I've had the idea for awhile that I should start doing cafe reviews. This is particularly inspired by a paucity of honest and useful reviews for establishments in Detroit. But additionally, after having been something of a cafe bum for many years in many different cities, I figured I might have some insights that others would find helpful. It should be noted that if I give criticisms of either the coffee or the staff, this is not meant to be snarky--I'm just trying to honestly depict what my experience going there has been. I try to review cafes that I've been to at least a few times. There will be exceptions to this. (Mainly, when I travel.) I originally was going to just describe cafes in the Detroit area but I thought that including cafes in other cities I visit might give my readers a good baseline of what I consider to be a "good" cafe.

Xhedos, like Amsterdam Espresso, is very much a bohemian/hippie cafe. The coffee is quite good there and there seems to be a nice selection of food if you're hungry. (All I've ever had are the bagels and they are quite good.) It is a ton more spacious than Amsterdam Espresso, however, so there's rarely a problem finding somewhere to sit. Because it's a bigger spot, the seats tend to be a bit further apart, which is nice. On the downside, they tend to have a lot of open mic poetry nights so if you want to talk with friends or read, you probably want to avoid it after seven pm. However, if you're into that whole open mic scene, you'd probably enjoy it immensely. It does have a slightly different vibe than Amsterdam due to its location in Ferndale. Ferndale is located in Oakland county which is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, so it's got more of an "affluent bohemian" environment at times. Also, they charge for water which I kind of object to on principle.

The Ugly Mug is hands down my favorite cafe in Michigan. I just wish that I lived a bit closer to it. It definitely has the best espresso drinks anywhere in the state, and is very consistently good. It's also very much a bohemian hang out, a bit more artsy/punk than hippie which makes it more my style. It has both a smoking and non-smoking section, with the non-smoking being movie theatre seats. There appears to be a rather good selection of cafe food although I haven't ever had any of it, because I usually go there after grabbing dinner in Ann Arbor. Honestly, I can't think of anything bad to say about the place.

Fourth Coast makes good coffee. It's probably one of the better cafes in Western Michigan. So, if you happen to be driving through on your way to or from Chicago, it's a good place to stop, sit and have a good cup of coffee. It's twenty four hours, too, which is a nice feature. Usually, there's a lot of Western Michigan students in there studying, especially late at night. You do seem to get a disproportionate amount of snotty-yet-small-town-slow baristas in there. All things considered, that's a minor annoyance though. Usually when we're going to or from Chicago, we try to pick up at least one pound of their beans.

I lived in Chicago from 1998-2001, not counting a brief stint in Milwaukee. Most of the places that were open when I lived there have since closed. However, I go back there frequently. Since I'm planning on applying to a couple of grad programs in Chicago and am really vying to move back there, I've checked out some of the cafes on or near the schools I'm considering. So, most of my reviews are of the cafes there.

The Bourgeois Pig is right on the Depaul campus, very close to the fullerton el stop. It's probably one of my favorite Chicago cafes. There is a good selection of salads, sandwiches and various munchies. There's a very extensive espresso menu, and the coffee is both potent and tasty. It's a prime hang-out spot for every variety of intellectual. The Pig is ideal for people watching, immersing yourself in a book, or having intelligent conversations with a friend.

Although I highly doubt that I will apply to graduate school at Northwestern, the cafes around there certainly make me want to. Ahem. Mud is great--I've gone there several times. It has a very unique decor, and the owner is quite nice. Furthermore, they make a mean cappucino. I think they're my favorite cafe in the Chicago area. Their population appears to be almost entirely Northwestern students and so their hours appear to be rather limited over the breaks. I believe over Christmas break, they're closed for two weeks. I have many fond memories of sitting there, drinking a very tasty and potent cappucino, reading Heidegger. Definitely check it out if you have the chance.

The Unicorn Cafe is another good cafe. It's a very diverse crowd, from your uber hipster to real estate agent types which is nice. It frequently gets crowded, but not in a way that is distracting. In fact, the crowd becomes a sort of white noise that makes it quite easy to read and get work done. The staff is also all very nice and friendly. The coffee is good, although I probably like the coffee at Mud a bit better, and the decor doesn't have quite as much character as Mud's, either. Still, they tend to have rather extensive hours so if Mud isn't open, it's a good second choice.

This is a bit of a digression from most of the places I review, which are generally independent (and cool) coffeehouses. This is really just a bookstore for Loyola students that has a little cafe area. I'm choosing to review it because I've gone there a few times and had a really good experience, the whole corporate bookstore/cafe feel notwithstanding. I am most likely biased because I really like the Loyola campus area. However, they do make a very potent cappucino. Also, Loyola has a very diverse student body so if you find a nice spot on the couch, you can have fun eavesdropping on conversations while you read/write/spy/etcetera.

I visited Panini Garden on a recent trip to LA. It was a great place to grab breakfast. A cool little cafe/lunch place, serving Illy espresso and a fairly extensive menu. It definitely has that "leisurely hang out" vibe. I had the crepes and a cappuccino, both of which were quite tasty. This was easily my favorite cafe of all the ones I visited while in LA.

I thought 18th Street was okay, but nothing to write home about. The decor was okay, and it looked like it would be a good place to sit for awhile and get work done. However, the coffee was merely okay. Also, they lost major points for serving espresso in paper cups. When will coffeehouse owners learn that paper cups for non-to-go orders robs them of all authenticity? It's like going to a nice Italian restaurant and getting your pasta on styrofoam plates. They appeared to have some pastries. My fiancee ordered a piece of chocolate cake, but the person behind the counter forgot to bring it to him and he had to ask for it again. When he finally received it, he was less than impressed. Mediocre food and mediocre service counteract any pleasantry that might be offered by the decor.

Synergy Cafe was pleasant. Again, the coffee came in paper cups, but at least the coffee was fairly good. The food was okay. I didn't get enough dressing for my caesar salad, but they readily provided more when asked. The staff all seemed very nice. The atmosphere was very cool in a gritty sort of way, and in general, there was a nice "vibe" to the place. It seems like it probably attracts a fair share of students. They also seem to have quite a few events going on at night as well.

Cafe Bar Action was a great place. The coffee was quite good, and the postmodern decor made for a really cool ambiance. It had a nice view of the street as well. It also was air-conditioned--a real boon, since Berlin was in the middle of a heatwave at the time, and very few places are air conditioned.

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