CHICAGO
MAGAZINE
RESTAURANTS
Joanne Trestrall
If
only the rest of life were as civilized as Julius Meinl (3601 N. Southport
Ave.; 773-868-1857) --and had such good desserts, too.
This gracious
cafe, just down the street from the Music Box, is the 143-year-old coffee roaster's
only outpost outside Vienna, and visiting it makes American-grown chains feel
like Stepford coffee bars.
Breakfast is on tap until 11a.m. during the
week, and 1p.m. on weekends; afterward find soups, salads, sandwiches, and often
a special entree, such as goulash-all several notches above what you might expect
at a coffeehouse.
The mushroom soup is divine, as is the perfect prosciutto
and arugula salad ($7.50); Euro-style open-faced sandwiches include a knockout
smoked salmon ($8.95) and a pear-and-Brie on raisin sunflower bread ($6.95).
Finish with a pastry made on the premises; choices may range from chocolate-dipped
macaroons to exquisite white chocolate mousse torte (pictured here; $4.50), with
many interesting stops in between.
And the coffee: Does it really taste
so much better than what you make at home, or is it just fun to get it in a china
cup on a little tray, with a piece of chocolate alongside?
Yes and yes.
Live
classical music and soft jazz on weekends; no alcohol.
3601
N. Southport Chicago, IL 60613
Phone: 1 800 50 MEINL | 773-868-1857
4363
N. Lincoln Avenue Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: 773-868-1876 
