When Mazzy Jensen visits somewhere new, she tries to find local cafes unavailable in her hometown of Clinton, Iowa. The self-described “picky” coffee connoisseur will comb through Google reviews before trying a new spot. When looking for a cup of joe in Evanston, Jensen paid attention to online photos of the almond, vanilla and chocolate syrups shops used in their lattes and avoided those that stocked Torani syrups.
“I prefer it when coffee shops make their own syrups because it just gives it such a unique flavor,” said Jensen, who dings places that use commercial, chemicallike syrups. “It makes it a lot more enjoyable and different from other coffee shops.”
Like Jensen, many other cherubs used time before and between classes to explore the many cafes — which also served as peaceful workspaces and social hubs.
Jean Lee of Los Angeles discovered her favorite spot — Pâtisserie Coralie — when walking to her instructor meeting at Newport Coffee House.
“On the way there, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is such a cute coffee shop! I want to go after my instructor meeting,’” Lee said. In three subsequent visits to Pâtisserie Coralie, she ordered an iced hot chocolate, a raspberry-and-peach Danish and her personal favorite, a birthday cake latte. The ultimate tribute: She spent three hours there when finishing her trend story.
“It’s quiet enough to where you can focus, but not an uncomfortable silence,” she said. “Enough people are walking in and out of the shop to hold me accountable to stay on task.”
A fan favorite was Colectivo Coffee. Chicago native Owen Zeller, who appreciates its work-oriented environment, specifically recommends the electrolyte tea as a refreshing way to survive the Evanston heat.
“That’s where I go to get a lot of college work done,” said Zeller, who last worked on his Common Application at Colectivo. “I just go, and I tend to lock in because people are just so focused in that place.”
