CC: New Wave Coffee

Subject: New Wave Coffee

Location: Chicago, IL
Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

While most folks prefer their coffee in the morning, I really think I enjoy my coffee more in the evening. Maybe it's beacuse my taste buds have awoken more fully by night; perhaps it's due to the fact that late-night studying largely birthed my love for coffee. Regardless of the reason, it's always a delight to grab a swell cup of coffee for what lies ahead when the sun goes down. 

Last I was in Chicago, I decided to pay a twilight visit to a cafe called New Wave Coffee, a cafe known to be serving Metropolis Coffee and doing fine things with it. Straddling Milwaukee Ave and Logan Blvd, the place has an entrance on each side with a creamy center containing a pink and blue tile floor, some interesting art pieces and a pleasing mix of random furniture.

For my coffee beverages, I ordered an espresso of the Redline Espresso and a drip of a Costa Rican. The espresso, pulled short with a dark brown marbled crema, held flavors of mellow chocolate, Seagrams, salt, sugar cookie and apples; a delicious showing of Redline. The Costa Rican extended out notes of raspberry, cherry, torte, pie crust, a little hot cocoa and a tad bit almond milk; an overall crowd-pleasing coffee. 

To put it plain, I thought my visit to New Wave proved delightful and fulfilling, especially on the part of the coffee. Surf over to New Wave for good stuff regardless of when you like to imbibe your coffee.

CC: Wormhole Coffee

Subject:  Wormhole Coffee

Location: Chicago, IL

Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

Many years ago I read a book called Enter the Worship Circle, an interesting piece that explored the many ways a person worships God, one of them being personified through the story of a coffeehouse patron. At the time, I was more obsessed with coffee culture than the quality of the beverage, so the part that stuck with me from this book was the emphasis on seeing simple truths (specifically about worship) through unusual artistic presentations in a coffeehouse. 

Years later, even though most coffeehouses try to be more chic than eclectic, every time I hit an off-the-wall joint, my mind thinks back to the concept of simple truths in the less conventional. While in Chicago, I had heard of an establishment called Wormhole Coffee near Wicker Park. The part that had caught my ear was an attention to quality with their coffee but upon arrival one early evening, I caught sight of a full-size DeLorean sitting in the front window and I knew this was no typical shop. 

The shop carried a sci-fi theme overall, with a complex arrangement of figurines and art highlighting the various pieces of mismatched furniture. My coffee came from two sources, with my espresso using Metropolis' Red Line and my pourover Ipsento's natural Panama. The espresso, pulled short with a marbled crema, held the flavors of vanilla, bittersweet cocoa, Italian bread and sweet scallops, all of which blended together to form a great drink. The pourover demonstrated blueberry, cherry jolly rancher, wheat, 2% milk and a little cake doughnut; a coffee with a punch of sweetness followed by a subtle wheat. 

While I didn't stay long enough to analyze the intriguing decor, I found Wormhole to be just the tear in the fabric of time that I needed. If you're looking for a fun place to get some great coffee, set your coordinates to Wormhole Coffee.

CC: Saint's Cafe

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Saint's Cafe

Location visited: State College, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]




Central Pennsylvania has always been greatly overlooked in my travels. I have driven across it many times but aside from the scenery along the turnpike, there was little else I managed to see.

That sad trend met its end when I found my way to State College. The quintessential college town, State College surpassed my meager expectations with its bustling streets full of alluring stores and eateries (unlike some other college towns that shan't be named).

But what put my delight into hyperdrive was the presence of Saint's Cafe. Serving up Intelligentsia, Metropolis and Counter Culture, this coffeehouse was the first cafe I had heard of between Philly and Pittsburgh that knew about good coffee (never mind served it).

Parking in the metered lot across the street, I walked over, into their busy yet open cafe full of whites, greens and tans (all influenced by complimentary lighting). The space had an overall warm environment as well as plenty of seating.

I ordered an espresso of (Intelly's) Black Cat and a Clover-brewed Rwandan (also from Intelly). The espresso was pulled pretty well, appearing with a great crema and the flavors of creamy chocolate milk, lemon rind, clove and a bit of pepper. The shots seemed a bit off from normal Black Cat but the quality still proved splendid. The Rwandan displayed mild hops, caramel, wheat grass, raspberry yogurt, a tinge of tobacco and a small measure of fig (i.e. a delicious coffee). The tea is free leaf and Republic of Tea.

My experience with the cafe left me pleased, as the service and product both boded well. Along with Penn State's world-famous creamery (which was practically bursting with fervent customers that day), Saint's Cafe easily produces a good reason for making State College a place to hit soon.

CC: Knockbox Cafe

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Knockbox Cafe

Location visited: Chicago, IL
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]


Of the many things I've seen in quality Chicago coffee, the one thing that impresses me is the loyalty to local roasters. I've been to a number of coffeehouses in the Windy City and thus far, I only see a dire love for the likes of Intelligentsia and Metropolis.

Adding to my repertoire of such establishments was a place in Humboldt Park called Knockbox Cafe. In my travels around the city, the streets leading me to Knockbox definitely didn't strike me as a place a random tourist would happen upon but more a space where locals enjoy their daily coffee (i.e. it was largely residential). Upon arriving, I also noticed the exterior of the cafe was under a bit of construction, with a big piece of plywood over one side of the corner, though the remainder of the exterior looked spiffy. Inside, the cafe trumpeted a huge counter area, a high brown metal ceiling and large colorful walls surrounding a spread out sea of seating.

Knockbox is a Metropolis Coffee purveyor, proudly toting the roaster not only in their cafe but quite visibly on their website (a refreshing sight, given the ridiculous trend amongst some cafes of either masquerading a roaster's coffee as the cafe's own or withholding the roaster because its a "trade secret").

I purchased a cup of medium roasted Peru as well as an espresso. The Peru displayed some asian pear, a bit of almond, some pepper, a molasses-like sweetness and a tingle of grain; a good, pretty balanced cup though I felt the brew was a bit off. The espresso, pulled short with a nice crema, held a strong dark peppery flavor as well as some nice notes of bright acidity, cocoa and a little bit of celery. A decent pull though I can't say I was in love with the blend (I believe it was Metropolis' Redline Espresso, a blend better marketed for its performance in milk). The tea is free leaf.

After ingesting my coffee and a quick boardgame with friends (they had a nice selection), I was on my way, pleased with my Knockbox interaction.

Whether you live local or you're passing close by, give Knockbox Cafe a visit.

CC: Brothers K Coffee

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Brothers K Coffee

Location visited: Evanston, IL
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]



Sometimes it feels good to get out of the routine and do something a little different. I had one such day in Chicago where I had a good chunk of time to kill before my first engagement so I made my way a little north of my usual travels to Evanston for a morning cup of coffee and a little down time.

For the coffee, I headed to a Metropolis-slinging place called Brothers K Coffee. The coffeehouse sits in a maroon-awning-ed, stone structure on the Main Street of this North Shore town. Amidst the high ceilings and old tile floor, the cafe was buzzing with a morning crowd. After wading through the line and ordering, I found myself a spot at the bar along the window and set my eyes to my bounty.

I ordered myself a cup of a medium roasted Sumatran as well as an espresso. The Sumatran held a bit of sauciness, hyacinth and lime with some bits of apple, molasses and whole grains (a pretty good cup). The espresso, pulled short and with a nice crema, had the flavor of Christmas (like a cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg combo), light cocoa, a little whiskey and overall, a nice brightness and bitterness balance. The tea is free leaf.

After some time at the bar next to a wee lad sipping a latte with his mum (this past year, I've seen a lot of kids getting lattes), it was time to begin my day and I have the Brothers K to thank for the good start. I can heartily sound that I enjoyed my experience and would recommend a visit for any who traverse north of the Loop.

Mugged: Metropolis Coffee [Colombia San Rafael]

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What does "Mugged" mean?


Subject: Metropolis Coffee
Coffee Mugged: Colombia San Rafael
Rating: 4+ [see key]



Colombia always will have the image of Juan Valdez burned into my cranium. While some would see the association as negligible, I would say my early interactions with his approved coffees made me think less of coffee from Colombia (mass-produced lesser fare). Fortunately over the last couple years, as I've become more and more immersed in the coffee world, my love of Colombian coffee has been rekindled through some good single-origin batches.

One recent batch I had the opportunity to sample was a Colombian from Metropolis Coffee via Coffee Roasters Club (one of the three coffees sent). Having been to Metropolis in Chicago, I already had high hopes of splendid coffee as I ripped open the bag, smelling the sweet bold aroma of the beans. First brewing the coffee via french press, I was pleased with the smooth body and the strong earthiness. The vacuum press and drip proved extremely similar, with the vacuum pot providing a little more sweetness in my mug.

Overall, the San Rafael proved to be a good Colombian that I'd be up for trying again even though I can't really say it had a whole lot of amazing flavors to it (maybe my impressions of Juan Valdez are flaring up again). Either way, if you're looking for a decent Colombian I would recommend giving San Rafael a try for thy self.

CC: Metropolis Coffee Company

What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject: Metropolis Coffee Company
Location visited: Chicago, IL
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]



Whenever I visit Chicago, it feels like I rush through city. Always rushing back and forth to see things or in this specific case, to grab lunch and show my good pal of mine a broad glimpse of the city (in the end, we saw most of the tourist spots under 3 hours...).

But as any serious coffee lover knows, you don't go through Chicago without making a coffee stop. My last time through, I hit Intelligentsia (always a good cup) but this time I wanted to pop in at Metropolis Coffee Company, a roaster/coffeehouse that has received much acclaim for their coffee as well as their espresso (a sweet-smelling melody to one's ears).

So, in order to make our time well-spent, we parked up near Metropolis in the far north of Chicago, which actually turned out to not be metered! We got there early and so hit the place before we began our whirlwind tour.

The shop is long, with some outside tables and a clean modern exterior. The inside blew me away with the square footage of the space, the nice art, and how every single piece of furniture was occupied by someone (obviously some local love).

As mentioned, they roast their own and (wo)man do they do a good job. Since they offer drip as well as french press for coffee, I figured I'd try the press. The coffee was beautiful, with a buxom body and just the right acidity (I forget which coffee it was, *tear*).

The espresso also knocked my socks off, with a really sweet tang that hit my tongue with sniper precision. The baristas, who were excellent in delightful service, had stellar skills in pulling the shots well.

I failed to note the tea (but I bet it's good!).

The fact that Chicago has such a gem really made my day. If you're ever nearby, make sure to make a side trip to sample Metropolis.