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Stop right there. Put down that no-whip skim mocha Frappuccino and walk away. You deserve more than overpriced coffee and pay-to-play Internet and the occasional bum who’s a little too comfy in those pleather chairs. So walk right back through those revolving doors, rid yourself of the burned-milk stench, and treat yourself to good caffeinated drinks, tasty homemade confections, local talent, free Wi-Fi and, if nothing else, the ambience you can only find in the independent café.
Here are our 5 bitchin’ caffeinated cubbyholes:
New Wave is a funky, spacious neighborhood haunt with locally baked goods (try the “Tiny Cakes”), strong coffee, and just enough leave-me-be attitude to let you do some serious pondering. The dark storefront masks a bright interior, which features local art, natural light, and a general playfulness that emanates from the Rubik’s-cube-inspired tiled floor. Speaking of the 1980s, the owners have a gigantic TV set up with an old-school Nintendo. When you’re tired of working on your blog-cum-novel, saddle up to the black leather sofa for a game of Super Mario Bros. Hey, question: What type of cloth do the Mario Bros. like best? Answer: Denim, Denim, Denim. Get into it.
This year-old café sits between a neighborhood-run bike repair shop and a non-profit art center. You’ll find a dozen tables (just large enough for two laptops), mismatched chairs and a love seat crammed inside this cozy spot, where you can scan the bookshelf for a game to pass the time. Chalkboard walls announce upcoming music and poetry events as well as daily food specials. Lunchtime is busy with University of Chicago folk until 1 p.m., and the best hour at Backstory is around 2 p.m. when a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies hits the oven and the smell of melted butter and brown sugar fills the air.
This bookstore/coffee shop/wine-tasting space offers something for everyone: A glass of wine after work, last-minute birthday card purchase, or literary distraction from sweltering summer heat. “It’s great for nooks like these,” says 33-year-old Lynn Allavoine, a DePaul University education graduate student who’s curled up in a plush, tall back chair. The days tend to be quiet, Allavoine says-save for a lunch crowd eager for salads and sandwiches-then changes over at night, when neighbors gather for author events, wine tastings, and trivia nights. Part European café, part neighborhood bookshop, The Book Cellar is a latte-sipping, magazine-perusing escape from grab n’ go coffee.
Noble Tree is not so much coffee shop as spiraling vintage home. “It looks so much like a house that it’s comfortable,” says Adela Luk, a 24-year-old barista. The decor -- a mix of local artist Brian Heiser’s collages, drawings, and paintings -- creates a haphazard, quirky-but-cozy feeling that sets it apart from coffee-chain neighbors.Noble Tree offers events a-plenty, like stand-up comedy on Tuesdays and the occasional speed-dating night. All products are locally purchased, so when you stop by, you can take a load off, get some work done, and give a little support to the surrounding ’hood.
If you’re heading to the Bridgeport Coffee Company, order up the shop’s most popular brew-the Hardscrabble, named after Chicago’s first slum. Since this coffee house opened five years ago, it’s served as a center for the budding community of artists who live and work in this pocket of Bridgeport, a neighborhood historically fraught with gang violence. In addition to fresh coffees and teas, the shop offers pastries, toasted sandwiches, ice cream, and shakes. Check out Bridgeport for its live jazz on Sunday nights and regularly hosted neighborhood events.