|
Find out more about Dana: Dana Kavan writes a cocktail column for the Sun-Times' entertainment website, Centerstage Chicago, where she used to work as an editor. When she's not scouring the city for creative libations, she enjoys exploring Chicago neighborhoods by foot, bike or CTA. Send Dana a message and follow her on Twitter. |

Kopi Café has called
A Taste of Heaven
This corner coffeehouse/restaurant looks as innocent as they come, but it caused quite the controversy when it put up a sign reading 'Kids of all ages have to behave and use their indoor voices when they come to Taste of Heaven.' The story of the sign, which stemmed from a situation when the owner had to kick out a family because of rowdy kids, landed the cafe on the news show 20/20. But even the sign, decked with colorful kiddie handprints, should speak to this shop’s sweetness. And so should its amazing scones—buttery mounds of blueberry-studded dough that are big enough to share. The décor has a country-kitsch feel, with a blue-and-white checkered floor, tin pie posters and hanging quilts. It serves Casteel Coffee from
Kopi, A Traveler’s Café
Kopi’s hodgepodge environs channel the campus coffeehouse every co-ed dreams of—from the cozy nook in the picture window up front, where relaxed patrons sit on pillows with their legs tucked under a coffee table, to the display of goods for sale in the back. Grab a Lonely Planet travel guide, a scarf or a trinket, and then sit down on the wicker-like chairs to order off the mostly vegetarian menu. The coffee is top-notch, as are the teas, but if you really want a treat, opt for the fresh fruit and yogurt smoothies to pair with your panini or veggie burger. The crowd is a little bit boho and intellectual; though there’s no wifi, you’ll often find customers on their laptops, presumably rhapsodizing about their foreign travels or writing the next great American novel.
The Coffee Studio