Caffe Italia [Pictures]

LTH,

Like many LTHer's I have a wild theory or four, one of which is the 'big healthy women' baristas at Caffe Italia are all ex-volleyball players. Yesterday, while sipping a cappuccino at Caffe Italia with Evil Ronnie and m'th'su I asked Anna, who hails from Czechoslovakia, if she ever played volleyball. Answer, yes, 7-years. Not so wild a theory after all.

We also chatted with Joe, the owner, who's originally from Bari, he is very passionate about coffee.


Caffe Italia has undergone a transformation, all for the better. No more pool table in back, wide open spaces, and new tables and chairs coming in the next week or two.

Same excellent coffee, which none other than Seth Z, coffee snob, ummmm, I mean aficionado, has declared best in Chicago.


Interestingly Joe's son owns Massa on North Ave in Elmwood Park.

Enjoy,
Gary

Caffe Italia
2625 N Harlem Ave
Chicago, IL 60707
773-889-1126

Looking at this post, I'm reminded of the Reader's recent favorable/fawning review of Metropolis Coffee on Granville. Any opinions out there? As a discerning caffeine addict, I'm embarassed to say that I have not been to either Metropolis or Italia. Metropolis sounds very promising: they micro-roast their own beans, provide wi-fi, wax poetic about the density of milk and coaxing the proper amount of crema from a pull, and so on. I don't want to disparage Italia without sampling their coffee, but the milk foam in the bottom picture has some serious problems; it's rocky, reveals large and inconsistent bubbles, and looks like it's collapsing under the weight of the sugar. Perfect foam is nothing to be scoffed at. Nurturing it is a subtle skill that requires responsiveness and perceptiveness, not adherence to a forumla. It should be velvety, dense with almost imperceptible bubbles, persist thoughout a reasonable drinking time, and possess the structural integrity to support sugar. Stirring is a sin.

I look forward to seeing how Metropolis' barrista's fare. And bringing home a couple of their roasts for a test run in my own french press and espresso machine.

Metropolis Coffee
1039 W. Granville , Chicago
Tel: (773) 764-0400

rien wrote:Looking at this post, I'm reminded of the Reader's recent favorable/fawning review of Metropolis Coffee on Granville. Any opinions out there? As a discerning caffeine addict, I'm embarassed to say that I have not been to either Metropolis or Italia. Metropolis sounds very promising: they micro-roast their own beans, provide wi-fi, wax poetic about the density of milk and coaxing the proper amount of crema from a pull, and so on. I don't want to disparage Italia without sampling their coffee, but the milk foam in the bottom picture has some serious problems; it's rocky, reveals large and inconsistent bubbles, and looks like it's collapsing under the weight of the sugar. Perfect foam is nothing to be scoffed at. Nurturing it is a subtle skill that requires responsiveness and perceptiveness, not adherence to a forumla. It should be velvety, dense with almost imperceptible bubbles, persist thoughout a reasonable drinking time, and possess the structural integrity to support sugar. Stirring is a sin.

I look forward to seeing how Metropolis' barrista's fare. And bringing home a couple of their roasts for a test run in my own french press and espresso machine.

Metropolis Coffee
1039 W. Granville , Chicago
Tel: (773) 764-0400

I go to Caffe Italia a fair amount. I never get a milked beverage so I cannot vouch for those drinks, but, for me, it is right there at the top of the heap of Illinois coffee parlors. The coffee is always rich and subtle without the excessive bitterness or sourness that characterizes lesser espressos. There have been times when I thought it the best around here. I do have a current topper in the Oak Park area, but I have only been there once, so I am reserving judgment until additional tastings.

Masa, on North Avenue, down the street from Johnnies has never topped Caffe Italia, but it too can put up a better cup of coffee. In my experiences, places like Caffe Italia, Masa, and a few others around Harlem Avenue, are a significant step above even Starbucks, Intelligensia and Peets. While on the other hand, my experience with pretty much all the, what do we want to call them, artsy coffee shops, make the worst expressos. I am anxious to see how Metropolis compares.

Rob

rien wrote:but the milk foam in the bottom picture has some serious problems; it's rocky, reveals large and inconsistent bubbles, and looks like it's collapsing under the weight of the sugar.

Rien,

Main problem with the milk foam in my picture is the coffee sat a few minutes while I was chatting before I took the picture.

Yes, yes, I know, grown men should not be drinking milk based coffee drinks after breakfast anyway, at least not in Italy. We rented a house just outside of Monte San Savino for a couple of weeks in 2000 and I was a once or twice a day regular at the Madison Bar. Though bar is slightly misleading, as liquor was but a very small part of it's business.

I went pretty much every morning for coffee and a 'chat'* with my new found friends and often stopped in for a sip of something stronger in the evening. First time I ordered cappuccino in the afternoon one of the Madison's older regulars gently informed me of local conventions.

The Madison Bar is an incredibly friendly place, I highly recommend stopping in for a coffee to anyone in the area, just don't order cappuccino after about 10am.

*I say 'chat' as I do not speak Italian and none of the Madison regulars spoke English.

Enjoy,
Gary

That sounds like an Italian bar: coffee, light snacks, pop, a little liquor (maybe an amaro and soda), and maybe some gelati.

I'd like to have a bar like that here, but the cost of a license probably keeps liquor from being downplayed at such an establishment here. Masa comes close, I think.

Cosi/Xando tries to emulate this Italian Bar format in a chain. Though, for them the format is not about the cultural relationship to certain foods and beverages but about the higher margins on booze and food.

Bucktown's Caffe de Luca attempts the Italian bar theme as well. Though it doesn't approach the quality of the model, I prefer their food, drinks, and atmosphere to the 800 pound gorilla (Starbucks) and the "hipper" independent attempts, such as Filter. There is a great deal of truth to the previous statement that the quality of the beverages is often inversely proportional to the style quotient*.

rien

*I base this primarily on experiences in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Coffee mad Seattle is an exception. The relationship is less consistent. Based on a limited sampling, Portland might garner an exemption as well. New York follows the rule for the most part, with two glaring exceptions: Gitane on Mott Street and Tarallucci e Vino in the East Village.

Vital Information wrote:

rien wrote:Looking at this post, I'm reminded of the Reader's recent favorable/fawning review of Metropolis Coffee on Granville. Any opinions out there? As a discerning caffeine addict, I'm embarassed to say that I have not been to either Metropolis or Italia. Metropolis sounds very promising: they micro-roast their own beans, provide wi-fi, wax poetic about the density of milk and coaxing the proper amount of crema from a pull, and so on. I don't want to disparage Italia without sampling their coffee, but the milk foam in the bottom picture has some serious problems; it's rocky, reveals large and inconsistent bubbles, and looks like it's collapsing under the weight of the sugar. Perfect foam is nothing to be scoffed at. Nurturing it is a subtle skill that requires responsiveness and perceptiveness, not adherence to a forumla. It should be velvety, dense with almost imperceptible bubbles, persist thoughout a reasonable drinking time, and possess the structural integrity to support sugar. Stirring is a sin.

I look forward to seeing how Metropolis' barrista's fare. And bringing home a couple of their roasts for a test run in my own french press and espresso machine.

Metropolis Coffee
1039 W. Granville , Chicago
Tel: (773) 764-0400

I go to Caffe Italia a fair amount. I never get a milked beverage so I cannot vouch for those drinks, but, for me, it is right there at the top of the heap of Illinois coffee parlors. The coffee is always rich and subtle without the excessive bitterness or sourness that characterizes lesser espressos. There have been times when I thought it the best around here. I do have a current topper in the Oak Park area, but I have only been there once, so I am reserving judgment until additional tastings.

Masa, on North Avenue, down the street from Johnnies has never topped Caffe Italia, but it too can put up a better cup of coffee. In my experiences, places like Caffe Italia, Masa, and a few others around Harlem Avenue, are a significant step above even Starbucks, Intelligensia and Peets. While on the other hand, my experience with pretty much all the, what do we want to call them, artsy coffee shops, make the worst expressos. I am anxious to see how Metropolis compares.

Rob

Thanks to Ed Fisher's link, I can finally address my query.

I just don't like Metropolis. I think I should. I like the committment, the packaging, the panache, then I taste the beans. I guess in a good way for them, they have a very distinct taste, but I guess from my POV, I don't really like that taste (it seens especially harsh to me).

I do not think I ever got around to mentioning it, but the only espresso to compare to Harlem is Salerno's in Berwyn (or soon to be Oak Park). Not a busy place, they still manage to turn out consistenly excellent coffee.

Caffe Italia remains top notch, and a recent visit to Bar Cafe San Francesco [sic] proves it in the upper reaches.

I'd love to do an espressoathon again if it was not so damn painful!

Is any of Caffe Italia's coffee fair trade?

Vital Information wrote:I just don't like Metropolis. I think I should. I like the committment, the packaging, the panache, then I taste the beans. I guess in a good way for them, they have a very distinct taste, but I guess from my POV, I don't really like that taste (it seens especially harsh to me).

Just out of curiosity, VI -- are you referring specifically to the espresso at Metropolis or to their beans more generally?

Matt wrote:

Vital Information wrote:I just don't like Metropolis. I think I should. I like the committment, the packaging, the panache, then I taste the beans. I guess in a good way for them, they have a very distinct taste, but I guess from my POV, I don't really like that taste (it seens especially harsh to me).

Just out of curiosity, VI -- are you referring specifically to the espresso at Metropolis or to their beans more generally?

Both, although I have more experience with the beans than the in-house espresso.

Caffe Italia, which burned down in 2009, finally reopened in December in their new building. They are roasting their own coffee, making gelati and sorbetti and have a wood-burning oven.

I stopped in Friday afternoon, bought a half pound of their house blend coffee and picked up a menu. I did not try an espresso as I still had aftertastes from lunch at Manee Thai and did not want more caffeine. The house blend is a medium roast comparable to what Stewart's uses. I used some for breakfast today and found the flavor good but not spectacular. At $8.50 per pound it seems to be a good buy.

Espresso is $1.85. RedEye is fresh brewed coffee with one shot of espresso and costs $2.25 for 12 ounces. Cappuccino comes in 12, 16 and 20 ounce sizes priced from $2.95 to 3.95. In October I had a cappuccino at Main Street Roasters in Nappanee, IN. The single came in a good sized coffee mug, which I attributed to being in small-town Indiana. Now I am not so sure about that.

The menu looks interesting. Panini are served with polenta fries. There are red and white pizzas, most of which use fior di latte mozzarella. I am not sure about the baby octopus sliders among the antipasti. This menu is definitely not old school Italian-American food.

Edit to note that the only "spaghetti and meatballs" on the menu is under Gelato and consists of vanilla gelato run through a spaghetti press, topped with two chocolate gelato meatballs, strawberry pomodoro sauce and coconut shavings.

http://caffeitalia.com/ only has a coming soon page as of today. The dine in and carry-out menu does not list hours, which may be in flux. I did not note any posted hours, but they have been open in mid day.

Caffee Italia
2625 N. Harlem Ave.
Chicago, IL 60707
Tel 773-889-0455
Fax 773-889-8876

This a a good option about 1 1/4 miles south of the late Bellezza Gelato for those wondering where to go. The assortment of house-made gelati and sorbetti is somewhat smaller here but of comparable quality to Bellezza.

I have worked through a good portion of the pizzas since my post in this thread over two years ago and have not had a loser in the bunch. Lately we have been alternating between here and Forno Rosso. Both use wood-burning ovens, the Neopolitan style and a commitment to high quality ingredients. There are detail differences between say the sausage and rapini or Margherita pizzas at the two places, but I would not say that one is better than the other. I prefer the sausage Caffe Italia uses but that is purely personal taste.

The polenta fries served with panini or as an appetizer are a great alternative to French or sweet potato fries.

The windows open wide and have been open in hot weather when keeping the heat and humidity out might have been better. The sidewalk seating is right on Harlem. The outdoor patio at Forno Rosso will be a much better dining environment when warm weather finally arrives.