Crossroads Coffee

This past Sunday, on our way to church, my wife wanted a cup of coffee. Realizing that we had yet to visit the nearby Crossroads Coffeehouse, I recommended that we go there. This turned out to be a fantastic decision!

With convenient parking out front, and adjacent, the Crossroads Coffeehouse (XRC) has a wonderfully convenient location. When you walk into XRC, you are greeted by a warm, slate-laden coffee bar. The walls are adorned with fantastic artwork (that I would hang on the walls of my home), created by local artists, and listed for a reasonable sale price (the most important part for us unpretentious). There is even a Central Perk-esque stage in the front window, where (if you listen really hard) you can even hear Phoebe Buffay singing "Smelly Cat". Okay, okay, that last part is not true, but you get what I am saying.

Upon approaching the bar, you see the numerous pastries (and on this particular Sunday - and with all likelihood, every Sunday - bountiful Quiche), sitting there, calling your name. This particular Sunday, I was able to resist, knowing that I had an upcoming week of gluttony ahead of me. However, I know that I will fall  victim to the sweet goodness of a XRC breakfast soon enough. Today was all about the coffee. 

Mi esposa went with the cappuccino. I, however, went with something more interesting (the Purple Haze). I tell you what: you put some crazy delicious concoction on your menu and give it a name that infers that its ingredients are slightly taboo, you will find your way onto this blog! The Purple Haze is essentially a latte with caramel, chocolate, and hazelnut flavours. I imagine that the "Purple" comes from the colour that comes from mixing chocolate and caramel. The "Haze" obviously comes from the hazelnut. The result is the richest and most unique coffee drink I have ever had in my life! 

The only question that I have left about XRC is why it took me so long to try it. They serve Chicago's famous Intelligentsia coffee. The ambiance is the perfect middle-ground between the hipster-packed low-end coffeehouses (that I also love, once the hipsters have gone to bed) and the big name chains (who's names will not be mentioned here). I honestly cannot imagine a more perfect coffeehouse, unless they served local coffee, but we will let that slide for now.

Classic Rock Coffee Bar

Normally, I am not a coffeehouse guy. I don't often drink foo-foo coffee. I like my coffee like I like my women, strong and black (just kidding, I don't care if they are strong). I think that for the most part foo-foo coffee drinks are well overpriced. I have a hard time paying what coffeehouses charges for their "coffee" (and also strongly dislike the behemoth corporate "man" that is Starbucks). However, yesterday was the perfect storm of warm weather, a flashy sign and a catchy sounding coffee drink. 

I have been rooting for something to succeed in the space that used to house The River Market Brewery since it closed down. I have wanted to try the Opera House Coffee and Food Emporium since it opened in that space. Yesterday the flashy sign for the Classic Rock Coffee Bar, that is inside the Emporium, caught my eye. I was impressed (as a protein powder fiend) that they offered not only smoothies, but coffee drinks, with protein powder in them. I also thought to myself that an iced coffee sounded kind of good. 

Scrolling through the iced coffee list, I saw a coffee drink named the "Dirty White Boy", I thought "That is me!". It was a spin on a white chocolate mocha. The coffee drink was delicious. It was rich, not bitter at all (like that large coffee chain's iced coffee), and refreshing. The barista's were very busy behind the counter, but did not rush me. 

The Classic Rock Coffee House does the classic rock vibe perfectly. Guitars and flames on the menu, hints of classic rock flare around the bar, and the cherry on top (guitar stirrers, shown pictured). I will definitely be going back and taking my wife for her favorite type of coffee (foo-foo), next time we are at the City Market and I have $4 in my pocket.