Cool coffee shops off the beaten path (Chicago, Evanston: home, closing)

[Mamama Mia]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Or if you want to ship your car to Lebanon or get a fake license plate!

No, don't let it seep into another thread.

[ajolotl]

Yeah, this has always been a source of surprise and frustration for me in Chicago. Head down 8th street in Miami at 2am and you can get a colada about twenty different places. In my neck of the woods the 'late-night' cafes close at 10, just when I'm ready for a jolt. When I go to kaffein late I feel like I'm in a northwestern dorm, but at least it's open.

Originally Posted by b0nb0n

most coffee shops close super early like 9-10pm, i like kafein in Evanston because its open til 3am i think on most days...and also cuz most time ive been its actually been packed.
does anyone know of any other coffee shops open late? (aside from the 24hr starbucks on wells and i think the one on clark and belmont is open 24/7 too)

[xavier xerxes]

I liked this thread,
and wanted to resurrect it,
I will try backstory, that is really a cool location

Well for my recommendations

Rogers Park has some great coffee shops
Common Cup, Charmers Cafe, Ennui (service is slow at times but has best ambience of the ones in rogers park)
there is another one on devon and magnolia, forgot the name of that one

Brothers K is the best cafe in Evanston,
its owned by two brothers, its on main street just east of chicago ave
disgustingly popular for good reason, cool vintage space
and good coffee, plus you can tell that there are some hardcore regulars
which i always find hilarious. like Suburban moms taking their tykes in for coffee

OK coolest out of the way coffeeshop
is Alchemy, its at the last stop of the purple line in wilmette (4th and linden)
in a little commercial area that i didnt know existed.
the guy who owns the business is usually there
and he comes up with great scones, this fall
there was a pumpkin whooppee cookie, that i guess is some traditional out east thing to make, He has an old teac tape player going
and again rubbing shoulders with northshore suburbanites is interesting/weird.

[xavier xerxes]

one other thing about alchemy
not alot of space inside, its a weird old building
and very small, if you want to hang there, best to go
in the summer and sit outside, there are a few seats inside, but its a great
place to pick up coffee

also cupajoe is inside the purple line terminus and in good weather you could grab a coffee there
and hang out at the last outpost extenstion of the city in the northshore, on the nice benches
there, go to bahai temple or walk to the wilmette beach, just suggestions for anyone that has never checked
this area out, its pretty walkable and is a nice escape from the city without taking a car ride

alchemy is where i learned that donald rumsfeld grew up in winnetka,
they had a highschool picture of him in some old magazine

[ihynes]

Intelligentsia in the Monadnock Building has a special feeling.

[Venom]

What's up with everyone on this forum and Coffeeshops?
I've never set foot in one.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Venom

What's up with everyone on this forum and Coffeeshops?
I've never set foot in one.

Most adults have or will at some point in their life whether they be from a small town or a large city.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Venom

What's up with everyone on this forum and Coffeeshops?
I've never set foot in one.

Yesterday was perfect coffee shop weather. So that's where I spent part of my afternoon with my January 2009 issue of Car and Driver.

[becoming trees]

favorites = Cafe Mestizo in Pilsen, less than a block from the 18th pink line.
Cafe Efebos also in Pilsen, a little north of 18th on Blue Island right next to that McDonalds.
They both close at 9 and 10 though.

The Fixx, on Sheffield between Belmont and Wellington is open 'til midnight, I think, but I've been there later than that.

I love Bourgeois Pig on Fullerton because of the massive tea selection - open 'til 11.

Pick Me Up on Clark (the 24hr on weekends one) has Metropolis coffee, which is amazing, but it's much more of a diner with amazing food.

And I spent too much time at Kafein 'til close surrounded by Northwestern students as well.
Cafe Ambrosia, also in Evanston, is open 'til midnight. I stopped going there because the two girls that were always working were loud (despite the fact that everyone else was working and silent.)

Chicago needs more late night coffee places. I've been saying this forever. I live in tiny Grand Rapids and we have three 24/7 places, one that's open til 4am, and a few that are open til midnight. (note to any people who may open up coffee houses - make it open late!, the one 24/7 one near the college is almost never empty & the open that's open til 4am never is empty.)

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by Venom

What's up with everyone on this forum and Coffeeshops?
I've never set foot in one.

I go to two or three different ones a day. In the neighborhoods I've lived in the coffee shops have always been like a town center -- where you go to bump into someone you know, people watch, whatever when it's too cold to be outside and you're sick of being in the house. The coffee is secondary.