NEW BREW IN TOWN

NEW BREW

IF CINNAMONIF CINNAMON TOAST TOAST COLD COLD BREW BREW IS IS UPUP YOUR YOUR ALLEY, ALLEY, SOUL SOULLOCO LOCO ININ MAPLE MAPLE PARK PARK ISIS A MUST-VISITA MUST-VISIT COFFEE COFFEE SHOP SHOP

By Kevin Druley Photos provided by Soul Loco

in town

peaking the word “wanderlust”

Smultiple times during a recent conversation about coffee arguably suggests something about Luke Goucher’s love for the stuff. That Goucher also utters the phrase “passion project” underscores his restaurant group’s commitment to bringing the same fervor for coffee to their neighbors. At Soul Loco in Maple Park, the goal is to appease everyone’s palate, from those seeking a basic cup of joe to something more adventurous, or even alcoholic. Since this spring, Goucher has operated Soul Loco alongside Illinois Crafted restaurant group cohorts Dustin Zeitler, Brandon Harris, Gavin Male and Dane Male, who began their endeavor with Lodi Tap House in Maple Park. The quintet conceived of Soul Loco around the time it hatched the plan for Obscurity Brewing & Craft Mead, which opened at 113 W. North St., Elburn, in July 2020. “At the end of the day,” Goucher says, “I think we just wanted to build a place in town here that we could go to and enjoy that had delicious coffee, and saw kind of a need for that in the community and felt like there was an opportunity to not only do it, but do it real well where we roast our own stuff.” Among those starring in both productions is Carson Souza, the Obscurity brewmaster who also roasted coffee during a previous career stop at Pig Minds Brewing in Machesney Park. Space, equipment and Souza’s expertise and culinary-minded approach to both the

roasting and brewing processes — which overlap in a handful of steps, save fermentation, Goucher says — steered the formation of Soul Loco. To that end, Soul Loco blends traditional hot and iced offerings such as brewed coffee, espresso, latte, macchiato, hot chocolate, iced coffee and iced tea while offering craft beer and wine and a number of notable cold brew creations. The success of the usual fare and enticement of numerous summer favorites has helped build a customer base. One concoction, Cinnamon Toast Cold Brew, features an iced caramel cold brew topped with sweet cinnamon foam. Another special, the Mai Chai, mixes coconut chai cold brew, vanilla cold foam and nutmeg, all topped with a mini umbrella. Whether the base is coffee, beer or liquor, mixologists augment it with a spirit of experimentation, adding fresh, local, seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. “We actually take a lot of pride and a lot of time in all of our drinks and our creation behind those drinks,” says Nicole Bergner, Illinois Crafted general manager. “We have a really good group of people who work with Carson daily on flavor profiles for things, on pairings, to kind of create these unique drinks that you can’t find anywhere else.” Soul Loco is open 5:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m.-3p.m. Sunday. “We feel fortunate, I think, just in general, to have made it out the other end” of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic “and to be able to continue to bring new concepts and have the faith and trust of an employee base that stands behind any crazy idea we throw at them,” Goucher says. “So we’re just fortunate, and we appreciate our communities and our people.” ¢ SOUL LOCO 303 Main St., Maple Park 815-418-2560 www.soullococoffee.com

DAZEDAND COFFEE-INFUSED

By Allison Bills

Sometimes you just need a quick pick-me-up, and a chain drive-thru coffee or K-Cup brew will suffice. But other times, you want to sit back and enjoy every sip of that cup of joe that helps propel you through the day. We get it. We’ve been there. Here are 14 spots worthy of lingering.

¢ BLACK DOG VINYL CAFE 16108 S. Route 59, Plainfield 815-733-6032 www.blackdogvinylcafe.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: Records, live music and coffee — does it get any better? Jam out and search the cafe’s extensive selection of used records while sipping a custom drink like a Hound Dog, Thin Lizzy or American Bandstand. Plus, if you stick around in the evening, you can even enjoy a craft beer!

¢ BREWPOINT COFFEE 124 W. Park Ave., Elmhurst (original location) 224-542-8263 www.brewpointcoffee.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: Melissa Villanueva and her husband, Angelo, started Brewpoint when they were unemployed and just six months into dating, and now it has expanded to four different locations. Staples like the house blend are always a favorite, but others — like an ube latte and salted butterscotch latte — add a twist to traditional drinks. The company has even expanded into charcuterie and craft cocktails.

ANY type of property, ANY time of year 509 LaMoille Road, PO Box 110 Sublette, IL 815-849-5476 www. woodhavenlakes.com

Mary Lovgren, Broker 815-994-1449 Lisa Maher, Broker 773-459-5472 Sal Bayron, Broker 312-952-3409 • Nicci Leffelman, Broker 815-501-0408 Justin Wiley, Broker 815-849-5309 Bonita Willis, Designated Managing Broker

• GIFT SHOP • FIELD TRIPS • TOURS • EVENT SPACE FOR RENT FEATURED EXHIBITS INCLUDE:

• Ronald Reagan’s Beautifully restored classroom • Original Reagan Diplomas & Movie Posters • Blackhawk War & Early American Farming

Exhibits with Lifelike Talking Figures • Walgreen Family History Room, Art Gallery &

Historical Paintings • Beautiful Models & Dioramas Of Dixon In

The 1800’s • Military Room

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR HOURS

NO ADMISSION CHARGE DONATIONS ACCEPTED 205 West Fifth Street • Dixon, IL 61021 • Phone: 815-288-5508 • WWW.NTHC.ORG

Ready to ride?

Looking for local bike trails?

Find the 2021 Fox River Trail Guide at www.foxriverbiketrails.com

Coming soon to the local park districts and most retail locations noted below. ¢ COVERED BRIDGE CREAMERY 320 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove 847-383-5353 www.coveredbridgecreamery.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: Okay, okay… this one is more about the ice cream. But this spot does have coffee, too! You’ll find the Chicago-based Metric Coffee alongside teas and handcrafted ice cream. We just keep daydreaming about an iced coffee on that amazing patio…. Ahhhhh.

¢ FIVE & HOEK 112B N. Main St., Wheaton 630-480-7611 www.fiveandhoek.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: Did someone say European cafe? This roastery was formerly known as River City Roasters before reinventing itself in 2018 — complete with an amazing carryout window and alley seating. This cafe focuses on ethically sourced, quality coffee, and even has subscriptions!

¢ GRAHAM’S 318 COFFEE HOUSE 318 S. Third St., Geneva 630-845-3180 www.318coffeehouse.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: A branch of the beloved Graham’s Fine Chocolates & Ice Cream, this coffee shop offers up hot, iced and frozen drinks and exclusives like nitro and kombucha on tap. Many of the drinks are made with the delicious chocolates! You can also enjoy fondue, homemade donuts and gelato with your coffee.

¢ I HAVE A BEAN 655 Childs St., Wheaton 630-384-9657 www.ihaveabean.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: This local roastery is focusing on sustainability and hiring people after prison to help them gain a new lease on life. Swing by the roasting plant to pick up your bag of organically grown coffee and enjoy a cup of freshly brewed joe on “free coffee Friday.”

¢ KINDRED COFFEE ROASTERS 148 W. Washington St., West Chicago 630-473-0657 www.kindredcoffeeroasters.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: Carefully brewed coffee, Cold Fashioneds and smiling faces await at Kindred Coffee Roasters. Dreamed up by Sarah and Patrick Harms and Sarah’s brother, Ryan Hammer, there’s always a friendly face behind the counter. Be sure to check out the shop’s Instagram for the latest updates and some hilarious Photoshopped pics.

¢ MODEST COFFEE 245 W. Roosevelt Road, West Chicago 630-216-8283 www.modest.coffee WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: What started as a passion project for Marcus and Jenni Contaldo is now a blossoming career. Their West Chicago roastery is the heart of Modest Coffee, but their products can be found at retailers across Chicagoland as well as various farmers markets. The bottled cold brew is definitely worth a try — and is perfect for a caffeinated ice cream float.

¢ MY HALF OF THE SKY 121 W. Wesley St., Wheaton 630-800-4253 www.myhalfofthesky.org WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: My Half of the Sky is so much more than just a morning cup of coffee. Founder Renee Pollino started the social justice coffee shop to address “social concerns and systemic injustice through opportunity.” This coffee shop serves up high-quality coffee and loose-leaf teas, but also pays fair wages to farmers. Be sure to check out the shop as well as the business lounge and rental spaces.

¢ STAN’S DONUTS & COFFEE 17W615 Butterfield Rd., Oakbrook Terrace 630-317-7044 www.stansdonuts.com WHY IT’S FAB-BREW-LOUS: This LAoriginal and Chicago cult chain has branched westward — thankfully. Stan’s may be best known for its donuts like the red velvet or peanut butter pocket, but the Midwest-roasted coffee is just as good. Be sure to try the “Chocolate Lightning,” which is made with Stan’s cold brew and its blend of chocolate milk.

¢ SPARROW COFFEE 120 Water St., Naperville 630-384-8940 www.sparrowcoffee.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: Fresh from its West Loop roastery, Sparrow serves up a rotating selection of more than 100 single-origin coffees available as brewed beverages and whole bean selections. The cafe in Naperville is a showstopper, featuring high-tech gadgets, a sleek design and the finest baristas around.

¢ STEAM COFFEE CO. 2050 York Road, Oak Brook 630-819-8161 www.steamcoffeecompany.com WHY IT’S FAB-BREW-LOUS: STEAM was started by Joi Thompson to build a gathering space for friends and family — and that’s exactly what she has created. STEAM serves up Big Shoulders Coffee, which is roasted in Chicago, and the drinks include classics like espresso and cold brew, as well as specialties like honey cinnamon lattes and affogato.

¢ TREDWELL COFFEE 14 W. Downer Place, Aurora 630-844-1418 1915 Gary Ave., Wheaton 630-765-7282 www.tredwellcoffee.com WHY IT’S FAB-BREW-LOUS: Tredwell Coffee serves up some of the best locally sourced artisan coffee, and the Aurora location is one of the top places to take in views of the Fox River. Not only does Tredwell Coffee have unique drinks like an iced lavender London fog or honey oat latte, but you’ll often find live music to go along with your cup o’ joe.

¢ TWO BROTHERS COFFEE ROASTERS 30W315 Calumet Avenue W., Warrenville 630-393-4800 www.two-brothers-coffee-roasters. myshopify.com WHY IT’S FA-BREW-LOUS: What started as a beer company has expanded into coffee! Since 2012, Two Brothers has been roasting coffee using an eco-friendly roaster at its Warrenville brewery. The single-origin and custom blends are available as K-Cups, ground or whole bean bags online or at local retailers.