intelligentsia

I am SO behind in my posts...so I will chip away with many short posts instead of creating one long novella length update. Sunshine streams through my windows, promising a day of soft, warm breezes, a beautiful May day. I'm kicking off with this lovely Monday with a mug of french pressed Intelligentsia coffee...mmmmm. I finally found the Millenium Park intelligentsia coffee shop on my brief jaunt to Chi-town this weekend, and experienced a coffee revelation. My home brew lacks some of the depth of that I enjoyed at the coffee shop, but I can still taste a superior bean at the base.

I knew I was in a coffee shrine when I ordered french press coffee and was given a choice of which beans I wanted. I told the barista I liked a full, darker roast, a sumatra style, and he suggested a Kenyan coffee that he described as "purple." Furthermore, they have a sophisticated system that surpasses the french press mehtod and brews an individual cup of coffee quickly and and expertly. I was even able to drink it straight up, unlike my usual milky and raw sugary beverage.

We returned to the cafe yesterday morning, en route to see the Dalai Lama, and H. and I both enjoyed big bowls of latte, artfully poured with a classic leaf shape in the foam/crema layer. Paired with buttery, flaky candided ginger scones, it was a lovely and decadent departure from my usual oatmeal breakfast.

I have to admit that Intelligentsia now reigns as my favorite coffee, placing Zingerman's in a close second. Because Intelligentsia's sole focus is coffee, I believe they're able to make their whole approach more artful and all around more aesthetically and socially appealing. (like Zingerman's they too deal directly with the coffee growers, bypassing fair trade for the higher standard direct trade).

And so I linger over my coffee a bit longer before setting out on my path today...