I have BIG news for all of you Locavores looking for a coffee fix. No, the beans are not from Chicago, but at Metropolis Coffee Company, they are roasting small batches in the heart of Chicago! That is about as local as you can get when it comes to coffee and it is worth it!

Where can you get this coffee?

At Dollop Coffee and Tea in Uptown. What an underrated little gem! Located in a brownstone that juts out into the intersection of North Clarendon and West Gordon Terrace, Dollop welcomes you with soft, melodic indie music and exposed brick walls. The decor is not at all planned or even pretentiously mismatched. No, instead, this adorable coffee house looks organically designed with the wall art and antique furniture probably being added piece-by-piece by an owner who has a love for varied styles.

The barista was really patient with me and even let me try a “shot” of Metropolis’ French Roast coffee (I do not drink coffee, but I had to research it)! It was smoky, very fresh and had a sweet finish on the back of the palate.

I chose the iced chai as my first drink because a. it’s hot outside and b. I love chai! What a good choice! The milky, cinnamon-infused chai was gone before I knew it!

For breakfast I had a croissant (Bennison’s) with Stover’s jam. For a light lunch, I had a 2 egg scramble with goat cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery. This is the ultimate light, airy and delicious lunch and the protein kept me going for hours! I am telling you guys, you HAVE to try the Prairie Dropseed Goat Cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm. For only $5, this round of goat cheese is versatile, has a creamy and crumbly texture that melts in your mouth and a rich flavour that is hard to find. Oh, and please do not make the rookie mistake of peeling off the mould covering: it adds to the flavour and is, indeed, edible. I PROMISE you won’t keel over and die. Believe me!

The best part of the day, though, besides the food and amazing coffee shop, was hanging out with Green City Market volunteer and new Chicago resident Ruthie! We met at Green City and had a lovely afternoon as I showed her Southport Ave. and its bounty of cool shops and restaurants like Candyality and Deleece. Man, I love Lakeview!

Stay tuned tomorrow for more Locavore fun and a restaurant review of … you’ll have to visit to find out!

Dev xx

PS, 2 days until Green City Market Day!!!!!!!!!!

Stumped on a Mother’s Day gift?  Take her to the theatre!!

LA TRAGÉDIE DE CARMEN AT 3PM!

Chicago Opera Theatre

MOTHER’S DAY TICKETS specially priced!

312.704.8414
Tickets also available on May 13 and 15!

“Those with a passion for the minimalist aesthetic will be enthralled by ‘La Tragedie de Carmen’…This Carmen is a realistic acting vehicle as much as a musical one.” – Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Opera Theater performs at:
The Harris Theater in Millennium Park
205 East Randolph

Mark’s Gospel, starring Max McLean, the hit Chicago premiere presented through May 17 at The Mercury Theater, is featuring a special Mother’s Day celebration on Sunday, May 10.  The first 25 moms to arrive at the theater prior to the 3 p.m. show will receive a treat-filled spring gift bag from popular Southport candy shop Candyality.  All mothers in attendance will receive a rose from Southport Blooms, and after the performance everyone in the audience is invited to indulge in complimentary cake and coffee, served by Cullen’s Bar and Grill in the lobby following the show.

The Emerald City Theatre Company invites you to celebrate Mother’s Day Weekend with Cinderella on either May 9 or 10. Cinderella, an original musical adaptation of the classic fairytale, has been extended through May 31 by popular demand!  Tickets available either through website or calling 773.935.6100.

Mom’s ticket is FREE (with the purchase of 3 regular priced adult or child tickets) when you celebrate Mother’s Day by bringing her to Cinderella on May 9 or 10. We’ll shower her with 3 ways to say ‘I love you’. In addition to her free ticket, the Fairy Godmother will give her a flower and chocolates!

Buy Jersey Boys tix for mom, and get her a FREE MASSAGE as well.

Purchase a pair of tickets by Mother’s Day to any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday performance through June and receive a certificate for a FREE ONE HOUR MASSAGE* courtesy of Massage Envy! Click here and use the code MASSAGE in the ‘Promotions and Special Offers’ box when ordering. Certificates will be mailed via USPS within five (5) business days of purchase to the billing address. Hurry! Offer only valid while supplies lasts through May 10.

Now with 20 Chicagoland locations
www.massageenvy.com

Other Mother’s Day Specials

• Brunch at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place’s SHOR on Sunday, May 10. For reservations, call 312.528.4140
• Mini massages at Geja’s Café on Sunday, May 10. To make reservations, please call 773-281-9101.

This week I was missing that “kid in a candy store” feeling I used to get so I decided to remedy it with a trip to…a candy store! Candyality, located at 3425 N. Southport Ave., is a quirky shop with a unique concept: you are what you eat. No, really! Candyality is all about making a connection between your sweet tooth and your soul, telling you what type of person you are based on the candy you love.

To get in touch with your inner Candyality, start by grabbing a clear plastic baggy and helping yourself to over 175 bins of mix-and-match bulk candy, individually wrapped novelty and retro candies and a ton of other sweet treats (including an M&Ms tower – a tower! Of M&Ms! Heaven!). Then take your goodies to the Candyality check-out server and ask what your candy selection reveals about you!

To shy to talk to a stranger? No worries! Candyality conveniently posts a massive guide to help you out right outside of the store.

Never again will you wonder why Gummi Bears are your go-to comfort food or what your passion for licorice really means! Candyality has it all figured out.

Keep clicking on this picture to expand it and read about your Candyality!

One of my personal favourites at Candyality is the 12 flavour gummi bears that range from blue raspberry to pink lemonade! A must for gummi bear lovers! My only advice is to avoid those “crunchy gummi bears” covered in some sort of candy coating. They were vomitious! Other than that, everything I purchased was delicious and Candyality even has chocolate babies, which are like gourmet, truffle-like Tootsie Rolls shaped like babies. Creepy but delicious!

And, if you are now getting in the Easter mood, check out their massive selection of Easter-themed candies (you can see a small selection below!).

And if gummy candy is not your thing, then you can make your way to the gourmet chocolate/truffles display tower that features nutty, nougaty and/or caramely creations drizzled, dunked or drowning in chocolate.

Oh, and please whip out your calendars now and mark down Candyality’s Jelly Belly Trunk Show that is going down on April 4th from 11-4. According to Candyality:

Candy aficionados will have the opportunity to taste test the official 50 flavors-plus more! Vintage Jelly Belly Candy Jars will be offered as a gift with a purchase of a pound or more of the tasty beans. (While quantities last) Also, get a Birdseye view of the infamous “Jelly Belly Mobile” as it motors into town from 11-2. In addition, Mr. Jelly Belly will be on hand to greet his fans through out the event.

See you at the trunk show!

Dev xx

Remember the scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where the children were allowed to run free in the candy factory, grabbing all of the Gobstoppers and Scrumpdiddleumptious bars they could handle? That same childlike energy and enthusiasm for the sweet stuff, minus the little blue men and golden geese, electrifies Candyality. The family-friendly Southport corridor is a perfect location for this upscale candy shop, attracting kids, adults of all ages and the occasional straggler making his way from Wrigley Field.

The smell of fruity treats and fresh popcorn is the first thing you’ll notice when you walk through Candyality’s doors. Grab a basket and choose from retro confections like Mallow Cups, Idaho Spuds and Abba-Zabbas, rainbow-colored jellies and vegan chocolates. Quirky novelty items like edible-tattoo kits and candy “pizza” are among the treasures found in glass candy jars placed throughout the store.

Candyality aims to uncover your “candy personality” by analyzing your selection of sweets. Love sugary candy? Owner Terese McDonald predicts you seek immediate gratification and recognition. Licorice fans are loyal, hard-candy connoisseurs are logical, and those seeking out the fluffy stuff are non-conformists. Forget tea leaves; candy readings may be the new key to finding your inner self.

With summer just around the corner, Candyality plans to stock its freezer with classic treats like Bomb Pops and other frosty temptations. To top it off, Candyality is available to provide goodies for children’s birthday parties and events, perfect for your own little Charlie Bucket or Violet Beauregarde. The sugar isn’t the only thing that will spoil them rotten; bulk candy weighs in at $8.99 per pound, bulk chocolates are $10.99 per pound and gourmet chocolates top out at $17.99 per pound.

*This article was originally published in Centerstage Chicago.

: : : : : : : : : : :