Batch Bakehouse / Intelligentsia

Batch Bakehouse, apparently of the Ian’s Pizza family, is serving brewed Intelligentsia coffee. Only brewed, one pot, no decaf.

I checked my older posts and realized I never actually posted about Intelligentsia. They are (by far) my favorite coffee place in the world. I’ve only been to the one in Chicago, across from Millennium Park, but it was enough. Their espresso is what espresso aspires to be when the beans are barely ripening. Their service, atmosphere, food, art, location and everything else implies that elite status of design in all fields that can be designed: harmonious perfection.

The first time I sat in their location on Randolph St. I was with a girl seeing some art places. She had a latte with detailed latte art and a chocolate dipped biscotti. I had the espresso (obviously) and some brownie-type thing. Rain started to fall just after we sat down near the window. It wound up being one of the best weekends of my life.

It took a few tries (as in, different trips that were lacking in proper info and mappage as well as not having the time to do it right) for me to actually try their coffee, and it was worth every step of the journey. They truly have an understanding of coffee that bewilders all but the most experienced barristers. They have since become an essential part of any trip I take to the Loop area of Chicago (the key is to allot some time before departing, no matter how extraneous it might seem) and will apparently remain a part of my wishlist for Madison for the immediate future.

Batch Bakehouse is focusing on a handful of baked goods, which looked very tasty when I stopped in. Small brownie was $2. Simplicity is nice, but they’re only open until three o’clock in the afternoon, and not on Sundays, Mondays, or (possibly, not sure) Tuesdays.

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