Ipsento: Where Good Times are Brewing

Here is my first finished article for our summer magazine! I wrote this very short piece on a quaint little cafe I visited for an interview. It was so charming, how could I resist a short paragraph dedicated to its delish coffee and friendly atmosphere?

The street is quiet on this rainy afternoon. Opening the door to Ipsento Café, three distinct sounds fill the air: alternative one-hit wonders, the steady whir of coffee beans grinding, and friendly chit chat. A note on this chatter: Baristas and clients use each other’s names in conversation. Vivacious hues of orange, green, and blue create a welcoming, urban, family room feel. A literature lover’s dream, sandwiches range in name from The Emily Dickinson to The Mark Twain or Homer’s Hummus Plate (all ranging six dollars in cost).Coffee is served in giant, colorful mugs while some customers even store their own on a shelf beside the giant coffee dripper. There they wait, washed and ready for the customers’ daily visits. What sets Ipsento apart from Starbucks or any independent coffee shops in Chicago? Jonathan, a barista at Ipsento, stopped refilling the grinder and set the burlap sack of beans on the sofa beside me while considering the question.
“We see coffee brewing as a craft. You’d be surprised how many coffee shops brew coffee the wrong way. The brewing process is an art; you can definitely mis brew a pot of coffee,” He explained.
“My thing is the espresso. I love brewing the espresso,” He flashed another smile my way as he grabbed his sack of beans and nodded towards my own mug of light brown liquid rejuvenation which came with a cream, scrolling heart motif floating on the top. Ipsento may know how to brew coffee the right way, but the charming atmosphere makes this café a coffee lover’s ideal haven.

IF YOU GO:
What: Ipsento Café
Where: 2035 N. Western Avenue
Hours: Monday-Friday 6:30am-9:00pm
Saturday 7:00am-9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am-8:00pm
Phone: 773-904-8177
E-mail: www.ipsento.com
www.yelp.com/ipsento