Dollop

It’s not a “bar” in the sense that they don’t serve booze or fried finger food and they don’t stay open until the wee a.m. hours. And it’s definitely not a “scene” in that high-heeled, lines around the block, big ole’ bouncers and thumping Beyonce kind of way. What it does do is serve some of the best coffee in the city, fresh pastries, even better pies, and opens in the wee a.m. hours. What makes it a scene is the hip, young neighborhood crowd that flocks here in droves, the super cool staff (who all look like they just strolled off the pages of an Urban Outfitter catalogue), the unbelievably cool music soundtrack constantly streaming (anything from indie rock like Feist and Ani DiFranco to the Beatles to Aretha to Rick James) and the overall vibe. Hold onto your coffee mugs, because I am about to make a very Cheeky proclamation: Dollop is the coolest coffee shop in the city.

Exposed brick, faded mosaic tile floor, vintage furniture and eclectic art (mostly available for purchase) make up for the décor. It actually looks more like your uber-artsy friend’s apartment than a coffee house and that’s what makes it all the more cool, cozy and comfy. Creamy lattes, frothy cappicunnos, fruit smoothies, iced coffee drinks and over 12 varietals of tea are available. You can spice up your coffee cocktail (or your Italian soda for that matter) with flavored syrups including raspberry, hazelnut, mint and sugar free chocolate- just to name a few. And the best part of all: an average cup of joe will only cost you a mere $3 or so.

One of the coolest things about Dollop is how valiantly and loyally they support the Chicago scene at large. They strictly serve Metropolis coffee (a wholesaler from Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood), fresh pies from Hoosier Mama pie, pastries from Alliance and Bleeding Heart Bakeries and bagels from New York Bagel Company in Evanston. Heck- they even have TimeOut Magazine on the counter for purchase, so you can check out the town’s happenings while you sip your Americano.

Bring your friends, bring your family, or bring you laptop. One of the nicest things about Dollop’s scene is that it lacks pretention. (Sans the “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink Starbucks” sticker on the cash register.) Well, every “scene” at least needs a point of view.