Cereality in Evanston

Someone in the Sloppy Jo's Lunchroom thread inquired about the new Cereality in Evanston. I stopped in during my lunch break today, about 12:30, and the place was nearly empty--about five employees to every customer. Granted, that block has been dead for a long time because of the construction. I imagine it will take a while for traffic to pick up again on that stretch of Sherman Ave.

This was my first visit to a Cereality. It looks just like a CB2 or Ikea showroom!





I was just there to take pictures, but my co-worker was very excited to see a Quisp box on display. She attempted to order a simple serving of Quisp with strawberries, but, alas, the manager explained that Quisp is a special order item that they have not received yet. She ended up getting Crunch berries with a strawberry topping.



We concurred that the mushy, hyper-sweetened strawberry mixture was a disappointment. Also, we would have liked to see the cereals that were in stock in clear containers rather than in secretive drawers behind the counter. Finally, I would also have liked to see a few surprises (in addition to the favorites) on the cereal list. They had Optimum Power and Panda Puffs, but I think these cereals are more or less mainstream in Evanston.

I guess a plus of the Evanston location (don't know if this is true of other Cerealities) is the free Wi-Fi access.

I won't pay $4 for cereal in a paper bowl-take-out-box, but if ArgoTea down the street bankrupts me, I might consider stopping into Cereality in the future for one of their steamers.

Cereality
1622 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL
847-864-4400

I was in Evanston twice this past weekend, and each time I walked by Cereality it looked to be doing a brisk business. I wasn't in a Cereal sort of mood, but I hope to go back and give it a try.

happy_stomach wrote:I was just there to take pictures, but my co-worker was very excited to see a Quisp box on display. She attempted to order a simple serving of Quisp with strawberries, but, alas, the manager explained that Quisp is a special order item that they have not received yet.

If your co-worker is into Quisp, it may be the box and not the cereal that grabs her, so she may be only partially satisfied even if Cereality gets a special order of the stuff. However, D&D Foods (by the Foster el stop) now carries Quisp. I saw it there last week.

Josephine wrote:However, D&D Foods (by the Foster el stop)...

D&D is by the Noyes el stop...

germuska wrote:D&D is by the Noyes el stop...

Right you are, Joe.

What exactly is the point of going to a restaurant and eating cereal?

Thanks for the D&D tip. We work about three blocks from there, so my co-worker could easily pick up some Quisp. The box does evoke a lot of nostalgia, but I think she actually wants the cereal, too.

I don't see the point in going to a restaurant to eat cereal--even after my oatmeal blew up in the microwave this morning--but I've also never really seen the point of going out to eat simple eggs for breakfast (kick ass omelets that I could never make myself are another story). However, Cereality must be on to something if they're adding locations.

P.S. Could someone tell me what I did wrong in trying to post my pictures? It was my first attempt with images here. Thanks.

Cereality closes in Evanston

Not a real shocker...I wonder if we could get the Ikea-style furnishings on the cheap...

HI,

Too bad, I had wanted to visit and never quite got around to it.

My eldest niece just completed her first year at University of Illinois. When she complained about the food, I inquired what did she eat. It seemed like most of her diet consisted of cereal and milk. It occured to me this was this notion that crystallized the idea for Cereality: food boredom, comfort food plus an element of fun. It is no mistake they plant themselves on the edge of college campuses.

Regards,

i love cereal. i eat it for breakfast. i eat it for a snack. i eat it for dessert. i average 2-3 bowls a day.

now forgive me for seeming offensive, if not stupid, but who in their right mind pays $4 for a bowl of cereal? apparently there is/was a market (consisting of, it would seem, ignorant college students who have (1) no concept of the relative prices of items, (2) an affinity for cereal equal to mine, and (3) a limited and wanting selection of menu items in their cafeterias) but i can't imagine it's big enough to support many if any places like cereality. the evanston cereality closing would seem to bear this out.

i was actually hoping that cereality would make it because it is to me such a stupid concept that if they found a viable market of people so dumb as to be willing on a reguilar basis to fork over $4 for a bowl of cereal, i was hoping to cash in on that foolishness in some way, too.

Cathy2 wrote:My eldest niece just completed her first year at University of Illinois. When she complained about the food, I inquired what did she eat. It seemed like most of her diet consisted of cereal and milk.

That's the the general *****iness of the UIUC dorm food service system. Granted it was years ago, but I had Cocoa Pebbles and chocolate milk for lunch about 30% of the time because the rest of the food was inedible.

I do like ordering oatmeal out, as I find that I can never quite make it the same in the microwave as when it's made in a big pot.

I think it's just college food. My freshman year I lost 15 pounds because I couldn't stand the food. Most of the time I ate salad, soft serve ice cream with cake mushed up into it, and granola. Occasionally I'd go to the cafeteria on the other side of campus and make a sandwich from the sandwich bar.

Cathy2 wrote:My eldest niece just completed her first year at University of Illinois. When she complained about the food, I inquired what did she eat. It seemed like most of her diet consisted of cereal and milk.

That's strange: Thing1 also just returned from his Freshman year (returning as a Junior, as it turns out, ain't AP credits great?), and he said the food was dull, but really not bad.

He said they do a few chinese things well, there's a few other spicy dishes... I raised him on good food, and some of the bland homey stuff that's a staple of most dorm food never crossed our table (I hate meat loaf, for one) or he doesn't like (how can he not like Mac and Cheese?).

He didn't put on the Freshman 15, but neither did he lose them.

That's really too bad. I enjoyed it when I went shortly after opening, so much so that I anticipated going back regularly but... I never did.

$4 for cereal is definitely priced as a once-in-a-great-while indulgence but, when it's the exact same cereal I can purchase at the store... that's not terribly appealing.

Perhaps Cereality needs to buy old, no-longer-made cereals off of eBay and sell those.