A marshy wetland dominated by elks and wild turkeys, Portage Park saw little settlement until after 1816. The Northwest Plank Road and Northwestern Railroad drew factory workers to the area, enticing them with ample transportation and residence outside of the city’s hustle and bustle. The first Jefferson Town Hall, established in 1862, kickstarted the Six Corners business district development and subsequent bus lines throughout the region. Officially annexed in 1889, the neighborhood later formed the Portage Park District and devoted forty acres of land to a beautiful park with a sand-bottom lagoon, enormous fieldhouse, and numerous sports courts. Now, the population has risen to over 60,000 residents with rich Polish, Italian, Irish, and German communities (1).
Perkolator
Right on busy Irving Park Road is the even busier Perkolator, a Portage Park coffee shop dedicated to giving back to the community. Opening its doors in 2014, founders Joe and Melissa were determined to serve “the freshest and highest quality coffee, tea, and food” (1). Their people-first mindset motivates them to partner with local artists, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations who value connection and inclusion. From ethically sourced coffee and tea to beautifully crafted breakfast sandwiches, it is far from difficult to find something to love at Perkolator. The shop has the same colorful vibe as Casa Cactus and Café Urbano covered in previous editions, with unique art and countless plants bringing the space to life. The creaks of the front door, warm welcomes from the barista, and soft murmurs of patrons further strengthen that feeling of belonging and peace.
An extensive menu can easily lead to a shop valuing quantity over quality, yet I found that Perkolator struck the perfect balance between the two. Their entire menu seemed well-rounded and it was abundantly clear that each item was carefully thought through before release. Torn between their self-proclaimed “best breakfast burrito in all of Chicago” and one of their many delicious sandwich options, I settled on the Awak’n Bacon bagel sandwich and a simple hot vanilla latte to wash everything down. I appreciated how the size options went up to 20oz rather than the common 16oz, providing me with the stronger caffeine boost I desperately needed for the start of the quarter. Initially, I was hesitant about the house-made tomato jam, though I was pleasantly surprised at its sweet—yet tangy—flavor. Coupled with the savory-ness of the bacon and egg, freshness of the arugula, and fluffiness of the bagel, each ingredient appeared to compliment each other wonderfully.
Portage Grounds
I blinked and somehow it had been two weeks since I visited my first café, so in a last act of desperation, I set off to two more shops mere hours before a blizzard was forecasted to hit Chicago. Conveniently located near one of my favorite parks in the city, I had the delight of soaking in the snow-dusted Portage Park from the countertop of Portage Grounds. Their fireplace made me quickly forget the subzero temperatures and slushy mess of the outside. Warm pendant lights contrasted with the cool grey of the clouds overhead, serving as a beacon of coziness on this otherwise gloomy winter day. Most patrons seemed to be gathering around the fire to defrost from the frigid weather, though a few gathered in the glass meeting room nestled in the furthest corner of the room.
I absolutely loved the warm and cozy vibe of Portage Grounds, but in terms of products, I felt torn. Their strength is most definitely in their matcha, and I was pleased with how their pre-sweetened blend struck just the right amount of sweetness to preserve the earthiness of the tea—I just wish that they had cleaned off the lid, as small speckles of espresso lightly coated the top. On the other hand, the banana walnut muffin just fell a little flat to me. The texture was there and so were the nuts, but there were huge chunks of banana that I normally would not mind if they were softer and easier to chew. Composition aside, the f lavor was simply blank and was missing some sort of cinnamon or spice to tie everything together!
City News Café
As the sun set and the temperature started to drop again, I drove a few blocks down for my final coffee shop: City News Café. In all honesty I had no intention of visiting this beautiful hole-in-the-wall shop until I was driving to Target for a quick errand run and saw a gigantic sign advertising a magazine café across the street. All sorts of zines and newspapers line the walls of the stores, with beautiful exposed brick giving the space a rustic feel. As we continue to shift more towards online spaces, social media, and the digital world, it was refreshing to step into a place that valued physical literature and an experience away from the screen. Customers could pick up the morning paper and spend some time offline in the front dining area, furnished with simple wooden tables and plenty of high-top seating.
I definitely see myself coming back to City News Café for several reasons, but perhaps one of my favorite parts of the shop was the flat rate for tea: $3.75 for sizes between 12oz and 20oz! An absolute steal! Not only do they have a solid variety to choose from, but having a base price regardless of size is a bargain I simply could not pass up. They serve your drink in these cute red mugs that seem much bigger than the 16oz I ordered but what do I know—I was too excited about the price to think twice about it. Leaning into my sweet tooth, I ordered a humongous slice of cherry pie to pair with my tea, and it might just have been the best cherry pie I had ever had! Honestly, I was beyond impressed with City News Café and the bang I got for my buck.
References
1) https://www.portageparkchamber.org/history-portage-park
About the Author
Elysa Valeriano (she/they) is majoring in political science and is in the BA/JD 3+3 Program. Elysa is a freshman and is excited to share their recommendations for local Chicago coffee shops with Honors students!
Hot off the French Press is an ongoing series by Elysa Valeriano in which she explores coffees shops in the Chicago area.
Read more on the Honors Blog.
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