The Best Cafe To Read A Book
If you are looking for a nice, quiet place to read a book while you enjoy a light meal, there are plenty of cafes in Chicago and other big cities that will serve your purpose. Some of them are described below.
The Corner Bakery Cafe has been rated by Parents magazine (July 2009 issue) as “one of the ten best fast- casual restaurants in America;” so it should definitely be first on our list. It started out as a small bread bakery that soon expanded to include other products. The food is both wholesome and delicious. Currently, they are holding a Guest Satisfaction Survey, where one can win 5,000.
The Grand Lux Cafe was founded by one who had travelled all over Europe looking for ideas for a small, casual restaurant. Recipes here come from all over the world, from Cajun shrimp & chicken jambalaya to Mediterranean mahi mahi to jalapeo cheese cornbread, and the design is ornate; yet the cafe has a relaxed atmosphere.
Cafe Iberico is a “tapas bar” (tapas are small portions of food); its specialty is the cuisine of Spain. Prices are among the most affordable in town; each “tapa” costs from 2 to 7. The four rooms here include a “Sala Medieval” where the walls are decorated much like those of medieval Spanish Muslim fortresses (and a steering wheel), and a “Bar Picoteco.” Some menu items: salada mixta, tortilla espaola (the Spanish tortilla is essentially an omelette, unlike the Mexican tortilla), and a soup called calda gallego. Hispanic Magazine called Cafe Iberico “the best Hispanic restaurant in Illinois.”
Bridgeport Coffeehouse, on the South Side of the city, is less than ten years old (founded in 2004), but it has gained a good reputation for its flavorful coffees and teas. It was once a storefront.