Recently in Coffee Shops Category

The secret to Dutch Apple Pancakes is real pie filling. Shhhhhhh.

Since the demise of the Cambridge House, Bridget and I have been on the look-out for a replacement. Did we find one at the Marquette Inn? Well, the Marquette Inn does have all the diner criteria including surly waitresses, endless coffee and bowls of creamer & butter, plus the added attraction of a bar in the middle. Listen to the podcast to see how it rated versus our cherished standard.

Do you have a favorite seedy spot in Chicago? Know a great place to get pancakes? Drop us a line and let us know where you satisfy your diner cravings. We'd love to hear from you.

(5.0 M)

00:00 - 00:11 Intro
00:31 - 10:15 Pancakes! And other musings.
10:16 - 10:37 Wrap-up and sign-off

Marquette Inn
135 W. Madison St.

Bridget rates this tasting 7/10
Tammy rates this tasting 8/10

Bridget enjoys her pancakes, pancakes, pancakes!

Related Chicago Bites Posts:

Fornetto Mai
Spa Cafe
Stella's Diner

The coffee at the Pick Me Up Cafe gives novelists the jolt needed to keep writing.

Tammy and I have been M.I.A. for a while. That’s because, in addition to all of the holiday madness that descends this time of year, we both participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Let me tell you, it was no small feat. But we both emerged victorious with our pens brandished high.

And NaNoWriMo also gave us the perfect excuse to lug our laptops to coffee shops throughout the city to sip the brew, sample the food, and Write In Public (WIP). From Starbucks, to eclectic neighborhood places complete with overstuffed couches, we toured the gamut. Listen in to learn which places are most accommodating to aspiring novelists.

(8.7 M)

00:00 - 02:15 Intro- Our NaNoWriMo Quest
02:18 - 05:20 The Starbucks Baseline and What to Look For When WIPing
05:21 - 07:07 Uncommon Ground Review
07:08 - 09:04 Comments on Laptop Abandonment
09:05 - 11:45 Pick Me Up Cafe Review
11:46 - 13:51 Gourmand Review
13:52 - 16:31 Other Places we WIPed
16:32 - 18:49 Wrap-Up and Sign-Off

Starbucks
106-108 W. Germania Pl.

Uncommon Ground
3800 N. Clark

Pick Me Up Cafe
3408 N. Clark

Gourmand
728 S. Dearborn

Michael's
101 W. North Ave.

Third Coast
1260 N. Dearborn

The Grind
4613 N. Lincoln Ave.

Bridget would most likely write at Gourmand or the Pick Me Up Cafe
Tammy would most likely write at The Grind or Gourmand

They like butter at Michael's. Seriously.

Tammy and I agree on the granola at Uncommon Ground. It's super tasty and healthy too!