This pains me.
But,…read moreso does awful coffee.
I've been waiting for Chicago's Legal Cafe to open for quite some time. I've meandered by this VERY nice looking spot for weeks...and finally, it is NOW open. The West Loop is hopelessly devoid of good, indie coffee shops...and I waited the arrival of this little gem, and hoped it would make all of my short-distance, caffeinated dreams come true...
Well, it's OPEN.
And, I found it rather disappointing. :(
Stopped in with a colleague of mine for a quick cup of coffee/meeting. Ordered an iced coffee and an iced chai. It took at least 10 minutes and NO ONE else was in the entire coffee shop. I dread to see what it would be like on a Sunday morning, if it ever proved popular. I'm guessing it won't, sadly.
The coffee was undrinkable. So bitter. Just like me. It would behoove them to start serving Intelligentsia or Metropolis, STAT...and learn how to whip some excellent coffee up, quickly. This takes the guesswork out of brewing, and gives some people (me) allegiance and a reason to come back. It also means there are some standards!
me: "I'll have the iced tea of the day."
barrista: "Sadly, we don't have any of that today."
me: um, ok.
Seriously, iced tea is perhaps the easiest thing on EARTH to make. Also, if you don't have it...errr...wipe it off the chalkboard? Maybe its because they have no....ice? It comes out of a cooler, in a bag you'd buy at a gas station for a camping trip. This can't be legit, right?
Oh, the credit card machine isn't working...of COURSE it isn't. Sigh. Seriously.
The food options are abysmal. Old looking pastries, breads, etc. Partnering with local bakeries is KEY to small coffeeshops, and supporting each other makes goddamn straight-up sense.
There is much room for improvement, but I think they can do it.
The good?
*friendly (though, that doesn't necessarily mean...efficient)
*they offer...legal advice? An odd combo, but I respect the mission.
*quiet/comfy place to study.
*bright, lots of light
*easy street parking (watch for rush hour signs)
I'll check back in a few months and hope for the best, but for now...I'll be unfortunately heading back to DD, or making the short jaunt to BonBon.