Coffee

It's no secret to my friends and family that I LOVE COFFEE.  I started drinking coffee while studying abroad in Italy.  It was just the thing to do.  Get up.  Drink gorgeous coffee.  Walk to class.  Drink more gorgeous coffee.  Class.  Walk around the town.  Drink an afternoon coffee.  Walk around the town (again).  Drink Wine (oh, and eat something for dinner).  Go to Bed.  Repeat.

I don't consider myself a coffee snob.  I will drink anything offered to me.  I have only thrown out coffee once because of the taste (it was at a work conference - I have no idea what brand it was).  My husband says I take my milk with a little coffee.  I say it is cafe au lait.  My favorite coffee drink - a flat white.  Rarely found in the continental United States.  I recently discovered that Blue Bottle Coffee in the San Francisco Ferry Company will produce the endangered drink upon request (and it was delicious).

In addition to a coffee addiction, I also suffer from "budget awareness."  While I am a proud Starbucks card carrying gold member, I like to save my $1.75 each day by brewing my own coffee in the morning and carrying it to work in my beloved Starbucks double walled, vacuum sealed stainless steal tumbler (you can get your own tumbler here).

Coffees to check out while in the Windy City:

Bite Cafe (Ukrainian Village): In addition to their fabulous food, the brilliant people of Bite Cafe serve up their own specialty brew.  You can only drink it while dining in; they don't sell it and that makes my heart hurt.

Magnolia Bakery (Loop - Block 37):  As you can imagine, I go for the cafe au lait . . . every. single. time.  My cupcake just doesn't taste right without it.