In recent years, the word ”gourmet” has taken on a new meaning. Gourmet now refers not only to the connoisseur of food and drink but to the food and drink itself. West suburban gourmet coffee and dessert shop owner Syrus Ghassemi of Switzerland Chocolatier in Downers Grove defines gourmet as,
”food or drink of selective high quality with high quality control.”
The desire to drink a quality coffee was one reason that prompted another shop owner, Frank Ritz, to open C.R. Beans in Elmhurst. ”It seems that when people get used to drinking a better grade of coffee they can`t drink anything else,” he says. Ritz notes that many restaurants will leave freshly brewed coffee in the coffeepot where it will continue to cook. Gourmet shops, however, ensure the freshness of their coffee. For instance, after brewing coffee Ritz pours it into carafes where the beverage stays hot and maintains the desired flavor.
In addition to a booming carry-out business, many stores selling gourmet coffees, baked goods, teas, spices and coffee accessories also have dining areas to accommodate the growing number of people who yearn to relax and enjoy a quality coffee served along with a buttery croissant, fruit-filled muffin or slice of creamy cheesecake.
The intake of high calories, fat and cholesterol that may be found in these baked goods doesn`t seem to worry patrons. Indeed, gourmet shop pastries and desserts look too good to resist. Don`t expect to find doughnuts or deep- fried breakfast rolls. Varieties of oversized muffins, croissants, Danish rolls, cookies, cheesecakes and rich chocolates are usually found in these stores. The bakeries strive to use the best ingredients and capitalize on freshness.
Connoisseurs enjoy the result of this emphasis on quality when they visit the following shops and restaurants serving gourmet coffee and baked goods in Chicago`s western suburbs.
C.R. BEANS & CO.
136 W. Vallette St., Elmhurst, 941-8984. Decorated in peach and forest green, this two-year-old gourmet shop features assortments of coffee, coffee accessories, teas, spices, chocolates, pastries, desserts and breads. Tables are located inside the shop where classical music softly plays in the background, and in warm weather outside in front of the store.
According to owner Frank Ritz, his specialties are the morning surprise muffins, filled with carrots, apples, raisins, walnuts and coconut, and the cinnamon rolls which are made with croissant dough. Pecan rolls also are a favorite.
”People say they can`t find one like it anywhere else,” says Ritz. Muffins such as golden zucchini raisin, double chocolate chip or cranberry nut, croissants, which may include apricot or raspberry fillings, and Danish rolls are baked daily.
Cheesecakes, such as turtle, lemon or chocolate mousse, and French breads are delivered from Chicago-area bakeries. In the fall C.R. Beans also offers pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cheesecake.
Ritz selects two coffees each day to brew, such as mocha java and decaffeinated mocha mint. He also serves espresso and cappucino. For lunch, soup and croissant sandwiches are available.
Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Fri., 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sat., 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
MARSHALL FIELD & CO. CROISSANT SHOP
1 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 572-1234 (ext. 580). The Croissant Shop on Marshall Field`s Walkway at Oakbrook Center features a coffee each day from Field`s Gourmet Coffee Shop. The shop is stocked with at least 20 different coffees and may serve Frango Mint coffee one day and southern pecan the next. Field`s special blend gourmet coffee is served daily. Coffee beans are ground at Field`s and brewed the same day.
Breakfast, lunch and dessert items are served throughout the day. Sticky pecan rolls and rum raisin rolls are popular breakfast pastries. Croissants include ham and cheese, cream cheese and strawberry and cream cheese. A new Croissant Shop cookie is white chocolate and macadamia chip. Other favorite cookies include chunky Frango Mint Chip and oatmeal raisin. According to Marshall Field`s Oak Brook restaurant manager, Bobbi Wagman, dough is brought daily from Field`s on State Street to Oakbrook Center where it is baked. ”The fact that it`s baked continuously during the day in small amounts as we need it ensures the freshness,” says Wagman. Carrot cake, seven-layer chocolate bars and brownies are baked at the State Street store and delivered the same day to Oakbrook. Sunday is the only day there is no delivery of those items.
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
PERSIMMON TREE
127 S. 3d St., Geneva, 232-6446.
The Persimmon Tree, a specialty food and lifestyle accessory shop, has been brewing and selling gourmet coffees for nine years and selling bakery items for about six. Seating, which is limited (only two tables), was added six months ago at the suggestion of the shop`s lunch crowd. The store`s bakery and deli are located in the back near shelves of jarred relishes, conserves and jams, bottled salad dressings and bins of gourmet coffees.
Each day the bakery brews a couple of coffees such as Dutch chocolate mint and Copenhagen, and occasionally offers free samples. Croissants, muffins, breads and cakes are sold in the bakery, but according to owner Bill Briner, the hottest items are their chocolate chip cookies and their ”glob” cookies, made with nuts and three or four different types of chocolate.
”We put the best of all ingredients in them,” says Briner. ”We have to have them all the time.”
During the holidays special bakery items are usually available, such as pumpkin cheesecake around Thanksgiving.
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sun., noon-4 p.m.
SPICE `N` EASY
528 Crescent Blvd., Glen Elyn, 858-0779.
Located in a two-story building downtown across from the railroad station, Spice `N` Easy considers itself a cafe as well as a gourmet shop. Spice `N` Easy moved to its present location 1/2 years ago from Main Street, where it had been since 1980. The place bustles with so much activity in the morning that many regular customers have suggested tables be added to an upper level to provide additional seating. The cafe now has seven tables at the front of the building near the windows and six bar stools at the counter. Tables are donned with flowers and colorful prints hang on the walls. Spice
`N` Easy plays music-in the morning the music is lively to wake up customers.
Because most of her customers do not prefer flavored coffees, owner Lee Chalfant does not have a flavored coffee brewed until afternoon. Two kinds of coffee are brewed each morning-one regular gourmet coffee such as Columbian supremo, and one decaffeinated such as mocha java. The regular and
decaffeinated coffees are brewed in the afternoon, in addition to a flavored coffee such as hazelnut or chocolate raspberry creme. Cappuccino, espresso and hot chocolate are served all day.
Spice `N` Easy`s breakfast specialties include bodacious cinnamon rolls, cream and currant scones, and cinnamon apple muffins. Muffins are made with real butter and include more fruit and less sugar than most muffins. Desserts include fresh fruit tarts, cakes, cheesecakes and old-fashioned chocolate frosted cookies. The lunch menu consists of sandwiches, salads and soups. According to Chalfant, a lot of the lunch menu is vegetarian. Hot pasta is served in the fall and winter. Menus change every three months.
”Our cooks are real seasonal oriented. We go to farmers` markets because customers are getting a fresher product then,” said Chalfant.
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 6:45 a.m.- 6 p.m.
SWITZERLAND CHOCOLATIER
1530-C W. 75th St., Downers Grove, 810-0664 This tiny gourmet shop is nestled between stores at the west end of the Cub Food Plaza. Though small in seating (only eight chairs are available), Switzerland Chocolatier has a selection of 61 gourmet coffees. When the first customers walk through the door in the morning, owners Syrus Ghassemi and Rag Noory will brew the coffee of the customers` choice. Customers` requests will be brewed until the shop gets too busy.
”I do have the finest coffee in the United States,” said Ghassemi. He added that this is because Switzerland Chocolatier roasts its own coffee every Tuesday and Thursday. ”A coffee is good when the interval between roasting and consuming is short,” said Ghassemi.
Favorite coffees at Switzerland Chocolatier include Jamaican Blue Mountain blend, French vanilla and cinnamon rum.
Shelves throughout the shop are stocked with tea tins and boxes of chocolate candy. Switzerland Chocolatier carries cinnamon orange tea which even diabetics can drink because it has no saccharin or sugar.
Chocolates from Europe include a popular candy from Germany which is available fall through early spring and contains a liquid liqueur.
Another seasonal item available October through May is a gourmet carrot muffin made with saffron.
French type pastries are available the days they are baked-Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays. Baked goods include napoleons, tortes, tea cakes and strudel.
Switzerland Chocolatier sells ”coffee in a filter” where very fine Belgium coffee is brewed in a cup that is outfitted with a filter. Ghassemi says this drink will be one of the hottest items in the American market for the next five years.
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. (Closed only on New Year`s Day.)
WILSON HOUSE COFFEE & TEA SHOP
327 Franklin St., Geneva, 232-0300.
A 132-year-old house on a side street in downtown Geneva is the setting for the Wilson House Coffee & Tea Shop. The former parlor serves as the dining room, complete with fireplace, wooden floors, lace curtains and antique furnishings and accessories (many of which are for sale).
A bakery and deli are located in the back offering croissants, pies, cheesecakes, muffins, cookies, sandwiches, salads and soups. Owner Lara Bucki makes 17 varieties of homemade fudge, including banana nut, amaretto, peppermint, pumpkin pie and cranberry. Her best selling item is kolachky, a Czechoslovakian pastry with fruit or cheese fillings.
French doors in the deli lead to a bricked patio that provides outdoor seating. Downstairs is Barrels `N` Bins, a bulk foods shop with 42 varieties of coffee. Wilson House patrons may choose a particular type of coffee to be brewed in a two-cup coffeepot. In addition, Bucki selects at least two special coffees each day, such as Geneva Blend and decaffeinated Cinnamon Viennese, and maintains freshly brewed pots in the dining room. She also serves espresso and cappuccino.
Hours: Mon.-Sat, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (Wilson House will open Sundays the week after Thanksgiving for the Christmas season.)
