Dollop is the site for the next Cafe Chronicle.
For the past 16 years, I’ve been living 573 miles away from Dollop Café at 4181 N. Clarendon Ave in Chicago, I’m surprised I found it. But if I find myself anywhere in the greater Chicagoland area, I will make the trip. Dollop, for me, is worth it and worth the parking headaches. Although, as of late, I would normally combine my coffee trek with a run or ride along the lake. I guess if I were to go today, it would be a hobble along the lake, but still.
This is the original Dollop that opened in 2005, and I have never been to any of the others. I like the atmosphere here, I like the seating, and I especially like the coffee. The coffee is Metropolis which, along with Intelligentisa, are my current favorites.
The baristas, and mind you, I’ve probably only been there a dozen or so times over the years, are all lovely and helpful people. In the stories, I like to paint myself as a bit of an outsider, and maybe I am, but you just don’t feel that way in Dollop.
I am also a fan of the seating. There are some long tables up front, more single work-like tables in the middle, and some comfortable reading chairs and couches in the back room. I rarely went in with a laptop, but I don’t recall finding an outlet to be an issue. It is not the type of place where you feel they just want to push you out the door. I hope as they keep expanding, that doesn’t change.
I will go out of my way for very few places, Café La Poesía in Buenos Aires, Amor in Bogotá, and maybe one in Puebla, Mexico. Dollop is on the list of cafés for which I will go out of my way.
Café Chronicles are only $2.99 on Amazon.
Henry James Morello 