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MoJoe's on Belmont is a new coffee shop that serves well-prepared Intelligentsia coffee an various cheap and delicious eats. The atmosphere is funky but relaxing — the kind of place you want to go...
MoJoe's on Belmont is a new coffee shop that serves well-prepared Intelligentsia coffee an various cheap and delicious eats. The atmosphere is funky but relaxing — the kind of place you want to go after a long day to collect yourself.
MoJoe's also features a small library of books from which you can borrow, and a large collection of nostalgic games (Sorry, Operation, …).
Definitely worth your while if you live in the neighborhood or if you're just passing through.
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I avoided this place for maybe a year because it seemed (from the outside) like just another uncomfortably sterile café. I finally gave it a shot a couple of months ago when I needed a place to go...
I avoided this place for maybe a year because it seemed (from the outside) like just another uncomfortably sterile café. I finally gave it a shot a couple of months ago when I needed a place to go study, and I was pleasantly surprised.
The atmosphere is not at all sterile once you're inside. It reminds me, oddly, of something you'd find in Portland, Oregon. The walls are painted with home-grown murals of 50s-retro space stuff, but it manages to be relaxing rather than imposing or hokey. The atmosphere is great for going for to talk with a friend, do some reading, or just stare out the windows facing Chicago Ave. There's some amount of a hipster scene going on, but unlike so many other places in the neighborhood I don't feel judged when I go there. Overall, Atomix pulls off a relaxed, do-what-you-will atmosphere rare in a city like Chicago.
The coffee is good, too. I only ever get straight coffee there, so I can't speak for the espresso drinks or food. They use excellent beans, but the standard roast is a bit dark for me, and on one occasion it was pretty old and needed to be rebrewed. I've never been over-the-top excited about their coffee, but I've also never been disappointed.
So: four stars for you Atomix, for being a pleasant place to spend a couple of hours.
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Shan
Category:
Restaurants
5060-A N Sheridan Road
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(773) 769-4961
I have yet to have a bad experience at Shan. The restaurant is in the back of a minimart on an otherwise-quiet street up north. Cabs fill the small parking lot, so you'll probably have to find...
I have yet to have a bad experience at Shan. The restaurant is in the back of a minimart on an otherwise-quiet street up north. Cabs fill the small parking lot, so you'll probably have to find street parking if you drive.
Shan offers cheap, fast, delicious, fresh foods well into the night. Flatbreads are cooked to order, and flashy Pakistani music videos will tide you over for the short wait while your food is cooked. Although the atmosphere is specifically that of a minimart, I've enjoyed the meals I've eaten there more than those I've gotten takeout.
I don't know enough about Pakistani food to know if this is true, but I've been told it's quite authentic. All I know is it's very, very tasty. Worth the trip if you don't live in the neighborhood.
Overall, highly recommended. Five stars for food quality, five stars for atmosphere.
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First, for full disclosure, I should say that I work at the Coffee and Tea Exchange.
That said, it is nonetheless a great place.
First, there's nothing like it in Chicago for quality or price....
First, for full disclosure, I should say that I work at the Coffee and Tea Exchange.
That said, it is nonetheless a great place.
First, there's nothing like it in Chicago for quality or price. The coffees are all fresh roasted in Chicago, and mostly $7.39/pound. The tea (I may be a tea snob) is cheap with a selection that gives Argo a run for its money. Spices, too, in bulk, are high-quality and inexpensive.
Also, the owners and manager are making an effort on the fair-trade and organic fronts. They have several kinds of fair-trade organic coffee, and have extraordinary organic teas and spices.
And of course, it's locally family-owned and operated. This is important for a place like this. Maybe it's telling about the quality here, too, that it's managed to survive for over thirty years in lakeview, even with a starbucks, caribou and intelligentsia within three blocks.
Anyway, yes, I work there. But I work there because I think it's a great place.
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Don't know if it's my favorite, but it's in the top two or three without a doubt.
small, layed back, and something about the atmosphere that just makes me feel welcome.
Don't know if it's my favorite, but it's in the top two or three without a doubt.
small, layed back, and something about the atmosphere that just makes me feel welcome.
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Swim Cafe
Category:
Food & Dining
1357 West Chicago Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60622
(312) .49-2.8600
Swim is one of the best cafes I've found in Chicago.
More than just spectacular fair-trade coffee and thoughtful food, Swim is fast becoming a real community asset. The owners expertly pull off the...
Swim is one of the best cafes I've found in Chicago.
More than just spectacular fair-trade coffee and thoughtful food, Swim is fast becoming a real community asset. The owners expertly pull off the tricky balance between place of business and community venue. The cafe has everything you'd expect from a good coffee shop (environment, products, etc), but also supports local arts, sustainable foods and community interaction.
Positives:
fair-trade coffee
free wireless internet
friendly staff
well-priced and homemade pastries and food
Negatives:
wobbly tables
I can't recommend this place enough.
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