`How do you take your coffee?” used to be such a simple question to answer: Black. Cream. Cream and sugar.
These days, as Chicago’s coffeehouse scene continues to flourish, java drinkers can also take their coffee — or espresso, or cappuccino, or latteccino, or macchiato, or de-caf double espresso — with poetry, Internet access, folk music, independent films, plays and ‘zines.
The cult of the bean spread in the mid-’80s from Seattle and San Francisco to the Midwest. Suffering through chilly winters and raw, windy springs and autumns, Chicagoans proved to be receptive to places that served up hot, peppy beverages. Whereas there were only a dozen or so local coffeehouses here in the late ’80s, today there are about 150 independent coffeehouses and about 60 chain coffee bars, such as Starbucks and Seattle’s Best Coffee.
Habitues now have their own club (Java Works, a group of fiction fans who meet in various coffeehouses to write and discuss fiction; 312-335-8001), their own Web site on the Internet (Cybercafe UK) and their own music cassette (Uncommon Ground Coffeehouse Sampler, Vol. 1, produced by Uncommon Ground, 1214 W. Grace St.; 312-929-3680).
The coffee scene here even has its own magazine, the free monthly called Strong Coffee. Editor Martin Northway says this trend is not likely to go away: “I don’t think it’s a flash in the pan. Our hunch five years ago, when we started the magazine, was if you look at growth, the number of independents (would) continue to outnumber chains about 2 to 1 — about 125 independents, versus 60 chains.
“(If you look at) Chicago as a city of neighorhoods, what’s going on has something to do with coffee but a lot more to do with community.”
Citing sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s book “The Great Good Place,” Northway says, “There’s a fundamental need for a third place, away from home and away from work. In the old days, it was often barbershops or general stores, and in Chicago, of course, there’s always been the neighborhood tavern. The coffeehouse is part of that tradition.”
Coffeeholics in the Chicago area can enjoy a cup of Joe in all sorts of settings. At one end of the spectrum is the recently opened Interactive Bean, 1137 W. Belmont Ave. (312-528-2996), catering to computer-savvy coffee lovers. Here, patrons can log on to one of 11 Macintosh computers, peruse e-mail and chat with other Internet hobbyists. Plans include setting up video-conferences with coffeehouses in New York and California.
On the other hand, Caffe Pergolesi, 3404 N. Halsted St. (312-472-8602), keeps it simple: a Sunday New York Times, music from a local jazz radio station and espresso brewed on a ’50s-era machine. Owner David Weinberger, who started the cafe in 1969, says his philosophy is fundamentally different from that of the chain operations. “Although the chains market the illusion that people can hang out and take their time, the key to how they stay in business is `Fast in, fast out.’ At my place, people linger here as long as they want.”
Herewith, a sampling of Chicago-area coffeehouses that offer perks to soothe caffeine-jangled nerves.
City
Cafe Voltaire, 3231 N. Clark St. Named after the Zurich cabaret that nurtured the nihilistic art movement known as Dada during World War I, this New Town venue offers a regular slate of critically acclaimed plays and performance art in its basement space. 312-528-3136.
Don’s Coffee Club, 1439 W. Jarvis St., is dedicated to the proposition that nothing goes better with coffee than the sounds of big band swing music. Owner Don Selle goes for a romantic atmosphere, serving his drinks in fine china and outfitting the premises with comfy old couches and armchairs. In the summer, he hosts dances on the outdoor patio at 9 p.m. every Sunday. 312-274-1228.
Gourmand Coffeehouse, 728 S. Dearborn St., caters to the Printers Row crowd with vegetarian fare, micro-brewed beer and live jazz on Thursday and Sunday nights. Local artists’ works also are showcased. Among those currently on view are paintings of circus scenes by Bob Howe. 312-427-2610
Halsted Street Digital Audio Cafe, 3641 N. Halsted St. Patrons at this Lakeview hangout can sip coffee, relax on a sofa and listen to potential purchases from the store’s collection of used CDs. 312-325-2233.
Hardboiled, 7101 N. Ridge Ave. This recently opened Rogers Park cafe serves a variety of Asian-influenced noodle dishes along with coffee and a wide selection of teas. Live music includes folk music on Wednesday evenings and jazz on Sunday afternoons. 312-465-8722.
Kopi, 5317 N. Clark St., bills itself as a traveler’s cafe. Founded by two globe-trotting vagabonds, this Andersonville coffeehouse sports a selection of geography books, a file of travel notes contributed by visitors from around the world and a boutique featuring clothing and knickknacks from such places as Indonesia and Thailand. 312-989-5674.
La Piazza Cafe, 3845 N. Broadway, is run by John Kirchoff, a philosophy graduate from Lake Forest College, which, he jokes, makes him perfectly qualified to run a coffeehouse. Inspired by frequent visits to Italy, he has modeled his Lakeview cafe after coffeehouses there. He offers a “Romanesque” setting complete with columns, an Italian statue and walls with a yellow patina. La Piazza Cafe takes special pride in its top-of-the-line espresso machine. There’s an open mike at 9 p.m. every Saturday hosted by Second City alumnus Scott Sampson. 312-868-0998.
Myopic, 1726 W. Division St., is an ideal haunt for book browsers. There are a grand piano, a few randomly scattered chairs, a hot pot of coffee and a few fresh pastries from the bakery next door. But the main attraction consists of the roughly 50,000 used books on hand. Myopic hosts a weekly gathering of experimental music every Monday. Call 312-862-4882.
No Exit, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., is one of the city’s oldest coffeehouses. No Exit has been a fixture on the local folk music scene since 1958. Surviving three locations and four owners, the no-frills cafe features a seven-nights-a-week entertainment roster that includes comedy on Tuesdays, poetry on Wednesdays and rock or folk music on Fridays and Saturdays. 312-743-3355.
Scenes, 3168 N. Clark St., is the perfect place for aspiring playwrights and actors to study their latest script or for eavesdroppers to hear artsy types “dissing” other artsy types. Subtitled “Dramatist Bookstore,” this Clark Street fixture offers a good selection of books and magazines pertaining to the dramatic arts. 312-525 1007.
The 3rd Coast, 1260 N. Dearborn St., has been open since 1985, and we do mean open. The Gold Coast cafe is the best place to sip a cappuccino at 5 a.m. because it never closes. 312-649-0730.
Urbus Orbis, 1934 W. North Ave., helped kick off the current wave of cafemania back in 1989, when musician Larry Clyman and current owner Tom Handley opened Wicker Park’s first coffeehouse. The loftlike space is still a low-key, no-hassle dropoff point offering free magazines, a wall full of posters and a couple of computers in the corner. Thursday nights, Michael Zerang presents an experimental music series. 312-252-4446.
Victoria’s Coffeehouse and Cafe, 2444 N. Clark St., is a new Lincoln Park operation especially popular with DePaul students. Located in a century-old townhouse, Victoria’s offers a front parlor with a fireplace, and there are an upright piano and couches on the second floor for serious relaxing. 312-528-8500.
Suburbs
Acorn Coffee Bar and Folklore Center, 28W583 Stafford Pl., Warrenville. On weekdays, neighborhood types drop in for coffee and pastries. On weekend nights, tables are removed. In their stead, folding chairs are set up to provide seating for folk music concerts. Opened two years ago by Dona Benkert, a dulcimer teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music, the Acorn takes a purist approach to its shows: no microphones allowed. 708-393-1247.
Cafe Shakespeare, 874 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka. There’s not much of a view, with cars whizzing by on busy Green Bay Road, but this North Shore coffeehouse serves some of area’s tastiest homemade soup, whipped up daily by owner Geena Dygas. 847-501-2838.
Changes Bookstore, Tea and Coffee Room, 206 Center, Park Forest. Proof that it takes all kinds to run a coffeehouse, Changes marks a second career for former State Rep. John Ostenburg, who opened the coffeehouse in 1992. Changes serves up books focusing on self-help, New Age and recovery themes, along with the coffee. 708-747-9190.
Grounds for Thought Coffeehouse, 1001 W. 75th St., Woodridge. Plunked down in the midst of Four Corners, a busy intersection surrounded by strip malls, this coffeehouse apparently has a penchant for caffeine-inspired puns: It used to be called Espress Yourself. A popular stopover for mall shoppers, Grounds for Thought presents live jazz and blues on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 9 p.m., with an open mike every Monday. Call 708-985-7000.
Iveta, 220 S. Cook St., Barrington, has its own Internet address and is working on a Web site. The bilevel cafe offers videos of art films on Sunday afternoons in its upstairs space on a wide-screen TV every Sunday afternoon, schedules live music Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and showcases work by local artists (high school students will be featured through June 11, with three $1,000 scholarships awarded to the best of the bunch). 847-304-8345; or e-mail ivetaesp@aol.com
Kafein, 1621 Chicago Ave., Evanston, is one of at least six coffeehouses in this university town. A dark, narrow space, Kafein is open later than just about any other place in the area — until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays — and does big business with North Shore night owls. It’s a smoke-free coffeehouse. Thursday nights are set aside for theater and improv performances. 847-491-1621.
Lyrics, 138 Higgins Rd., Hoffman Estates. While sipping coffee, you can leaf through vintage copies of Life magazine from the ’60s and view blast-from-the-past clips from old TV shows (“The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and “Hullabaloo!”) on the cafe’s video monitors. Live entertainment is also geared toward the groovy ’60s, with musicians regularly performing tributes to such artists as Simon and Garfunkel, Sonny and Cher and Bob Dylan. 847-843-7800.
Maude and Emma’s Books and Brew, 2338 New St., Blue Island. This coffeehouse opened last February on the grounds of a former convent. Named for one of the partner’s grandmothers, the store offers books and coffee on the downstairs level; upstairs an antique shop and comic book store are interesting places to browse. 708-388-7878.
The Opera Cafe, 1458 Sherman Ave., Evanston. Formerly known as Verdi & Puccini, this restaurant features a wait staff who not only take orders for coffee and light fare, they’ll also belt out arias in between courses. 847-332-2742.
Two Way Street Coffee House, 1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove, has been presenting acoustic music in the western suburbs for 25 years. The not-for-profit operation is staffed by volunteers and is in the basement of a church building. Besides folk concerts every Friday, Two Way hosts a community “sing-around” the first Monday of each month and co-produces three of four barn dances a year. One caveat: no espresso here. Director Dave Humphries says, “An espresso machine just makes so much noise that it’s hard to hear the music.” 708-969-9720.
Unicorn Cafe, 1723 Sherman Ave., Evanston, opens early — at 7 a.m. — for commuters who need a blast of caffeine on their way to work. There’s also live music at 8:30 p.m. every Saturday. 847-332-2312.
