's brew: 12oz latte w/ whole milk & cinnamon

C's brew: 12oz latte w/ whole milk & cinnamon

Sweet: Doughnut Vault - Old fashioned pistachio doughnut

Tunes played: Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Ray LaMontagne, The Haunted Windchimes

Website: ccferns.com

Our first blog post.

I'm not going to lie, It's pretty exciting.  Looking back on this past year, I think about how lucky the two of us are that we were able accomplish visiting 50 different coffee shops within 50 weeks. There are many people in this world that don't have access to clean water, let alone a coffee shop, so for us to be able to choose out of hundreds in our own city is pretty amazing.  We definitely don't take it for granted, especially the fact that we feel we are helping so many small businesses who are working with fair trade farmers across the world.  While that's only one part of our weekly routine that I love, the best one of all is that we continue to learn so much about each other.  Every week we are put into a completely new situation together.  Naturally, as creatives, the two of us observe everything.  It has become part of our dialogue to discuss the moments, and everything having to do with what we are experiencing. If you've ever been to C.C. Ferns, you will know right away that it lends itself to that conversation well. 

We had high hopes for C.C. Ferns strictly based on photos that we've seen.  Since our blog was going to be photo focused, it made sense that we wanted C.C. Ferns to be the first coffee shop featured on our blog. We went there on a day that it was negative degrees outside. From what we knew (based on the photos again), it was going to be the perfect break from the freezing cold temps.  From the second we walked in, we were not disappointed.  The vibe we got was exactly what we wanted as we were greeted with warm hues, wood floors, and a beautifully textured ceiling. The barista was friendly, the couch was comfy, and the coffee was the perfect temp to warm us up.  Last but not least, our one hour coffee shop visit was filled with observing and discussing the somewhat hipster, somewhat vintage, somewhat random, eclectic atmosphere.  We will for sure be back!