- September 19th, 2013
- Comments Off on Sol Cafe – Our Goods at Chicago’s Horizon
Against the farthest edge of the redline, to a place that can be summed up as ‘the top of Chicago,’ inside an old converted theater, a welcome addition to a once high society fringe neighborhood is plated in high glass ceilings and super tasty coffee. If it were “just” a coffee shop, there’d be nothing more to say besides it’s hand-picked and hand-crafted beauty, but there is a lot more to Sol Cafe and it’s stake in Rogers Park.
Tucked into a back corner – stacks of books just waiting for fresh eyes, sit atop a reclaimed wood with piping underneath, illuminated by a sputnik lamp. A run of handcut ‘found’ pieces of wood line the top edge of the wall, a perfect allegory to the shop – brooded over, meticulous, thoughtful, and stylish. Just about everything is found (like a lot of the wood), or pulled from the depths of etsy (lamps, a couch), or speciality made just for the store by local artisans (hanging lamps, tables, counters) and they culminate into a full warm feeling that is nicely complimented by their tasty pulls of coffee.
The cafe features a great edge on traditional coffee drinks and mirrors cocktails in a delicious smattering of ‘specialties.’ Like the Thailight Zone where coconut milk & cows milk create a smooth base to thai syrup and espresso, creating an iced drink that is as intricate as it is tasty. Or the Manhattan which puts espresso into a sweet bubbly mix like an italian soda, or go the extra bit and take it to ‘Staten Island’ with a shot of cherry/almond syrup – so good.
But all of these things still don’t hit the point on why we love it so. The interior beauty, eye for style, the fostering of new and inventive ways to addressing our unbridled coffee addiction, are great – but it’s the never-ending affection to their area and local dedication is what we treasure. The syrups they use are from our dear friends at Jo Snow, the coffee comes from Passion House and Bow Truss – both burgeoning local institutions of roast, curating of local art, their plans to run a farm stand out front, and just the sheer joy of bringing a spotlight to the place they clearly love so much. It’s owner Simone who feeds all of this passion – just talking to her passes the same energy and excitement she wields. Stop in for an event or sip down any of their crafted cocktails, it’s all in there.
We’re more than happy to haul up a host of our baked goods for this incredible Chicago cafe and soon-to-be institution. Make sure to stop by if you are in Rogers Park or passing through, I know we will be.
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